PhD Fellowship in Translation Studies

JOB DESCRIPTION 

• The research group Translation and Culture (TRACE) at Ghent University seeks to recruit a PhD fellow (doctoral candidate) for four years.
• The position is funded as a predoctoral fellowship: a full-time grant with the specific purpose of completing a doctoral dissertation at Ghent U.
• We invite applicants to propose a research project on translation between English and Spanish (in either direction: English–Spanish or Spanish–English). We particularly welcome projects engaging with one or more of the following areas: 

• • Philosophy
  • The novel of ideas from the twentieth century onwards
  • Film and ideology
  • Feminism and post-feminism
  • Other relevant themes 

• Multilingual projects including Dutch, French, or German, together with Spanish and English are likewise encouraged. 

PROFILE REQUIREMENTS 

• You hold a Master’s degree in a field of study relevant to the project. This includes Translation Studies, Literary Studies, Comparative Literature, Language and Literature, Cultural Studies, History, Philosophy, etc.
• You have written an excellent Master’s thesis.
• You have an excellent command of English and Spanish.
• You show strong potential as a future researcher, and you combine strong analytic skills with a gift for communication in a range of contexts. You can work independently and as part of a research team. 

WHAT WE OFFER YOU 

• A full-time position as a doctoral fellow, consisting of an initial period of 12 months, which, after a positive evaluation, will be extended to a total maximum of 48 months.
• Your contract will start on 1 February 2026 at the earliest.
• Supervision by Jeroen Vandaele and Lieve Jooken. You can find their research profiles at https://research.flw.ugent.be/en/jkm.vandaele and https://research.flw.ugent.be/en/lieve.jooken 

HOW TO APPLY 

Send your cv, a copy of your diploma (if already in your possession), relevant transcripts, and a motivation letter by e-mail to Lieve Jooken (Lieve.Jooken@UGent.be) AND Jeroen Vandaele (JKM.Vandaele@UGent.be) by 18 November 2025 at the latest. We do not accept late applications. The e-mail subject line for applications should start with “TRACE26” (written as one word). 

Please note: 

• Your CV should include the contact details of two academic referees who can speak to your
• Your diploma should clearly state the required degree (at least an MA). If you have a foreign diploma in a language other than English or one of Belgium’s national languages (Dutch, French or German), please add a Please also include transcripts of your results, merging them with your diploma into one pdf.
• Your motivation letter (in pdf format) should outline your reasons for applying and how you fit the job It should also include one paragraph outlining your research project proposal.
• Also include a single-authored piece of academic writing (a thesis or chapter from a thesis, a paper, ) (max. 8,000 words).

Shortlisted applicants will be invited for an interview. They will be asked to submit an additional document at least one week prior to the interview: a brief proposal in which you outline how you might tackle the research project above (max. 750 words). Interviews are expected to be organised in December 2025. Please feel free to signal any accessibility concerns. Ghent University maintains an equal opportunities and diversity policy.

For more information, contact Lieve Jooken (Lieve.Jooken@UGent.be) and Jeroen Vandaele (JKM.Vandaele@UGent.be).

This is a shortened version of the announcement. Applicants should refer to the full vacancy by clicking the 'Apply' button

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