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The Department of Literature in the Faculty of Arts seeks a full-time (%) doctoral scholarship holder in the field of contemporary anglophone literature.
Position
1. You will work actively on the preparation and defence of a PhD dissertation on "Narrating Parental Regret in Contemporary Anglophone Fiction." The PhD project will examine the literary representation of parental regret, focusing on how narrative techniques shape negative emotions that remain socially taboo yet are central to family life, reproductive decision-making, and wellbeing. Examining a corpus of English language narratives since, the project uses methods of close reading to show how authors narrate regret through counterfactual temporalities, focalization, and other narrative techniques, and it attends to differences in intensity, outcome, and positionality across gender, race, class, sexuality, and life stage. Drawing on narrative theory, affect theory, gender studies, and the health humanities, the project demonstrates how fiction renders the temporal and expressive complexity of regret and how these narrative forms show tensions between autonomy and dependence within family life.
2. You will publish research articles and deliver conference papers related to the project.
3. You will carry out a limited number of teaching and research support tasks for the Department of Literature in the area of English literature.
Profile
4. You hold a Master's degree in English literature or an adjacent field relevant to the project, or you will have obtained this degree by the time you start the position.
5. You can demonstrate excellent study results.
6. Your teaching competences are in line with the University of Antwerp’s .
7. Your research qualities are in line with the faculty and .
8. You perform duties with attention to quality, integrity, creativity and cooperation.
9. You can read, write and speak English with high proficiency.
10. You have experience conducting independent research and writing cogent, persuasive and professional papers.
11. Experience doing multi- or interdisciplinary research is a plus.
12. You communicate effectively and consistently with colleagues, work well in a team, and can balance independent and collaborative work.
What we offer
13. We offer a doctoral scholarship for a period of one year. Following a positive evaluation, the scholarship can be renewed for another three years.
14. The planned start date is 1 September .
15. Your monthly scholarship amount is calculated according to the for doctoral scholarship holders.
16. You will receive ecocheques, Internet-connectivity allowance, and bicycle allowance or a full reimbursement of public transport costs for commuting.
17. As a doctoral researcher, you will have access to a wide and varied range of courses and an educational credit through the .
18. You will be based at University of Antwerp’s city campus (Stadscampus) in a dynamic and stimulating working environment.
19. Find out more about working at the University of Antwerp .
20. The selection committee reviews all applications as soon as possible after the application deadline. As soon as a decision is made, we will notify you. If you are still eligible after the pre-selection, you will be informed about the possible next step(s) in the selection procedure. The selection interview is expected to take place in late June via Teams or in person.