PhD Candidate Emotions and Bodies in Journalism and Documentary-making

Are you looking for a challenging position in a dynamic setting The Amsterdam School for Heritage Memory and Material Culture (AHM) currently has a vacant PhD position as part of the ERC funded project Emotions and bodies in fact-based media production: Integrating affective and embodied knowledge into journalism and documentary filmmaking led by dr. Johana Kotiov.

Join our team!

We are looking for a talented and motivated PhD Candidate who cares about journalism and documentary-making has an experience with qualitative research methods and wants to investigate the emotional and bodily dimensions of media work. The ideal candidate also likes nature and enjoys outdoor activities.

Additionally if you are a nature lover we have great news for you: In the final year of your PhD you will participate in designing nature retreats in Czechia and Poland for a small number of journalists and documentary-makers.

This is what you will be doing

As a PhD candidate you will conduct research within a larger project looking into the epistemic value of emotions and bodies in journalism and documentary-making. The project seeks to empirically theoretically and practically integrate emotions and bodies in journalism and documentary work and involves ethnographic research across Central and Eastern Europe and an experiment with nature retreats for media professionals. You will be responsible for conducting ethnographic research among media professionals covering politics conflict or culture for example investigative journalists and documentary makers OSINT researchers war reporters or cultural journalists in two countries of Central and Eastern Europe (either Slovakia and Hungary or Czechia and Poland or Ukraine and Georgia). You will closely collaborate with Johana Kotiov as the principal investigator of the project and two postdoctoral researchers working on the other CEE countries. Your daily job will involve theoretical and methodological preparations independent ethnographic fieldwork in the two countries (including observations digital ethnography interviewing shadowing) data management data analysis theory-building and (co)authoring academic articles for leading journals in the field of Communication.

• submitting a PhD thesis within the period of appointment;
• conducting fieldwork;
• writing academic articles;
• presenting intermediate research results at workshops and conferences;
• participation in the Research School and Faculty of Humanities PhD training programmes;
• participating in knowledge dissemination activities such as writing popular research-based texts;
• participating in meetings of the project research group;
• helping to design nature retreats for media professionals;
• (co-)teaching courses at BA-level in the second and third year of the appointment (maximum 02 fte per year).

This is what we ask of you

• a completed Masters degree in media studies journalism studies (documentary) film studies or similar fields;
• excellent research skills demonstrated by a Master thesis;
• solid knowledge of qualitative research methods;
• a strong cooperative attitude and willingness to engage in collaborative research;
• enthusiasm for communicating academic research to non-academic audiences;
• knowledge of regional media landscape;
• excellent command of English and preferably also knowledge of at least one of the following languages: Slovak Hungarian Czech Polish Ukrainian Georgian.

Please note that if you already hold a doctorate/PhD or are working towards obtaining a similar degree elsewhere you will not be admitted to a doctoral programme at the UvA.

This is what we offer you

• We offer a temporary employment contract for the period of 48 months. The first contract will be for 16 months with an extension for the following 32 months contingent on a positive performance evaluation within the first 12 months. The preferred starting date is 1st February 2026.

• Based on a full-time appointment (38 hours per week) the gross monthly salary will range from 3.059 in the first year to 3.881 (scale P) in the last year. This does not include 8% holiday allowance and 83% year-end allowance. The UFO profile PhD candidate applicable. TheCollective Labour Agreement of Universities of the Netherlandsis applicable.

• PhD candidates receive a tuition fee waiver;

• PhD candidates have free access to courses offered by the Graduate School of Humanities and the Dutch National Research Schools;
• excellent possibilities for further professional development and education;

• an inspiring academic and international work environment in the heart of Amsterdam;

• an enthusiastic and professional academic team;
• intellectually stimulating discussions with a cross-disciplinary research network including leading experts in journalism and documentary studies and experts in psychotherapy;
• the rare opportunity to combine media research with love for nature and outdoor activities.

This is where you will be working

AHM as a thematic research school fosters a dynamic interdisciplinary and transnational approach across various disciplines. AHMs mission and profile integrate all branches of research that focus on the material and intangible remains of the past the reciprocal relations between objects meanings and representations and the dynamics of memory. AHMs research is carried out from diverse theoretical and methodological perspectives: in concept-oriented object-oriented and user-oriented approaches. AHMs research agenda is streamed into five Research Themes that cross and connect the fields of heritage memory studies and material culture: Museums & Memorials Heritage & Conflict Transnational Memory Narratives Digitality & E-Memories Materiality & Material Culture. AHM is one of the five research schools within the Amsterdam Institute for Humanities Research (AIHR).

If you recognize yourself in the profile and are interested in the position we look forward to receiving your application. Your application should include the following information:

• a cover letter(max. 1 A4) and full academic CV
• a short project proposal (max. 2 pages plus references) including how you would approach the project possible case studies theoretical framing and methodology
• the names and email addresses of two academic referees including your thesis supervisor who may be approached by the selection committee
• writing example in English (does not have to be a published work; can be an excerpt of your Masters thesis; max. 5000 words)

Please submit the required information as one PDF by uploading it in the required field vacancy closes on. The first round of interviews will take place in October/November 2025. Disclaimer: Actual contracting can only take place after the official grant agreement has been signed by the Research Executive Agency (REA) expected by October 2025.

For questions about the position or department you can contact us during office hours at:

• Johana Kotiov - Assistant Professor in Documentary and Journalism