Application deadline: June 30, 2025 (interviews on a rolling basis). Start date: September 2025.
The Department of Applied Economics of the Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management (Dulbea) is opening a position for a postdoctoral researcher in economics to join a dynamic research team specializing in public policy evaluation. The research areas particularly focus on public finance, labor economics, and health economics, with special attention to disability and gender. The analytical methods used range from public budget analysis to advanced econometric techniques, including foresight methods.
The position is offered for a period up to three years to contribute to a collaborative research project funded by Innoviris (Brussels Region Research and Innovation Institute). The project brings together three research centers from ULB and Université Catholique de Louvain, in collaboration with Casa legal ASBL. Casa legal has developed an innovative approach to legal practice, offering a wide range of legal and psychosocial support services to ensure comprehensive and integrated access to justice. This includes handling multiple interconnected areas of law and providing tailored psychosocial support.
The research project has two main objectives. The first is to improve the understanding of the mechanisms behind the sustainability and scaling of the social innovation developed by Casa legal. The second aims to objectively assess and measure the societal added value of this innovative approach, through both a cost- benefit analysis of Casa legal’s actions and a study of the causal link between its actions and the observed outcomes. This causal link will be tested using a randomized controlled trial (RCT) approach.
The selected candidate will be responsible for the second part of the project – namely the cost-benefit analysis and causal analysis – within a team specialized in such advanced methods, currently running several RCTs in parallel across different domains (see www.dulbea.be). This position does not include any teaching duties. In addition to the main mission related to Casa legal project, space will be provided for the candidate’s personal research projects and for involvement in the center’s activities.
Candidate Profile:
Applicants must hold a PhD in economics and demonstrate a strong interest in empirical economic research. Exceptional skills in (quasi-)experimental methods are essential. Candidates should also show an interest in public policy and its evaluation and demonstrate the ability to work on an interdisciplinary research project. Proficiency in English is required, although field work and team collaboration will primarily be conducted in French. The position also requires strong interpersonal skills, given the vulnerable population being studied.
For more information:
Prof. Ilan TOJEROW, SBS-EM (Dulbea), ULB & IZA – ilan.tojerow@ulb.be Magali Verdonck, PhD, SBS-EM (Dulbea), ULB – magali.verdonck@ulb.be
Applications must be written in French or English and sent to magali.verdonck@ulb.be.
They must include: