Postdoctoral researcher in environmental justice

About the role

The Environment, Organisations, Society (EOS) research centre at UCLouvain is hiring a full-time postdoctoral researcher (3-year fixed-term contract) for the FNRS-funded SETBACK project, a study of environmental justice backsliding. The postdoc is supervised by Prof. Brendan Coolsaet and Prof. Louise Knops, co-principal investigators of the project. The position starts in January 2027.

Key responsibilities

• Document and trace the activist, scholarly, societal and institutional landscape of environmental justice backsliding in the USA (geographic focus defined together).
• Carry out a systematic literature review to refine the methodological approach and conceptual framework before fieldwork.
• Conduct field trips and participant observation, including extensive interviews with frontline communities, environmental justice movements, scholars and public agency staff in the USA.
• Co-supervise and work alongside the PhD student Aurore Migeotte, who focuses on environmental justice backsliding in Europe.
• Promote the project's results to a broad audience.

Required profile

• Ph.D. in a social science discipline related to the project's themes (environmental justice, environmental politics, environmental governance, environmental democracy, environmental movements, political ecology, etc.), awarded by the time of appointment; other backgrounds considered only with relevant experience.
• Proven track record of research or work in environmental justice studies.
• Strong scientific publication record.
• Excellent command of English; knowledge of French helps administrative integration.

Required skills

• Experience with qualitative and participatory research methods, including ethnographic fieldwork.
• Past fieldwork experience in the USA is a significant asset.
• Ability to organise one's time, work independently, meet deadlines and manage competing priorities.

What we offer

• A competitive postdoctoral salary or scholarship (about 3,233 EUR net per month in 2026 with 2 years of experience after the PhD), including healthcare, paid holidays and other social benefits.
• Professional travel and fieldwork allowances.
• Laptop, office space and library access.
• Reimbursement of commuting expenses by public transport in Belgium; no relocation allowance.

Applications are submitted online by 14 December 2026, with a resume, cover letter, expertise statement, two peer-reviewed publications and two referees. Interviews are scheduled in December 2026, and the start date is no later than January 2027.