Doctoral Student SNSF in Law/Criminology

Introduction

UNIL is a leading international teaching and research institution, with over 5,000 employees and 17,000 students split between its Dorigny campus, CHUV and Epalinges. As an employer, UNIL encourages excellence, individual recognition and responsibility.

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Presentation

The School of Criminal Justice of the Faculty of Law, Criminal Justice and Public Administration opens a position of

Doctoral Student SNSF in Law/Criminology

mainly funded by a Starting Grant from the Swiss National Science Foundation and co-funded by UNIL.

Description of the project
You will work on a research project funded by a Starting Grant from the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF Starting Grant PS00-1_234763). The project is titled “Crime Control in Fragmented Societies (CONNECT)” and its Principal Investigator is Prof. Clara Rigoni, University of Lausanne. 
The project examines how cooperation between state authorities and certain ethnic and religious minorities takes place in crime control, and how this cooperation is perceived by the actors involved. The project takes Switzerland as a case study and focuses on state-community cooperation in two main phases: 1) in processes of legislation (criminal law) and policy making; 2) in crime prevention. In particular, the project will analyse pioneering police units (so-called Brückenbauer) and other programs (e.g. institutionalized platforms and dialogues) set up in several Swiss cantons and cities aimed at enhancing trust and cooperation between Swiss authorities and ethnic and religious minorities. CONNECT adopts an interdisciplinary methodology combining legal and policy analysis with qualitative empirical research, including interviews with institutional and community actors and observations of activities involving state authorities and minority communities. 

Job information

Starting date: 01.02.2027 (or by agreement)
Contract length: The appointment is structured as follows: 1 + 2 + 1 years (4 years in total).
Activity rate: 100%
Workplace: University of Lausanne, Lausanne-Dorigny. Fieldwork and travel within Switzerland. Possibility of home office according to UNIL regulations.
Job insertion: The position is placed under the responsibility of Clara Rigoni, Assistant Professor, School of Criminal Justice, Faculty of Law, Criminal Justice and Public Administration.
Salary:  The salary of SNSF Doctoral Students is set by the UNIL Directorate, within the salary range established by the SNSF for this position.

Your responsibilities

In your activities, you will:

• Conduct legal and policy analysis relating to legislation (criminal law) and policy affecting ethnic and religious minorities in Switzerland


• Contribute to the collection and analysis of empirical data, including interviews with institutional actors and other relevant stakeholders


• Write and complete a PhD in law/criminology under the supervision of Prof. Clara Rigoni and in the framework of the project CONNECT


• Interact with experts, practitioners and representatives of Swiss and international institutions, NGOs, and scientific organizations


• Contribute to academic publications, conferences, workshops and other dissemination activities, in Switzerland and abroad


• Participate actively in the intellectual and academic life of the research group and the School of Criminal Justice

Your qualifications

To complete our team, we are looking for someone with the following qualifications:

• Master’s degree in Law and/or Criminology, or an equivalent degree


• Experience with legal and policy research


• Knowledge of the Swiss legal system


• Ability to work independently while also contributing actively to a collaborative research team


• Excellent written and spoken English


• Fluency in French or German (knowledge of French is required within one year)


• Strong interest in combining legal analysis with empirical and interdisciplinary research


• Experience with qualitative empirical research methods, particularly interviews, is an asset 
  
  

What the position offers you

• You will gain experience in working in an interdisciplinary team with both academic and non-academic experts in the field of crime control


• You will work in a rich and stimulating environment at the School of Criminal Justice of the University of Lausanne


• You can benefit from the Doctoral Progamme of the School of Criminal Justice of the University of Lausanne


• You can benefit from the financial support of the SNSF for conference participation, open access publications and international networking


• You will write your PhD in an international, interdisciplinary and collaborative research environment within one of Switzerland’s leading centres for legal and criminological research 

We offer a nice working place in a multicultural, diverse and dynamic academic environment. Opportunities for professional training, a lot of activities and other benefits to discover.

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Contact for further information

Clara Rigoni, E-Mail schreiben

Your application

Please submit the following documents through the UNIL application platform:

1. A cover letter highlighting your research interests and motivation for the position


2. A comprehensive CV, including a list of publications (if applicable)


3. Copies of university diplomas and degrees, with transcripts (indicating marks/grades)


4. Copy of your Master’s thesis (if not available, please send another research work realized during your Master).


5. One letter of recommendation or the names of one referee.

Only applications through this website will be taken into account. 

Application deadline: 08.11.2026. Shortlisted candidates will be invited for an interview.

Additional information

UNIL is committed to:
•    equality, diversity and inclusion within its community;
•    ensuring an open and respectful environment that is conducive to personal development;
•    offering working conditions that facilitate work-life balance;
•    supporting early career researchers.

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