Researcher position: Media literacy among youth

KU Leuven is a leading academic institution in Europe. Owing to its cutting-edge research, KU Leuven is a charter member of LERU, has been ranked as Europe’s most innovative university and is among the Top 10 of European universities. Within KU Leuven, the School for Mass Communication Research (SMCR) represents a pioneering institution for media effects research. SMCR’s ultimate intent is to inspire key players and stakeholders in society as well as individuals and their families with robust evidence on both adverse and beneficial effects of media and with a sound understanding of how media can be employed to achieve goals of social relevance. Issues studied in recent years include the relationships between different media uses and mental and physical well-being, alcohol and drug abuse, sexuality, body image, and sleep. Within this context, Prof. Dr. Lara Schreurs co-supervises three PhD students and has developed a research line on the role of media literacy within media effects among youth. She specifically focuses on how media literacy can empower young people in their media interactions and investigates how interventions can be used to develop media literacy skills. Prof. Dr. Lara Schreurs is supervisor of the position. Please check the unit website for more information:
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Project

A researcher is hired to collaborate on a one year project led by Prof. Dr. Lara Schreurs and funded by her start-up grant. Efforts will be made to secure funding to extend the project's duration and allow for completing a PhD dissertation in Social Sciences (Communication Sciences) on the project. The project, which is situated at the scholarly debate on social media effects on young people’s well-being, delves into the dynamics of social media literacy interventions among vulnerable youth specifically. As young people differ in the effects they experience from social media use, they also have different needs in terms of social media literacy skills that can be targeted in interventions. The current project will therefore adopt an individual susceptibility approach and thereby centers around digital inclusion. It will increase our understanding of how interventions can facilitate social media literacy development of diverse, underrepresented and marginalized youth. Within this scope, there is considerable flexibility for the researcher to shape the project according to their own interests. 

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Offer

The contract offers a one year researcher position. The commencement date can be either on September 1, 2024, or an alternative date in 2024 that aligns with the candidate's preference and is agreed upon with the supervisor. The compensation and benefits are in line with the university's salary scales for PhD researchers and are highly competitive in accordance with international standards. We provide a nurturing, collegial, and supportive research environment. At our institution, we prioritize creating a welcoming atmosphere where collaboration and mutual support thrive. We understand that the well-being and professional growth of our researchers are paramount to their success. Applicants will join a team with a strong international focus, fostering a global perspective in their research endeavors.

Interested?

Interested candidates are asked to submit the following documents when applying for the position: CV // A motivation letter explaining your personal background and interest in an academic career // A sample of your academic writing (e.g., your master thesis, a paper, …). Deadline for the application is July 9, 23.59. Interviews with selected candidates will be held on July 11. For more information please contact Prof. Dr. Lara Schreurs, tel.: +32 16 37 20 83, mail: lara.schreurs@kuleuven.be.

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