Postdoctoral researcher

ABOUT GHENT UNIVERSITY

Ghent University is a world of its own. Employing more than 15,000 people, it is actively involved in education and research, management and administration, as well as technical and social service provision on a daily basis. It is one of the largest, most exciting employers in the area and offers great career opportunities. With its 11 faculties and more than 80 departments offering state-of-the-art study programs grounded in research in a wide range of academic fields, Ghent University is a logical choice for its staff and students.

The Department of History at Ghent University is looking for a postdoctoral researcher (one year, fulltime) to do interdisciplinary research on biodiversity in Northern Europe during the Late Middle Ages (15-16th centuries) as part of the ERC research team ECOLENT.

The ERC-funded project Ecological Entanglements and Biodiversity in Late Medieval Northern Europe, 1400-1600 (ECOLENT) develops a new conceptual-methodological framework to study biodiversity in a historical context. It will do so by using the late medieval Hanseatic League as a case study. This merchant association bought food products and raw materials in Scandinavia and the Baltic, and exchanged them for manufactured goods in the urbanised Low Countries and England. In this way, they created both economic and ecological connections between different regions of Northern Europe.

The main focus of the project is not human activities as such, but rather how biotic communities responded to anthropogenic pressures. More specifically, the project studies the impact of the socio-economic pressures generated by the Hanseatic trade network on animal and plant diversity in six regions (the county of Flanders, the duchy of Guelders, the duchy of Schleswig, the duchies of Brunswick-Lüneburg, East Prussia, and Kraków Voivodeship) from 1400 to 1600 by using both historical and archaeological sources.

The project engages with current debates in ecological conservation, such as the use of historical baselines to set conservation goals and the importance of human activities to maintain biodiversity. It also considers ecological questions about adaptation and fundamental versus realized niches. The successful candidate is encouraged to actively disseminate the research results and communicate them to different stake-holders in and outside academia.

YOUR TASKS

• Identifying wild animals and plants in printed sources (medieval financial accounts, early botanical works etc.), archaeological reports, and unpublished archival handwritten sources in various European archives, libraries and (digital) archives. The candidate can choose to either focus on plant and/or animal diversity in one specific region or on comparing particular biotic communities between two or more regions. The exact scope of the research will be determined jointly by the postdoctoral researcher and principal investigator.
• Doing research abroad (the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, and/or Poland; depending on the region(s) selected for research) for longer periods of time. Main place of employment is Ghent University, History Department, Campus Ufo, Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat 35, 9000 Gent, Belgium.
• Analysing data on wild fauna and flora in their proper ecological and historical context.
• Publishing the research results in international peer reviewed journals, single-authored and/or co-authored with other members of the ECOLENT team (the principal investigator and three PhD students).
• Contribute to setting up an international research network on the history of biodiversity during the medieval and early modern period.

• Help disseminate the research results among non-academic stakeholders.

• Co-organisation of ECOLENT team meetings and workshops.

• Your research is part of a team effort, but you will also be given the freedom to develop your own voice within the project.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

• You hold a thesis-based doctorate in History, Archeology, or the Life Sciences (PhD students that will submit the final version of their PhD before October 1, 2026 can apply).
• Experience in working with handwritten historical sources from the late medieval or early modern period, proven by (un)published studies or theses.
• Knowledge about historical ecology and/or environmental archaeology is recommended.
• Able to work both independently and as part of a team.
• Excellent knowledge of English in order to function as part international team, and contribute to publication of research results in international journals.
• Good passive knowledge (reading) of the language(s) used in the historical sources you will work on. Depending on whether you want to focus on a particular region, or on a comparison between different regions, this means Dutch, French, and Latin for Flanders and Guelders, German and Latin for Brunswick-Lüneburg, German, Danish and Latin for Schleswig, German and Latin for East-Prussia, and Polish and Latin for Kraków Voivodeship.

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU

• We offer you a contract of definite duration for the period of one year. This contract can be extended for another year if you receive a positive evaluation.

• Your contract will start on 1/10/2026 at the earliest.

• A chance to do research as part of an interdisciplinary team, and in an international research environment.
• An opportunity to connect ecological processes in the distant past with current ecological conservation challenges.
• Your remuneration will be determined by salary scale PD1 to PD4.  Click here for more information about our salary scales.

• All Ghent University staff members enjoy a number of benefits, such as a wide range of training and education opportunities, 36 days of holiday leave (on an annual basis for a full-time job) supplemented by annual fixed bridge days, bicycle allowance and eco vouchers. Click here for a complete overview of all the staff benefits.

INTERESTED?

Apply online through the e-recruitment system before the application deadline (March 31, 2026). We do not accept late applications or applications that are not submitted through the online system.

Your application must include the following documents:

• In the field ‘CV’: your CV and a transcript of your academic record (merged into one pdf file)
• In the field ‘Cover letter’: your application letter in pdf format. The cover letter should state clearly whether you prefer to focus on studying a single region, or on comparing two or more regions.
• In the field ‘Diploma’: a transcript of the required degree (if already in your possession). If you have a foreign diploma in a language other than our national languages (Dutch, French or German) or English, please add a translation in one of the mentioned languages.

Note that the maximum file size for each field is 10 MB.

As Ghent University maintains an equal opportunities and diversity policy, everyone is encouraged to apply for this position.

MORE INFORMATION

For more information about this vacancy, please contact dr. Sander Govaerts (sander.govaerts@UGent.be). Important: do NOT send your application by email, but apply online.

The best candidates will be invited for an interview with a selection panel. These interviews will be organised online (Microsoft Teams) in May 2026.

Do you have a question regarding the online application process? Please read the FAQ or contact us via selecties@ugent.be.