Application deadline: 30/10/2026

One-year postdoctoral fellowship

Research context: research project Climate Litigation Actions by the Internationally Marginalised – CLAIM 

Research team

Prof. Sylvie Sarolea (UCLouvain, SSH, JUR-I, CEDIE – EDEM)                         

Prof. Amandine Orsini (UCLouvain-Saint-Louis Bruxelles, SSH/CRESPO)  

Prof. Andrea Catellani (UCLouvain, SSH/ILC) 

Prof. Sophie Del Fa (UCLouvain, SSH/ILC) 

Description

The CLAIM project – Climate Litigation Actions by the Internationally Marginalised – is an ARC project (Concerted Research Action, UCLouvain) situated at the intersection of law, political science, and communication studies. CLAIM aims to analyse the role and practices of marginalised actors in international climate-change-related litigation. It draws on three disciplines – law, political science, and communication studies – to go beyond a purely technical legal analysis and to consider power dynamics and the way discourses and practices are constructed before, during, and after cases. Climate change particularly affects marginalised stakeholders, and climate-related litigation has been widely used by these actors. Beyond the litigation itself, these actions trigger a range of related strategies in the fields of law, politics, and communication.https://sites.uclouvain.be/CLAIM/

For more information: https://sites.uclouvain.be/CLAIM/

Recruitment

Continuing this research requires recruiting, from 1 January 2027 (the exact start date of the contract will be fixed with the selected candidate), a postdoctoral researcher holding a PhD in media and communication sciences (or language sciences, or an equivalent field). The postdoctoral fellowship is awarded for one year, in accordance with UCLouvain’s pay scales.

This call is aimed in particular at researchers in a situation of international mobility, who have not resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Belgium for more than 24 months during the three years preceding the start date of the contract.

Main tasks

• Within the CLAIM project, develop research activities to analyse the communicational and discursive dimensions of international climate litigation. This will involve defining specific research strategies in collaboration with the CLAIM team; collecting a corpus of publications and communication materials, particularly media and digital content; applying appropriate analytical methods, including quantitative and/or qualitative analysis of discursive and multimodal materials; and, where relevant, conducting interviews and observation.
• Collaborate in producing a database listing international climate litigation cases, particularly those initiated by marginalised actors.
• Produce scientific publications and presentations in collaboration with the other CLAIM project researchers.
• Participate in coordinating the research team.

Application requirements

• A PhD in media and communication sciences or language sciences, or an equivalent degree;
• Experience handling large data corpora;
• Experience in online data extraction (particularly digital social media);
• Interest in issues related to ecology, the environment, and climate litigation;
• Interest in decolonial issues and sensitivity to marginalised actors;
• Strong writing skills, openness to interdisciplinary work, availability and interest in learning to use software tools useful for research;
• Ability to work both independently and within a multidisciplinary team;
• Fluency in English and French; knowledge of Spanish is an asset;
• In addition, the candidate must meet the conditions set by UCLouvain for the award of postdoctoral fellowships;
• Willingness to relocate to Belgium for the duration of the fellowship.

How to apply?

The application file, comprising a cover letter and a CV (including the list of publications and a summary of the doctoral thesis), must be sent by email before 31 October 2026:

• to Professor Sophie Del Fa (sophie.delfa@uclouvain.be) and
• Professor Andrea Catellani (andrea.catellani@uclouvain.be).

French version

Ouverture d’un poste de recherche post-doctoral à temps plein en sciences de l’information et de la communication

Date de début : 1/01/2027

Date limite de candidature : 30/10/2026

Bourse post-doctorale d’un an

Contexte de recherche : projet de recherche Climate Litigation Actions by the Internationally Marginalised – CLAIM 

Équipe de recherche

Prof. Sylvie Sarolea (UCLouvain, SSH, JUR-I, CEDIE – EDEM)                         

Prof. Amandine Orsini (UCLouvain-Saint-Louis Bruxelles, SSH/CRESPO)  

Prof. Andrea Catellani (UCLouvain, SSH/ILC) 

Prof. Sophie Del Fa (UCLouvain, SSH/ILC) 

Descriptif

Le projet CLAIM – Climate Litigation Actions by the Internationally Marginalised est un projet ARC (action de recherche concertée, UCLouvain) qui se situe au croisement du droit, des sciences politiques et des sciences de la communication. CLAIM vise à analyser le rôle et les pratiques des acteur·ices marginalisé·es dans les contentieux internationaux liés au changement climatique. Il mobilise trois disciplines – le droit, les sciences politiques et les sciences de la communication – pour aller au-delà d’une analyse purement technique du droit et prendre en compte les dynamiques de pouvoir et la manière dont les discours et les pratiques sont construits avant, pendant et après les affaires. Le changement climatique affecte particulièrement les parties prenantes marginalisées et les litiges liés au climat ont été largement mobilisés par ces acteurs. Au-delà des litiges proprement dits, ces actions déclenchent des stratégies diverses et connexes dans les domaines du droit, de la politique et de la communication. 

