Recruitment at CEVIPOF – Sciences Po | ERC Project POLLOT

The Centre for Political Research at Sciences Po (CEVIPOF) announce the opening of two research positions within the framework of the ERC Starting Grant POLLOT – Political Lotteries in European Democratisation, led by Brenda Van Coppenolle.

• One Postdoctoral Researcher (2-year fixed-term contract, full-time or part-time) Job description & application 
• One Pre-doctoral / Junior Researcher (12-month fixed-term contract, full-time or near full-time) Job description & application 

These positions are part of an ambitious project in empirical and historical research on past and contemporary uses of sortition in politics, combining historical data analysis, quantitative methods, and theoretical reflections on democracy, political equality, and representative institutions.

Positions based in Paris, within a international and collaborative research environment.
Application deadline: 9 March 2026
Expected start date: Spring 2026

About the Project POLLOT - Political lotteries in Europe

POLLOT will study past natural and present-day experiments with lotteries and runs until 2028. POLLOT studies past experiments with political lotteries within legislatures during 19th century democratisation in Europe. In addition, new experiments with lotteries in online assemblies today will be designed. Political lotteries randomly draw citizens or legislators to take a political decision. Such lotteries could safeguard political equality in democracies straining under increasing economic inequality and polarization. By their very nature, lotteries equalise opportunity of access to all. We can learn from past experiments with lotteries to understand their potential in sustaining inclusive societies.