PhD Scholarship in Political Science; Border Region and European Studies

Application deadline: October 11, 2024.
Do you want a research education as a salaried and institutionally supported PhD student?

The Department of Political Science and Public Management, University of Southern Denmark, invites applications for a PhD scholarship within the research areas of Border Studies and European Studies. The position is due to commence on January 1, 2025, or as agreed.

As a PhD student, you will be affiliated with the Centre for Border Region Studies (CBRS), a research institution located in Sønderborg. The aim of the Centre is to promote comparative aspects of European border regions in research, teaching, and dissemination. The CBRS is the only research centre in border studies in Denmark and is responsible for the European Studies bachelor programme. The Centre is part of the International and Regional Politics (IRP) research section and of the Department of Political Science and Public Management. For more information about the department organization, strategy, research, and teaching, please visit the website.

The ideal applicant and PhD project proposal
To qualify for this PhD scholarship, you must have a high academic level and be able to outline an original research project.

The project is individual, but it should be related to the ongoing research areas within at least two of the three core areas of the CBRS; Border Studies, European Studies and the local (Danish-German) region. While the position is interdisciplinary and methodologically flexible, we are especially interested in proposals focused on territorial conflicts in Europe and contemporary (in)security.

We are looking for candidates who (please also consult the Scholarly Qualification Matrix):

• have a curiosity and a strong desire to generate new research ideas.
• are able to work independently and, in consultation with the PhD supervisor, prioritise the different aspects of the PhD plan, including participation in PhD courses, teaching and supervision of undergraduate students.
• are interested in teaching in our European Studies programme.
• will apply for smaller grants and/or participate in applications for larger grants.
• have good interpersonal skills.
• are interested in engaging with the national and international research community (your supervisor and the department will support you in this), i.e. participate in conferences and present own work.
• prioritise being present and taking part in the daily academic and social environments at the department.

When applying, you must enclose a project proposal as well as a suggestion for a supervisor (if possible). When preparing these documents, you are strongly advised to consider the research profile and the staff of the CBRS. Please also consult the general guidelines for preparing a project proposal at the PhD School's webpage.

The department believes in fostering a stimulating and inspiring environment for both faculty members and students. The department's ambition is therefore to recruit, develop, and retain talented scholars committed to both academic excellence and departmental development. Furthermore, the department wishes our staff to reflect the diversity of society and thus welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background.

Requirements and program structure
As a PhD student you will follow an individual PhD plan including course work, conference participation, and teaching. PhD Students typically spend one semester at another research institution, often abroad. The scholarship carries a monthly salary including pension plus office facilities and financial support for conference travels and research visits abroad. Conditions of employment will be in accordance with the agreement between the Ministry of Finance and AC (the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations).

If selected for the position, you will be enrolled in the PhD program in Political Science, Journalism, or Social Sciences. Applications are invited from candidates with a master's degree (the 5+3 program). Candidates who, in addition to their bachelor's degree, expect to have passed 60 ECTS of their master's program by February 1, 2025, are invited to apply for a PhD scholarship within the 4+4 program.

A 5+3 PhD program spans over three years (fully salaried), while the 4+4 program runs for a period of four years. If enrolled in the 4+4 program, your will be enrolled in the PhD program and the master's program parallel to each other. During this period, the pay will consist of the Danish Student Allowance (SU) - if you are entitled to it - and a supplementary salary for job assignments. After completing the master's degree, you will enter a fully salaried PhD scholarship for the remaining two years. Employment as a paid PhD fellow takes place in accordance with the circular of 20 December 2021 on the collective agreement for academics in the state – appendix 5, protocol on PhD fellowships.

For further information about the PhD program, please contact PhD coordinator, Professor Arjen van Dalen, tel. +45 6550 4417, e-mail [email protected] or the Head of the IRP section, Jaume Castan Pinos, tel. +45 6550 1244, e-mail [email protected].

For further information about the Department of Political Science and Public Management, please contact Head of Department Signe Pihl-Thingvad tel. +45 6550 2281, e-mail [email protected].

Application and assessment process

An application must include:

• Application form.
• A project proposal of no more than 12,000 characters in total, including spaces, notes, appendices, bibliography etc. The project description must be anonymised, i.e. it may not reveal your name or identity in any way. The total number of characters including spaces of the project description must be stated on the first page of the project description.
• An abstract for the above project description of no more than 250 words, to be submitted on a separate sheet/page.
• A motivated application.
• A short statement with a motivated suggestion on who among the academic staff at the Department of Political Science and Public Management could be your PhD supervisor, to be submitted on a separate sheet/page.
• A detailed CV (max 2 pages).
• A copy of your master's degree certificate including all examination results. In case of a 4+4 enrolment, a copy of your bachelor's degree certificate and a transcript of you master's level examination results must be included.
• Information on experience with teaching, dissemination, or scientific publication, if applicable.

All non-Danish documents must be translated into English.

Documents should not contain a CPR number (civil registration number) – in this case, the CPR number must be crossed out.

If you do not adhere to the above-mentioned specifications, your application may be rejected without further assessment. The department reserves the right to arrive at a decision solely based on the material submitted.

Shortlisting may be used in the assessment process.

Shortlisted applications will be assessed by an internal committee. When the assessment committee has submitted its report, the candidate will receive the part of the evaluation that concerns them. The assessment report is subsequently forwarded to the head of department who assembles an appointment committee and determines if one or more of the qualified applicants should be invited to a job interview. The appointment committee will manage and complete job interviews and advise the head of department on which candidate(s) should be offered appointment.

Applications must be submitted electronically using the link “Apply now”. All files must be in Adobe PDF format.

Application deadline: October 11, 2024, 23:59 CET.

Read the guideline for applicants

If you experience technical issues with submitting the application, please contact [email protected]

Placering: Sønderborg, Denmark