Pour en savoir plus : https://sites.uclouvain.be/CLAIM/

Recrutement

La poursuite de la réalisation de cette recherche requiert le recrutement dès le 1er janvier 2027 (la date exacte du début du contrat sera à fixer avec le-la candidat.e retenu.e) d’un·e post-doctorant·e avec un profil de docteur·e en sciences de l’information et de la communication (ou en sciences du langage, ou équivalent). La bourse post-doctorale est octroyée pendant un an, selon les barèmes de l’UCLouvain.

Cet appel s’adresse notamment aux chercheur·euses en situation de mobilité internationale, n’ayant pas résidé ou effectué leur activité principale (travail, études, etc.) en Belgique pendant plus de 24 mois durant les trois années précédant la date de démarrage du contrat.

Principales tâches

• Dans le cadre du projet CLAIM, développer des activités de recherche pour analyser les dimensions communicationnelles et discursives des contentieux climatiques internationaux. Ceci impliquera la définition de stratégies de recherche spécifiques, en collaboration avec l’équipe de CLAIM ; la collecte de corpus de publications et de supports de communication, médiatiques et numériques en particulier ; l’application de modalités d’analyse appropriées, incluant des méthodes d’analyse quantitative et/ou qualitative de supports discursifs et multimodaux ; si pertinent, la réalisation d’entrevues et de l’observation.
• Collaborer à la production d’une base de données répertoriant les contentieux climatiques internationaux et particulièrement ceux initiés par des acteur·ices marginalisé·es.
• Produire des publications et des communications scientifiques en collaboration avec les autres chercheur.e.s du projet CLAIM.
• Participer à l’animation de l’équipe de recherche.

Conditions de candidature

• Doctorat en sciences de l’information et de la communication ou sciences des langages ou diplôme équivalent ;
• Expérience dans le traitement de grands corpus de données ;
• Expérience dans l’extraction de données en ligne (réseaux sociaux numériques notamment) ;
• Intérêt pour les questions liées à l’écologie, à l’environnement et aux contentieux climatiques ;
• Intérêt pour les enjeux décoloniaux et sensibilité pour les acteur·ices marginalisé·es ;
• Hautes compétences rédactionnelles, ouverture à l’interdisciplinarité, disponibilité et intérêt pour se former à l’utilisation des logiciels utiles pour la recherche ;
• Capacité à travailler à la fois de manière autonome et dans une équipe multidisciplinaire ;
• Maitrise de l’anglais et du français ; la connaissance de l’espagnol est un atout ;
• En outre, le(la) candidat(e) devra remplir les conditions émises par l’UCLouvain pour l’octroi de bourses post-doctorales ;
• Disponibilité à venir habiter en Belgique pendant la durée de la bourse.

Comment candidater ?

Le dossier de candidature, comprenant une lettre de motivation, un CV (en ce compris la liste des publications et un résumé de la thèse doctorale) seront adressés par mail avant le 31 octobre 2026  :

• À la Professeure Sophie Del Fa (sophie.delfa@uclouvain.be) et
• Au Professeur Andrea Catellani (andrea.catellani@uclouvain.be).

The morning started with a panel discussion focusing on a project on Youth in Climate Juctice, coordinated by Prof. Aoife Daly and Liesl Müller at University College Cork. They explained how their database captures and highlights the involvement of youth in climate litigation. To provide a more holistic and accessible overview, they translated case information into several languages, complemented the data with interviews, social media content, online reports, and included ‘easy-read’ summaries of the cases. These summaries were designed to be accessible and were developed in consultation with an advisory committee composed of 12 children. This approach was very inspiring for the CLAIM project, which aims to incorporate marginalised actors’ actions and perspectives into a climate change litigation database through a collaborative approach.

Prof. Corina Heri participated in a second panel, presenting the Climate and Human Rights Litigation Database developed by the University of Zurich. She outlined the database’s conceptual and methodological framework and reflected on its transformative and outreach potential. Notably, the team worked to make summaries more accessible and collaborated with paid student rapporteurs in Africa to expand territorial coverage. They sought to highlight the breadth of claims, even those that are not successful, to draw attention to the palette of vulnerabilities, including if necessary, information outside the case documents such as press releases and statements by the litigants. Recognising that keywords and search functionalities can hinder power dynamics, their team also discussed and reflected on including specific keywords, such as ‘gender’, ‘women-led’ or ‘environmental racism’.

While this work remains a work in progress, it underscores the importance of being aware of the arbitrations and choices shaping categorisation and embedded in databases; and the need for ongoing team discussions to find creative ways to overcome colonial narratives and  foreground the perspectives of marginalised actors.

