Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF) in Barcelona, one of Spain’s top-ranked universities for social sciences, is hiring two researchers for GUARDA, a new four-year project on how the rise of authoritarian governments is linked to rollbacks in women’s, reproductive and LGBTQ+ rights around the world. There is a paid one-year postdoc (deadline 9 November 2026) and a funded four-year PhD position (deadline 14 November 2026).
Both are salaried employment contracts, not scholarships you top up yourself. Nationality is not restricted, which makes them worth a look for African researchers in political science, gender studies and human rights.
About the GUARDA Project
GUARDA stands for Global Autocratization Processes and Gender Rights: Indicators, Impacts, and Governance Monitoring. Funded by Spain’s Ministry of Science and Innovation and running from 2026 to 2030, it is led by Dr Maria Rodó-Zárate and Dr Abel Escribà-Folch in UPF’s Department of Political and Social Sciences.
The team is building a global dataset of gender+ rights from 1991 onwards, new indicators that measure when governments roll back or expand those rights, and an open-access online platform for researchers, policymakers and civil society. Part of the data collection is AI-assisted, with researchers validating the results.
Position 1: Postdoctoral Researcher – Gender+ Rights and Autocratization
- Contract: full-time, 1 year, starting no later than 1 January 2027
- Salary: at least €32,456 gross per year, depending on experience
- Benefits: Spanish public health and social security cover, plus funding to attend project-related conferences
- Deadline: 9 November 2026, 11:59 p.m. US Eastern Time (05:59 WAT / 07:59 EAT on 10 November)
What you’ll do: design indicators of gender+ rights erosion and expansion; supervise the AI-assisted data coding and settle difficult cases; check data quality across countries and years; carry out your own comparative research; and co-author publications with the team.
Position 2: Predoctoral Researcher – Funded PhD (FPI Contract)
- Contract: 4 years, leading to a doctorate at UPF
- Funding: a Spanish government FPI predoctoral contract — a salaried job with social security, not a fee-paying place
- Research: your own doctoral project within GUARDA’s themes of autocratization, governance and gender+ rights
- Deadline: 14 November 2026
FPI calls normally require a master’s degree (or equivalent) that gives access to PhD study in Spain. Salary, eligibility and the documents needed are set out in the official 2026 FPI call rules on UPF’s PhD School page — read them carefully before applying.
Eligibility (Postdoc)
- a PhD in political science, sociology, gender studies, human rights, international relations, public policy or another social science
- strong expertise in at least one GUARDA area: gender and sexuality, women’s and LGBT rights, reproductive rights, anti-gender politics or autocratization
- experience in comparative research and with legislative, policy, court or other documentary evidence
- solid methods skills with cross-national or long-term data; experience building datasets is a plus
- comfort working with AI-assisted or computational workflows (NLP or text analysis experience is an advantage)
- excellent English; Spanish or Catalan is welcome but not required
How the Postdoc Is Selected
Candidates are scored 1–5 on three criteria: academic fit with GUARDA, comparative and methods experience, and research capacity. You need at least 4 points in each to reach the interview stage.
How to Apply
Postdoc:
- Open the official postdoc call on Interfolio (reference CPIS-INV-INDF-2026-07).
- Click Apply Now and create a free Interfolio Dossier account.
- Upload the materials requested, including confidential recommendation letters, which Interfolio handles free of charge.
- Submit before 9 November 2026, 11:59 p.m. ET.
PhD (FPI):
- Go to UPF’s FPI page at the PhD School and download the 2026 call rules.
- Find the GUARDA project in the list of positions and check its requirements.
- Prepare the documents the call asks for and apply before 14 November 2026.
Project details: GUARDA project website. Questions can go to the principal investigators at [email protected] or [email protected].
Tips for African Applicants
- Use examples from African countries in your cover letter — the project is global, and regional expertise adds value.
- Show you can work with documents such as laws, court rulings and policies, not only surveys.
- Start your Spanish work-visa paperwork early if selected; the postdoc must begin by 1 January 2027.
- Mind the time zone: the postdoc deadline is US Eastern Time.
Related Opportunities
- Duke HOPE Center Visiting Scholars Program 2027–2028
- IPSS Addis Ababa University Is Hiring 8 Lead Researchers in Peace and Security
- CSW71 SAEF Delegation 2027: UN Commission on the Status of Women
Deadlines: Postdoc 9 November 2026 · PhD (FPI) 14 November 2026.
