Employment 1.0 FTE
Gross monthly salary € 2,901 - € 3,707
Required background Research University Degree
Organizational unit Faculty of Social Sciences
Application deadline 01 June 2025
This PhD position offers a unique opportunity to explore an innovative and socially relevant research topic at the intersection of migration, fatherhood, masculinity, emotions, and family-making. You will be joining a dynamic academic environment at Radboud University, where interdisciplinary collaboration and societal impact are strongly valued. The project contributes to filling a significant gap in migration and gender research by focusing on the emotional, affective and cultural dimensions of migrant masculinity and fatherhood, areas that have remained underexplored in both academic and policy discourse. Your work will not only enrich academic debates but also have practical implications for understanding the complex realities of transnational family life in multicultural societies.
As a PhD candidate, you will investigate how migrant men in the Netherlands navigate their roles as fathers across transnational and intercultural family contexts. The project examines the emotional, memory-based, gendered, and cultural dimensions of fatherhood and masculinity, grounded in a theoretical framework that includes the sociology of emotions, memory studies, migration theory, role theory, and gender studies – with a central focus on intersectionality. The research will analyse how masculinity is shaped, expressed and redefined within migrant fatherhood, and how this affects broader processes of family-making.
The primary methodology is qualitative and based on in-depth interviews and participant observation, supported by document analysis (e.g. letters, diaries, digital communication). A potential quantitative component using existing survey data (such as the LISS panel) is possible, offering the candidate the opportunity to apply mixed methods if suited to their research interests and expertise.
You will be responsible for developing and executing your research plan, publishing peer-reviewed articles, presenting at international conferences, and writing a dissertation based on your findings. Throughout your doctoral journey, you will receive tailored academic support, mentorship, and opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration within the Radboud Social Cultural Research Institute (RSCR).
Teaching is an essential part of this appointment and will make up approximately 10% of your time. You will contribute to undergraduate or graduate level courses related to sociology, gender studies or migration studies. These tasks are designed to support your academic development and prepare you for a future career in research or teaching.
Would you like to learn more about what it’s like to pursue a PhD at Radboud University? Visit the page about working as a PhD candidate.
Profile
- You have a Master’s degree in sociology, anthropology or a related field in the social sciences.
- You have a demonstrated interest in gender studies, family and migration sociology, masculinity studies, or emotional and memory studies and are familiar with or interested in applying role theory, intersectionality, and interdisciplinary theoretical frameworks in your research.
- You are motivated to conduct in-depth qualitative research, including ethnography and narrative interviews. Knowledge of descriptive statistics or more advanced statistical methods is considered an asset.
- You are fluent in English and preferably also in Dutch, Arabic or French. You are committed to intersectional and transdisciplinary research perspectives.
- You have excellent analytical, writing and communication skills.
- You enjoy working independently as well as in a collaborative academic environment.
- You are willing to contribute to teaching activities at the departments of Gender and Diversity Studies and Sociology.
We offer
- We will give you a temporary employment contract (1.0 FTE) of 1.5 years, after which your performance will be evaluated. If the evaluation is positive, your contract will be extended by 2.5 years (4-year contract).
- You will receive a starting salary of €2,901 gross per month based on a 38-hour working week, which will increase to €3,707 in the fourth year (salary scale P).
- You will receive an 8% holiday allowance and an 8,3% end-of-year bonus.
- We offer Dual Career Coaching. The Dual Career Coaching assists your partner via support, tools, and resources to improve their chances of independently finding employment in the Netherlands.
- You will receive extra days off. With full-time employment, you can choose between 30 or 41 days of annual leave instead of the statutory 20.
Additional employment conditions
Work and science require good employment practices. Radboud University's primary and secondary employment conditions reflect this. You can make arrangements for the best possible work-life balance with flexible working hours, various leave arrangements and working from home. You are also able to compose part of your employment conditions yourself. For example, exchange income for extra leave days and receive a reimbursement for your sports membership. In addition, you receive a 34% discount on the sports and cultural activities at Radboud University as an employee. And, of course, we offer a good pension plan. We also give you plenty of room and responsibility to develop your talents and realise your ambitions. Therefore, we provide various training and development schemes.
We are
The research in this position will align with the research programme of the Radboud Social Cultural Research (RSCR) institute. RSCR is a research institute at the Faculty of Social Sciences. Researchers make up three research groups: Sociology; Cultural Anthropology and Development Studies; and Gender and Diversity Studies. The overall aim of RSCR is to improve our understanding of the processes leading to inequalities in various societies by investigating the societal phenomena of social inequality and inclusion. Our team values diversity and inclusion, fostering a collaborative environment where scholars from different backgrounds contribute to innovative research. You will be supervised by Dr Francesco Cerchiaro and Dr Klara Raiber.
Faculty of Social Sciences
At the Faculty of Social Sciences, humanity and society are our focus; we study how people behave, think and feel. Within this context, we look at themes such as human behaviour and the human psyche, education and upbringing, communication, society and culture. The faculty provides education to 6,000 students and employs 700 staff. Education is organised into six programme clusters: Psychology; Artificial Intelligence; Pedagogical Sciences and Educational Sciences; Communication Science; Sociology; and Cultural Anthropology and Developmental Sociology, and the Radboud Centre Social Sciences as an institute for post-master education have been merged into the Social Sciences Education Institute. Our research is carried out within three research institutes: the Donders Centre for Cognition, the Behavioural Science Institute, and Radboud Social Cultural Research.
Radboud University
At Radboud University, we aim to make an impact through our work. We achieve this by conducting groundbreaking research, providing high-quality education, offering excellent support, and fostering collaborations within and outside the university. In doing so, we contribute indispensably to a healthy, free world with equal opportunities for all. To accomplish this, we need even more colleagues who, based on their expertise, are willing to search for answers. We advocate for an inclusive community and welcome employees with diverse backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives. Will you also contribute to making the world a little better? You have a part to play.
If you want to learn more about working at Radboud University, follow our Instagram account and read stories from our colleagues.
Practical information and applying
You can apply only via the button below. Address your letter of application to Francesco Cerchiaro. In the application form, you will find which documents you need to include with your application.
The first interviews will take place from 16-18 June. You will preferably start your employment on 1 October 2025.
We can imagine you're curious about our application procedure. It describes what you can expect during the application procedure and how we handle your personal data and internal and external candidates. If you wish to apply for a non-scientific position with a non-EU nationality, please take notice of the following information.
Application deadline 01 June 2025
We would like to recruit our new colleague ourselves. Acquisition in response to this vacancy will not be appreciated.
Would you like more information?
Dr F. Cerchiaro (Francesco)
[email protected]
