Full-time Doctoral Researcher in Climate Change and Demography

Organisation/Company Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL) Research Field Demography » Other Sociology Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions PhD Positions Application Deadline 16 Nov 2026 - 17:00 (Europe/Brussels) Country Belgium Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

Project: Preventable Harm: How Health System Failures Shape Climate-Demographic Inequality

Institution: Center for Demographic Research (DEMO), UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
Position: Full-time doctoral researcher
Application deadline:16 November 2026 at 17:00 CET (Belgian time)
Interviews: Shortlisted candidates are expected to be interviewed in early December 2026
Expected starting date:February 2027 (negotiable)
Contact: Prof. Risto Conte Keivabu – risto.conte@uclouvain.be

The full-time doctoral position in demography is situated at the intersection of population and environment and funded by an FSR project titled "Preventable Harm: How Health System Failures Shape Climate-Demographic Inequality". The project emphasizes how climate change related environmental exposures affect population processes and inequalities, with particular attention to how health systems and institutional contexts shape vulnerability to environmental risks.

The doctoral research may address a broad range of questions concerning the demographic consequences of climate and environmental change, including effects on health and mortality, fertility, migration and other dimensions of population dynamics. Additionally, projects could engage with understanding inequalities across population groups, places and institutional settings with a focus on the role of health care access, quality and preparedness with the aim to inform relevant policies.

The doctoral researcher will have substantial scope to develop their own research questions within this broader agenda. The project will primarily use quantitative approaches and may combine demographic, administrative or survey data with spatially and temporally detailed information on climate and environmental exposures. Also, the candidate is welcome to pursue research on High-Income and/or Low-Middle-Income countries.

Profile

Applicants should hold, or expected to obtain before taking up the position, a Master's degree or equivalent in demography, sociology, population health, epidemiology, economics, geography, public policy, quantitative social science, statistics/data science, or another closely related field. Applicants must also meet UCLouvain's requirements for admission to doctoral studies for which further information is available at the link: https://uclouvain.be/fr/facultes/espo/conditions-dacces . Applicants still completing their master’s degree may apply provided they expect to meet the admission requirements before starting the doctoral position. Candidates that do not comply with these requirements cannot be considered.

We are particularly interested in candidates with:

• strong quantitative research skills and an interest in demography, environment, climate change, social inequalities, health and population dynamics;
• experience with statistical programming, particularly R, Stata or Python;
• the ability to work independently as well as collaboratively;
• strong written and spoken English.

Experience with administrative or health data, geospatial/environmental data, causal inference, longitudinal methods is an advantage but is not required. Knowledge of French is not required but preferable.

Candidates are encouraged to apply even if they do not meet every listed skill or area of experience, and applicants from a wide range of disciplinary and social backgrounds are very welcome.

Working conditions

The position is based at UCLouvain in Louvain-la-Neuve and is embedded in the Center for Demographic Research (DEMO). The doctoral researcher is expected to reside in Belgium and to participate actively in the scientific life of the research centre, including seminars and collaborative activities and engage in an international research environment.

The position is full-time and funded through an FSR doctoral scholarship for an initial period of 24 months. Progress will be reviewed during the doctoral programme and follow-up funding for additional 24 months will be sought jointly by the candidate and supervisor through relevant funding schemes.

Remuneration and social benefits follow the applicable UCLouvain rules for doctoral scholarship holders.