Finally, the three experts emphasised the potential of these databases to identify trends, provide a big-picture view, and foster future research. They also highlighted their usefulness in reaching out to grassroots actors and strengthening litigation efforts. These objectives align with the CLAIM project’s goal of designing a database that makes marginalised actors’ experiences of climate change and litigation practices visible, fostering transformative change.

We look forward to continuing these discussions and exploring future collaborations. Stay tuned for more events and updates on the new climate change litigation database!

After intense debates and negotiations, the UN General Assembly adopted a landmark resolution last Wednesday, May 20, 2026, welcoming the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the obligations of states regarding climate change, and reaffirming that addressing the climate crisis is a legal duty under international law.

This pioneering effort was led by Vanuatu, the Small Island State that initially brought the climate change case before the ICJ at the request of a group of Pacific students. The CLAIM project precisely analyzes the interconnectedness of these various climate change litigation fora from an interdisciplinary and comparative perspective.

In February 2026, Vanuatu submitted a zero draft resolution and formed a regionally diverse Core Group, comprising Barbados, Burkina Faso, Colombia, Jamaica, Kenya, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, the Netherlands, Palau, the Philippines, Singapore, and Sierra Leone. While the ICJ’s advisory opinion marked a significant milestone in climate litigation, it did not have the diplomatic impact hoped for at last year’s COP30 in Belém. As Vanuatu’s Minister of Climate Change, Ralph Regenvanu, stated, “Upholding the court’s clarification of existing obligations is essential for the credibility of the international system and for effective collective action.” He added that adopting the UNGA resolution would serve as “a collective act of multilateral confidence that law can help steer us through the climate crisis.” The CLAIM project aims to explore and enhance marginalized actors’ perspectives and litigation practices, like those of Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

On May 20, 2026, the UN General Assembly finally adopted the resolution titled “Protection of the global climate for present and future generations of humankind,” with 141 votes in favor, 8 against, and 28 abstentions. The resolution operationalized the ICJ’s Climate Advisory Opinion, translating its key holdings into actionable language. The CLAIM project will now monitor subsequent developments, the new opportunities it creates within legal spheres but also its impact on the multilateral system.

For a more in-depth analysis of the resolution, we invite you to read the blog post “From Opinion to Action: The General Assembly Votes to Operationalize the ICJ’s Climate Advisory Opinion” by Margaretha Wewerinke-Singh : https://www.ejiltalk.org/from-opinion-to-action-the-general-assembly-votes-to-operationalize-the-icjs-climate-advisory-opinion/

Venue: Université catholique de Louvain, Campus Saint-Louis Bruxelles, Boulevard du Jardin botanique, 43 – Brussels, 1000 Belgium

• Morning session: Room P61
• Afternoon session: Room 3100
• Remote

Climate litigation is increasingly mobilised across the world to advance climate action. With the quick multiplication of climate cases, databases appear as key tools in documenting and analysing cases, strategies, and outcomes. These repositories of knowledge have the potential to serve as a foundation for shaping future legal efforts.

In the morning session, this seminar will bring together leading scholars to explore the transformative potential of databases in climate litigation. The discussion will highlight two main climate litigation databases and their contributions to legal and policy advancements: the database on Youth in climate litigation of the University College Cork and the database on Human Rights and Climate litigation of the University of Zürich. It will also dive into the methodologies behind the development of such complex datasets, exploring data collection, and analysis.

During the afternoon session, through the presentation of the upcoming CLAIM project, it will explore how the upcoming database of the project could be designed to center diverse knowledge systems and empower marginalised actors to drive strategic litigation.

This seminar aims to exchange good practices and collect feedback from the experience of key scholars and identify pathways for building an impactful climate litigation database in the frame of the CLAIM project. Join us to contribute to this insightful discussion and help shape the future of climate justice !

Provisional programme

Morning Session – Building and Using Climate Litigation Databases: Methods and Insights

• 10am-10:20am – Welcome coffee
• 10:20-10:30 – Introductive words
• 10:30 – 11:30 – Presentation of climate litigation databases

          The database on Youth in climate litigation
Pr. Aoife Daly and Liesl Müller, Youth Climate Justice Project, School of Law, University College Cork

          The database on Human Rights and Climate Change litigation
Pr. Corina Heri, Professor of human rights and climate change at Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)

• 11:30 – 12:30 – Discussion
• 12:30 – 13:30 – Lunchbreak

Afternoon Session – Foregrounding marginalised actors through a climate litigation database

• 13:30 – 14:30 – Presentation of the CLAIM Project
• 14:30 – 15:30 – Discussion
• 15:30 – 15:45 – Concluding words

Practical Information

• Morning session: Room P61
• Afternoon session: Room 3100
• Remote connection possible upon request

Registration via this form