PI Ikerbasque Permanent Positions 2026 – Communication Group – University of Deusto

The Vice-Rectorate for Research and International Relations together with the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities and the Communication Research Group welcomes expressions of interest from outstanding researchers interested in applying to the upcoming Ikerbasque Permanent Positions 2026 call with the University of Deusto as the host institution.

Ikerbasque the Basque Foundation for Science offers highly competitive permanent research positions to attract experienced researchers with an established international track record. Successful candidates will be appointed as Ikerbasque Research Associates or Research Professors and will carry out their research in close collaboration with a Basque host institution.

About the University of Deusto

The University of Deusto is a leading research institution in the Basque Country with strong international orientation and a commitment to excellence in research and knowledge transfer. The university hosts dynamic research groups across a wide range of disciplines including social sciences engineering health and digital technologies.

About the Communication Research Team

• Research teams website
• Principal Investigator: Dr. Miren Gutiérrez

The Communication and Democracy Research Group is a highly productive interdisciplinary team of 20 PhD-level researchers (including 2 full professors and 8 associate professors) led by an internationally renowned scholar and features a strongly interdisciplinary profile integrating communication gender studies sociology political science sociolinguistics neurolinguistics history cultural studies and technology. This interdisciplinary composition enables a comprehensive approach to the relationship between communication and democracy through five interconnected research lines: collaborative governance; media representations of gender and identities; digital platforms and algorithms; linguistic diversity and multilingualism; and public policy design for equity.

Key Achievements (2020-2025)

• 60 publications: 49 articles in indexed journals (over 40 in Q1/Q2) 4 books and 7 book chapters
• Almost half a million euros in competitive research funding most of it from international sources
• 10 defended PhD theses (5 international) and 20 ongoing PhD supervisions
• 30 sexenios (research evaluation periods) accumulated across the team
• 8 active research projects and extensive collaboration with institutions and networks worldwide

Interdisciplinary Research Lines: The group addresses the relationship between communication and democracy through five interconnected research lines:

1. Collaborative Governance Public Communication and Institutional Trust: Analyzing how collaborative governance and public communication strengthen institutional trust and democratic participation.
2. Media and Discursive Representation of Gender Identity and Multiculturalism: Investigating discursive and media representations in audiovisuals and literature identifying stereotypes anti-feminist resistance and impacts on equity.
3. Digital Platforms Algorithms Communication and Democracy: Exploring how digital platforms and algorithm-mediated communication affect democratic quality polarization and disinformation.
4. Linguistic Revitalization Inclusion and Multilingualism: Analyzing the role of linguistic diversity in citizenship construction social cohesion and democratic participation using sociolinguistics and neuroscience approaches.
5. Public Policies for Gender Equity Diversity and Media Literacy: Synthesizing findings to propose evidence-based public policies promoting gender equity linguistic diversity media literacy and institutional collaboration.

We Offer
Institutional support in preparing the Ikerbasque application
Integration into a dynamic and interdisciplinary research environment
Access to research infrastructure and collaboration networks
Support in identifying funding opportunities and team building

Application deadline
Deadline for submitting applications: 30 June 2026
Contact information:

• Hold a PhD in Communication Media Studies Political Science Sociology Linguistics Gender Studies Data Science applied to communication or related fields completed before January 2018.
• Bring interdisciplinary research experience through publications or projects integrating at least two of the following areas: public communication and governance gender studies digital platforms and algorithms sociolinguistics and multilingualism and evidence-based public policy.
• Strong publication record in leading international Q1/Q2 journals with demonstrated ability to lead special issues or collective publications.
• Demonstrate the ability to connect technological dimensions (digital platforms algorithms AI) gender and identities and linguistic diversity in democratic contexts in line with the groups integrated agenda.
• Senior candidates with a consolidated research career are particularly encouraged to apply.

Project Leadership

• Experience leading or co-leading competitive international or national research projects.
• Strong project management and team coordination skills.
• Capacity to develop medium-term research agendas aligned with the groups objectives.

Competitive Research Funding

• Experience in attracting competitive research funding.
• Knowledge of European international and national funding schemes.
• Expertise in preparing complex research proposals and impact strategies.

High-Impact Publications

• Strong publication record in leading international journals.
• Experience leading collective publications or special issues.
• Competitive bibliometric profile and recognized academic standing in the field.

Transversal Competencies

• Ability to collaborate with research groups within the Basque university system and with international partners contributing to the sustainability and visibility of the research ecosystem.
• Strong commitment to gender equality linguistic diversity and inclusion reflected in research and team management practices.
• Knowledge of Basque and Spanish is considered an asset.

Other valuable aspects

• We are looking for a person with professional competences empathy ability to work in a team motivation for innovation and research ability to adapt and that identifies with the mission of the University of Deusto.
• The University of Deusto supports the inclusion of people with disabilities. It therefore encourages this condition to be indicated in applications in the case of having a certificate of disability equal to or greater than 33%.

Application Procedure

Interested candidates should apply via the Inscríbete / Apply button located at the top right of this page. Please attach the following documentation (IN A SINGLE PDF FILE):

• CV (including full publication list competitive research funding research projects and evidence of academic leadership and international experience)
• Brief statement of research interests and future research plans (max. 5 pages)
• Two academic recommendation letters (which if preferred can be submitted directly by the referees to )

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Selected candidates will receive guidance and institutional endorsement to prepare a competitive proposal for the Ikerbasque Permanent Positions call.