We are looking for an enthusiastic candidate for the Research Foundation Flanders FWO-funded PhD project ‘The international politics of the household. American home economists and the reconstruction of Belgium and France (1918-1925)’ under the supervision of prof. dr. Nel de Mûelenaere.
1. Working at Vrije Universiteit Brussel
For more than 50 years, the Vrije Universiteit Brussel has stood for freedom, equality and solidarity, and this is very much alive on our campuses among students and staff alike.
With some 4,000 employees, the VUB is the largest Dutch-speaking employer, in the private sector, in Brussels; an international city with which we are only too happy to connect and where (around) our 4 campuses are located.
Add to this our principle of free research - in which self-reflection, a critical attitude and an open, creative mind around scientific and social issues are central - and you have a university that is fundamentally groundbreaking and pioneering in education and research. In short: the VUB all over again.
Moreover, the VUB is a member of EUTOPIA, an alliance of like-minded European universities.
The research group SHOC (Social History of Capitalism) at the Faculty of Languages and Humanities of Vrije Universiteit Brussel is looking for a PhD candidate in the history of humanitarian aid in France and Belgium during and after the First World War. SHOC is a young and vibrant research group that aims to study the social history of capitalism from a global and bottom-up perspective. The group is home to several major projects, ranging from migration in medieval Europe and foraging practices in colonial Central Africa to resistance during the Second World War and the dynamics of wealth inequality in the contemporary period.
2. Position
You will work actively on the preparation of a PhD thesis on American household experts who assisted in the post-war reconstruction of Belgium and France. From 1918 to 1925, hundreds of female experts and volunteers crossed the Atlantic at the request of US humanitarian organisations. These women implemented programmes for war-affected families, at times substituting for, working alongside, or partnering with public agencies on issues such as children’s health, hygiene, nutrition, housing standards, recreation, domestic sciences and women’s education. The way these international household experts shaped post-war recovery, however, remains a blind spot in the histories of humanitarian aid, reconstruction and social welfare policies after the First World War. This research will follow the activities of these women, the networks they moved in, the way their work was perceived, and the gendered impact of their international mission on the people they encountered and on their own professional practices and policy recommendations. Drawing on the archives of three organisations active in France and Belgium, the records of local partners, and the testimonies of humanitarians, the study will produce a unique, multidimensional picture of the gendered workings of aid in post-war reconstruction and the international and national interest in the household.
- You will publish your research in international peer-reviewed journals and present your work at international conferences and workshops.
- You will participate in the activities of the SHOC (Social History of Capitalism) research group, including meetings and research seminars, and contribute to a limited number of teaching and research-support activities.
- You will disseminate your research results to broader audiences.
3. Profile
- You hold a master’s degree in history. Candidates who have not yet obtained their degree must do so by early September.
- You can demonstrate an excellent academic record (with a +16/20 for the master thesis).
- You are committed to quality, integrity, creativity and cooperation.
- You have a very good command of English, Dutch and French.
- Experience with gender history, the history of the First World War and/or transatlantic history is considered an asset.
4. What we offer
You’ll be offered a full-time PhD-scholarship, for 12 months (extendable up to max. 48 months, on the condition of the positive evaluation of the PhD activities), with a planned starting date 01/11/2026 at the earliest.
Your monthly scholarship amount is calculated in accordance with the scales set by the Flemish government.
As a doctoral researcher, you will be enrolled as a doctoral student and have access to a wide and varied range of courses through the Doctoral Training Programme at VUB.
At the VUB, you will also enjoy various other benefits:
- An open and informal working environment where attention is paid to work-life balance, with exceptional holiday arrangements: 35 days of leave based on a full-time contract, closure between Christmas and New Year, and 3 extra leave days;
- Hospitalisation insurance free of charge;
- Full reimbursement of your home-to-work commute by public transport, in accordance with VUB policy, and/or compensation if you come by bike;
- A wide selection of meals in our campus restaurants at attractive prices;
- Excellent and affordable sports and exercise facilities, discounts via Benefits@Work, and ecocheques;
- A nursery near campus and discounts on holiday camps;
- Find out more about working at VUB on our website.
Want to apply?
You can apply by sending the following documents as one integrated PDF file to SHOC@vub.be by September 14, 2026, at midnight Brussels time, with the subject line: ‘Application – The International Politics of the Household’:
- your motivation letter in Dutch or English, max. 600 words;
- your academic CV in Dutch or English;
- diplomas from your completed bachelor’s and master’s programmes, including a full transcript of your subjects and grades, or a provisional transcript for a master’s programme still in progress;
- two samples of previous academic writing, max. 10,000 words each, in English, Dutch and/or French, for example a PDF of a chapter of your master’s thesis, a paper or a publication.
The selection committee will review all applications as soon as possible after the application deadline. We will notify you as soon as a decision has been made. If you are shortlisted after the preselection, you will be informed about the next step(s) in the selection procedure.
We kindly ask you to keep the date of the selection interviews free in your calendar. These will take place in Brussels, or online for candidates outside Belgium, on September 28.
If you have any questions about the research, please contact Nel de Mûelenaere, the supervisor of the PhD project, at nel.de.muelenaere@vub.be.