'Exploring Digital Skills for Refugee Women: Challenges and Opportunities in the Netherlands.' In the Netherlands, digital literacy has become a critical skill for social and economic participation. This project investigates how digital skills impact the integration process of female refugees, including language acquisition, cultural understanding, social participation, and overall adaptation.

As a PhD candidate, you will interview and collect data from immigrant women, conduct systematic literature reviews and get acquainted with relevant organisations involved in the research. The tasks will consist of developing a map identifying the challenges refugee women face when seeking employment and education, analysing data through interviews and workshops to identify patterns, themes and trends related to the role of digital skills in integration. Further, the candidate will collaborate with stakeholders and experts, as well as with the women themselves, to develop capacity-building interventions to empower refugee women with digital skills, contributing to their integration and active participation in society.

By studying how traditional facilitators such as language and cultural knowledge interact with digital skills, the project seeks to contribute to the emerging field of Digital Migration.

The research will include women from diverse backgrounds, ranging from countries with high digital literacy to those with limited access to digital technology. By addressing the specific challenges faced by female refugees, the project aims to answer questions related to gender, socio-economic background, and the country of origin's impact on digital skills.

If you are passionate about gender equality, social inclusion and digital literacy, hold a degree in linguistics, communication, cultural studies, migration, or related fields, and possess good qualitative research skills, we strongly encourage you to apply. As a PhD candidate, you will play a vital role in engaging directly with refugee women and contributing to research that promotes equal opportunities and inclusivity.

You will be working with your daily supervisor, Dr Noemi Mena Montes, in collaboration with other colleagues from the Centre for Language Studies (CLS) and the Radboud University Network on Migrant Inclusion (RUNOMI). Your PhD supervisor will be Prof. Margot van Mulken. The project will be funded by a Starters grant from the Faculty of Arts awarded to Dr Mena Montes.

• You have a strong academic background with a Master's degree (or equivalent) in linguistics, communication, cultural studies, migration studies, gender studies, or a related field.
• You have a demonstrated interest in gender equality, social inclusion and digital literacy, with a passion for addressing the challenges faced by refugee women.
• You have excellent qualitative research skills, including experience in conducting focus groups, interviews and data analysis.
• You are proficient in English and have excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Preferably, you speak Dutch or are willing to learn this language, as this would facilitate initial contact with refugee women.
• You have empathy, cultural sensitivity and the ability to engage with diverse communities.
• Experience in qualitative research methods will be advantageous.

Fixed-term contract: You will be employed for an initial period of 18 months, after which your performance will be evaluated. If the evaluation is positive, the contract will be extended by 2.5 years (4 year contract) or 3.5 years (5 year contract).

• Employment for 0.8 (5 year contract) - 1.0 FTE (4 year contract).
• The gross starting salary amounts to €2,541 per month based on a 38-hour working week, and will increase to €3,247 from the fourth year onwards (salary scale P).
• You will receive 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus.
• You will be employed for an initial period of 18 months, after which your performance will be evaluated. If the evaluation is positive, the contract will be extended by 2.5 years (4 year contract) or 3.5 years (5 year contract).
• You will be able to use our Dual Career and Family Care Services. Our Dual Career and Family Care Officer can assist you with family-related support, help your partner or spouse prepare for the local labour market, provide customized support in their search for employment and help your family settle in Nijmegen.
• Working for us means getting extra days off. In case of full-time employment, you can choose between 30 or 41 days of annual leave instead of the legally allotted 20.

Work and science require good employment practices. This is reflected in Radboud University's primary and secondary employment conditions. You can make arrangements for the best possible work-life balance with flexible working hours, various leave arrangements and working from home. You are also able to compose part of your employment conditions yourself, for example, exchange income for extra leave days and receive a reimbursement for your sports subscription. And of course, we offer a good pension plan. You are given plenty of room and responsibility to develop your talents and realise your ambitions. Therefore, we provide various training and development schemes.

The Faculty of Arts is committed to knowledge production with a significant scientific and social impact. With over 500 academic and support staff, we teach and conduct research in the fields of history and art, languages and cultures, and linguistics and communication, using innovative methodologies and working in close collaboration with each other. Our research is embedded in two research institutes: the Centre for Language Studies (CLS) and the Radboud Institute for Culture & History (RICH). We currently have approximatively 2,500 students, enrolled in three departments: the Department of History, Art History and Classics, the Department of Modern Languages and Cultures, and the Department of Language and Communication. We aim to contribute to a more sustainable and inclusive world, which is why we especially seek applications from candidates who bring diverse perspectives, backgrounds and skills that will be assets to our study programmes and research profiles. You will become a member of the Radboud University Network on Migrant Inclusion (RUNOMI), an interfaculty working group.


Radboud University
We are keen to meet critical thinkers who want to look closer at what really matters. People who, from their expertise, wish to contribute to a healthy, free world with equal opportunities for all. This ambition unites more than 24,000 students and 5,600 employees at Radboud University and requires even more talent, collaboration and lifelong learning. You have a part to play!