Date of publication 14/05/2026
Call reference CPIS-PSR-2026-08
Job title One 12 months Full time research position in PERGAP project at Pompeu Fabra University (Barcelona, Spain), Department of Political and Social Sciences
Project and institution that finance the contract
Horizon Europe – ERC Starting Grant
Call HEu-ERC-2021-STG
Project Title The (Mis)Perception of Economic Inequality: The Impact of Welfare State Institutions on Social Perception and Preference Formation
Grant number: 101042125 (see CORDIS)
and tasks:
The researcher will work on the project PERGAP “The (Mis)Perception of Economic Inequality: The Impact of Welfare State Institutions on Social Perception and Preference Formation” headed by Simone Schneider (PI) and funded by the European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant 2021). The position will be based in the Political and Social Sciences Department at Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF) in Barcelona starting as soon as possible and no later than September 2026.
The researcher will play a central role in the implementation of the project, contributing to the design and creation of the project’s institutional dataset. The researcher will work under the direct supervision of the Principal Investigator (PI) Dr. Simone Schneider and in close collaboration with other PERGAP members at UPF in Barcelona and the Max Planck Institute for Social Law and Social Policy (MPISOC) in Munich.
Specific Tasks include:
Data collection and data management leadership
● Contribute to the development of new analytical tools for the empirical assessment and comparison of welfare state institutions and their stratifying potential
● Lead and coordinate the collection of legal information from policy experts at UPF
● Assist in the coding of legal information and the creation of a cross-country comparative quantitative dataset
● Produce a database codebook and user manual, including coding guidelines and workflows for data entry, browsing, and quality control
Scientific contribution and publication
● Contribute actively to scientific writing, including peer-reviewed publications and reports closely aligned with the project’s research
● Support dissemination of project results through conferences, workshops, and internal team outputs.
● Engage actively in all of the project’s scientific and public activities
Collaboration, mentoring, and teamwork
● Work closely with the project team members (postdocs, PhD researcher, and research assistants) at UPF and MPISOC in Munich to ensure scientific and methodological alignment and coherent data/research workflows.
● Participate in regular team meetings and contribute to internal training activities related to coding, data management, and related data analysis.
Project Scope
The PERGAP project, funded by the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union´s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme, aims to advance knowledge on the societal causes leading to the (mis)perception of economic inequality by developing new instruments for the assessment and comparison of the institutional structure of welfare states and investigating their impact on perception and justification processes – before, during, and potentially after the pandemic crisis and across different structural and cultural settings. Moving beyond classical distinctions of welfare regime typologies and uniting approaches from neo-institutionalist theory and empirical social justice research, PERGAP proposes that social security systems provide distinct answers to the questions of ‘who gets what and why?’ and ‘who should get what and why?’ This ultimately shapes how citizens view and justify inequalities. First, PERGAP will collect legal information on the ‘institutional imprints of social disparities’ in social security systems (i.e. healthcare, old age security, unemployment, minimum protection) across 50 European and non-European countries for three time points. Secondly, it will combine this information with country-comparative survey data to explore how institutional structures affect perceptions and justifications. Ultimately, PERGAP will create a unique country-comparative dataset on institutional disparities and expand knowledge of the (self-)legitimizing mechanisms of public institutions. This will lead to a comprehensive theoretical and empirical understanding of the impact of public institutions on social perceptions and preference formations, with implications for scientists and non-scientists alike. The project is implemented at Universitat Pompeu Fabra (Barcelona) in collaboration with the Max Planck Institute for Social Law and Social Policy (Munich).
Required qualifications for candidate:
● Excellent knowledge in the field of comparative social policy, public opinion/political behavior, and comparative research methods.
● Excellent knowledge and experience in data collection activities & quantitative data analysis (preferably with Stata).
● Demonstrated experience in project coordination, management and communication
● Demonstrated ability to conduct independent academic research by means of first authored published work in peer-reviewed scientific journals
● Ability to work independently, responsibly, and to collaborate with a research team is essential.
● Ability to manage multiple activities simultaneously, efficiently and on-time, and be able to meet deadlines
● Fluency in written and spoken English is expected; command of additional languages is an advantage
Preferred Qualifications for candidates:
● PhD degree in Political Science, Sociology or a related discipline within the Social Sciences (PhD defense completed by the time of starting the position) is an asset
Selection criteria: (only applications from candidates who fulfill 5 of the requirements mentioned above will be evaluated)
● Disciplinary fit with project: 1-5 points
● Relevant academic experience: 1-5 points
● Relevant methodological skills: 1-5 points
Candidates must pass a minimum of 4.0 points for each of the selection criteria.
The selection committee will consider the possibility of interviewing candidates who pass the minimum score.
Selection committee:
President: Simone Schneider
Secretary: John Palmer
Member: Giampiero Passaretta
Salary/duration/benefits/facilities
Full time position 35-hour week
Category: PSR, Group 2, Level: u-o (depending on qualification and experience of the selected candidate)
Gross yearly salary between 34 073€ and 36 689€.
Duration The expected duration of the tasks is 12 months, according to the needs of the project. It will be possible to extend the contract depending on project needs. The contract includes a 6-month probationary period.
Start date As soon as possible and no later than September 2026
Type of contract Indefinite contract in accordance with the terms of article 23 bis of Law 14/2011, of 1 June, on Science, Technology and Innovation. The contract includes all the benefits of the Spanish public health and social security system.
Information on the application process
To apply for this position, candidates send the documentation by Interfolio through the following link: https://apply.interfolio.com/186774
1. A letter of motivation (max 2 pages) explaining how the candidate fulfills the qualifications mentioned in the job description.
2. A detailed CV, including names and contact details of two academic referees
3. Copies of relevant certificates/transcripts
4. A publication (preferably sole or first author)
5. A copy of ID card or passport
Deadline to submit applications: 29/05/2026
Contact simonemaria.schneider@upf.edu
Euraxess Link https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/436704
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement: UPF promotes a diverse and inclusive environment and welcomes applicants regardless of age, disability, gender, nationality, race, religion or sexual orientation.
Information about the selection process: https://www.upf.edu/web/politiques/ofertes-de- treball
UPF promotes a diverse and inclusive environment and welcomes applicants regardless of age, disability, gender, nationality, race, religion or sexual orientation.
