* Apply before 27/10/2025 (DD/MM/YYYY) 23:59 (Brussels Time)
* Faculty of Arts and Philosophy
* Department: LW17 - Kunst-, Muziek- en Theaterwetenschappen
* Occupancy rate:50%
* Number of positions: 1
* Type of employment: Contract of unlimited duration
* Term of assignment:
* Wage scale: PD1 to PD4 (doctoral degree)
* Required diploma:PhD
ABOUT GHENT UNIVERSITY
Ghent University is a world of its own. Employing more than 8,000 people, it is actively involved in education and research, management and administration, as well as technical and social service provision on a daily basis. It is one of the largest, most exciting employers in the area and offers great career opportunities. With its 11 faculties and more than 80 departments offering state-of-the-art study programmes grounded in research in a wide range of academic fields, Ghent University is a logical choice for its staff and students.
YOUR TASKS
This job opening is for a position for 50% (post-doc level) as researcher of the 4-year Senior Research project Con-Fluvial: an art-science-activist worlding activating awareness of hydro-ecologies (funded by FWO).
STILL HERE by Natural Contract Lab (NCL) is the driving force behind this research project. NCL is a long-term, research-based art project initiated by Portuguese, Ghent-based artist Maria Lucia Cruz Correia. In STILL HERE: An Alliance for SZenne River, NCL is developing a collective awareness of the specific water ecologies of SZenne River, Belgium. The following research questions are at stake: How does water flow through, over, and between human and more-than-human bodies politically, socially, and ecologically? How do we design a process of repair based on reciprocity, responsibility, and interdependence with specific waterways? Do we need alternative ways to do justice to and care for water bodies?
The Con-Fluvial research project examines alternative forms of (ecological) knowledge production and activism like those of NCL. It explores ways to map these situated, entangled, and embodied knowledge systems and supports the development of tools for alternative knowledge transfer. The methodology is inspired by the political ecology of Bruno Latour, the new materialist philosophy of Donna Haraway, Robin Wall Kimmerer's biological writings on the democracy of species, and many other indigenous and local wisdom keepers. The researchers involved are engaged in several multi-day expert workshops with artists and academics from various fields to bring together diverse perspectives on hydro-ecological issues and develop an interdisciplinary research objective, methodology, and output. Correia is also developing a doctorate in the arts as part of this research project.
As a research coordinator, you play a central role in supporting the scientific teams involved, monitoring the project's progress against the established milestones, and ensuring compliance with ethical and legal guidelines.
* You conduct high-level theoretical research within the framework of this research project on art and ecology.
* You are part of an international team of researchers and stakeholders working on this research project. You facilitate meetings of the scientific committee and the core research team, make reports, and manage internal communication within the team. You participate in the research activities of these partners, insofar as they are relevant to the research project. You take initiatives to increase knowledge sharing within the research team.
* You prepare, organize, and take part in research activities (e.g. expert workshops, conference presentations, guest lectures, … ) in consultation with the Principal Investigator (PI).
* You are responsible for the high-quality documentation of workshops, lectures, and guest lectures, and for converting uncompressed file formats (with maximum data quality) to open file formats, with the aim of depositing the data in a repository for reuse.
* You are responsible for consistent data collection with metadata, in accordance with DDI-guidelines, storage in an open repository, end-user licenses, preservation contracts, and a data management plan in consultation with the Ghent University Data Management Team. You guarantee the (meta)data quality and FAIRness of the finalized datasets.
* You are responsible for the external scientific communication according to a protocol established between NCL and the PI (website, social media, providing information for various newsletters, etc.). You develop a communication plan in consultation with the research team spokespersons. You develop and maintain a project website in collaboration with UGhent staff.
* You facilitate various forms of research output: publications, exhibitions, public presentations, etc. You proactively explore substantive and financial synergies with other funding channels, for optimal deployment of research resources. You explore opportunities for broader communication. You co-edit a book publication and act as a liaison between the publisher and the various authors.
* You collaborate with the core research team and NCL on the development of an interactive map design featuring innovative hydroecological methodologies and knowledge systems as toolkits for future, similar, caring relationships with water bodies.
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
* You have obtained a PhD in Art Studies, or similar.
* You have research experience on art and ecology. (Research) experience with graphic design, society, rights of nature, and visualization techniques is recommended.
* You take responsibility, and you are able to solve problems independently.
* You are creative when it comes to solving problems, generating ideas and finding new ways of collaborative research.
* You have an open personality, and you are willing to contribute to the functioning of the team.
* You are used to engage with administrations, NGOs, citizens driven initiatives, companies, and academic research to develop methodologies and facilitate the most crucial steps teams have to go through in order to develop interdisciplinary methodologies and knowledge systems.
* You are willing to work in close collaboration with organizations directly concerned with hydro-ecological research (e.g. NGOs, nature preservation movements, …).
* You have excellent teaching and communication skills in Dutch, English and French, both oral and written.
* a strong affinity and/or prior experience with the artistic work of Natural Contract Lab is a plus.
WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU
* We offer you a contract of indefinite duration.
* Your contract will start on November 1, 2025 at the earliest.
* Your remuneration will be determined by salary scale PD1 to PD4 (if you hold a doctorate). Click here for more information about our salary scales.
* All Ghent University staff members enjoy a number of benefits, such as a wide range of training and education opportunities, 36 days of holiday leave (on an annual basis for a full-time job) supplemented by annual fixed bridge days, a bicycle allowance and eco vouchers. Click here for a complete overview of all the staff benefits.
INTERESTED?
Apply online through the e-recruitment system before the application deadline (see above). We do not accept late applications or applications that are not submitted through the online system.
Your application must include the following documents:
* In the field 'CV': your CV with five most relevant publications
* In the field 'Cover letter': your application letter in pdf format
* In the field 'Diploma': a transcript of the required degree (if already in your possession). If you have a foreign diploma in a language other than our national languages (Dutch, French or German) or English, please add a translation in one of the mentioned languages.
Note that the maximum file size for each field is 10 MB.
As Ghent University maintains an equal opportunities and diversity policy, everyone is encouraged to apply for this position.
MORE INFORMATION
For more information about this vacancy, please contact Prof. Dr. Christel Stalpaert, Important: do NOT send your application by email, but apply online.
Do you have a question regarding the online application process? Please read the FAQ or contact us via or