Visiting Research Fellows

The Department of Public Law and Governance (PLG) at Tilburg Law School offers four visiting research fellowships for a six-month period (September-February or February-July) as part of the Research Project Imperialism, Business & Human Rights | Tilburg University conducted by dr. Dalia Palombo | Tilburg University (Assistant Professor of Human Rights Law and Principal Investigator).

The fellows’ profile
The Fellows will be, ideally, students writing their PhD in any social science field who are interested in spending a semester conducting research on their PhD as well as on the Principal Investigator Research Project at Tilburg Law School. If you are not formally enrolled in a PhD but are pursuing an individual research project in any social science field that would fit the Principal Investigator Research Project, you are welcome to apply.

The fellows’ individual research project
The Fellow’s Individual Research Project (i.e. your PhD) should be focused on decolonial approaches, indigenous methodologies, non-Western philosophical foundations of human rights or a related topic.

What do we ask?
The fellows will be expected to contribute to the Principal Investigator Research Project in the following two ways.

First, each Fellow will develop his/her own Individual Research Project (60% of the time). The findings of this research will be analyzed and discussed with the Principal Investigator and the other Fellows in both teams and individual meetings. The purpose of these meetings would be to initiate a dialogue beneficial to both the Principal Investigator Research Project and the Individual Research Project developed by each Fellow.

Second, each Fellow will submit a literature review on a topic previously defined by the Fellow and the Principal Investigator and related to the Fellow’s individual research project. The literature review will be used by the Principal Investigator in order to write part of her Research Project. Fellows shall expect to spend 40% of their time on the literature review.

Tilburg University's motto is Understanding Society. Based on this vision, our almost 2,800 employees conduct research, inspire more than 19,000 students of 110 nationalities, and bring people from different disciplines and organizations together to learn from each other. In this way, we want to contribute to solving complex social issues. In doing so, we work from the fields of economics, business and entrepreneurship, social and behavioral sciences, law and public administration, humanities and digital sciences, and theology. We seek the connection between the various disciplines to find solutions to the major issues we face as a society. Our students are educated to become responsible and entrepreneurial thinkers, driven by solidarity, a sense of responsibility, and empathy, who are able to influence and give direction to a rapidly changing society in an innovative way. Tilburg University has a culture of collaboration and co-creation, at local, regional, national, and international level.

Since its founding in 1963, Tilburg Law School has become one of the leading law schools in Europe. Through top research and the provision of high-quality university education, the School contributes to society. Tilburg Law School is organized into five Departments: Public Law and Governance; Law, Technology, Markets and Society; Private, Business and Labour Law; the Fiscal Institute Tilburg; and Criminal Law. The mission of the School is to understand and improve the role of law and public administration in addressing the social problems of today and tomorrow. Through research and education, our scholars contribute to that mission.

More than 4,000 students pursue a Bachelor's, pre-Master's or Master's degree at Tilburg Law School. Through this education, we train students in law, public administration, and data science.

The Tilburg Educational Profile (TEP) is unique in the Netherlands. Central to it are three core concepts: knowledge, skill and character. A university education provides students with the latest substantive knowledge and trains them to be critical thinkers and resilient professionals. In addition, the School is committed to innovative educational concepts and, partly in response to the coronavirus crisis, has invested heavily in the quality of online education and in innovative didactic tools to make and keep students inquisitive.

Tilburg Law School's research is highly regarded nationally and internationally. The Tilburg Law School Departments work closely together in their research in four signature research programs: 1) Global Law and Governance; 2) Law and Security; 3) Connecting Organizations; and 4) Regulating Socio-Technical Change.

What do we offer?
Tilburg University is committed to an open and inclusive culture, embracing diversity, and encouraging the mutual integration of groups of staff and students. We create equal opportunities for all our staff and students so that everyone feels at home in our university community.

We work in a vibrant and lively (work) environment on our beautiful campus, close to the forest and easily accessible by public transport. We are committed to a sustainable society and challenge you to make an active contribution to this.

Tilburg Law School offers shared office space and library access. Based on the fellow's situation, an adequate offer will be drawn up for travel expenses, accommodation expenses and a daily living allowance within the fiscal possibilities. In principle, these conditions apply only if the fellow is not employed elsewhere.

Individual Research Time
60% of your time would be available to you to develop your individual research agenda. You will have several opportunities to discuss your research with the Principal Investigator, your fellow colleagues, as well as other members of the PLG Department at Tilburg Law School.

The visiting fellowship lasts six months and it is an opportunity for you to have a break from your usual work in order to conduct research. Tilburg University will not be your employer, and the Principal Investigator will not become your PhD supervisor. Furthermore, you will not become a co-author of the outputs generated by the Principal Investigator Research Project.

More information can be obtained from contact dr. Dalia Palombo D.Palombo@tilburguniversity.edu.