Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Four (4) PhD opportunities in Erasmus University Rotterdam

Do you want to specialize in Sociology with a topic on Families in context? Are you willing to relocate and study in the Netherlands? This may be of interest to you!

Four (4) PhD Candidates Department of Sociology 

Background
The Department of Sociology at the Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) seeks to fill four PhD positions for a research project funded by an Advanced Investigator Grant of the European Research Council to Professor Pearl Dykstra. The aim of the research project (entitled “Families In Context”) is to unravel the ways in which policy, economic, and cultural contexts structure generational interdependencies in families. There are four sub-projects. The first, Transcending space, with its specific focus on transnational families, examines how different kinds of intergenerational exchanges (emotional, practical, financial) are affected by geographic proximity versus distance. The second, Drivers of family behaviour, examines whether family members help each other for different reasons, depending on the country in which they live. The third, Back-up functions, investigates the necessity of family members to provide for the young and the old, given limited public safety nets and crisis-driven reforms. The fourth, Rethinking men in families, asks what insights can be gained from a more balanced treatment of men and women across topics (such as stratification, parenting, grandparenting and childlessness) in the research literature on families.

Job description
The candidates will perform theoretically-informed quantitative analyses, present the results at conferences, and write a dissertation based on a set of research articles, publishable in international refereed journals. They will contribute to the preparation and documentation of datasets to be used in the “Families In Context” project. Teaching (about 0.1 fte) in the Department of Sociology is also part of candidates’ tasks.

Qualifications
The PhD candidates should:
  • hold a Research Master degree in sociology, demography or have equivalent qualifications; candidates who are due to graduate in the fall of 2013 are also welcome to apply.
  • excel academically, as shown in grade transcripts and curriculum vitae.
  • have a solid understanding of advanced statistical methods for the analysis of data from individual and/or household surveys.
  • be acquainted with the family sociology, and welfare states literatures
  • have an excellent written and spoken command of English.
  • have excellent  social and organizational skills.
  • have the ability and interest to work in a team.
  • wish to pursue an academic career.
Conditions of employment
The starting date for the positions is September 1, 2013. The initial contract will run for a term of 1.5 years, which – depending on performance – will be extended with a second term of 2.5 years. The conditions of employment correspond with the collective agreement of Dutch universities (CAO NU). From September on the Erasmus University offers a salary of € 2.083,- gross per month in the first year up to a maximum of € 2.664,- gross per month in the final year in accordance with the Promovendus scale of CAO NU (salary based on a fulltime occupation). A psychological assessment will be part of the selection procedure.
The EUR has attractive employment conditions, which include a holiday allowance of 8.0%, an end-of-year bonus of 8.3% and 41 annual vacation days in case of a full workweek. Substantial tax benefits apply to non-Dutch citizens, conditional on permission granted by the Dutch Tax Office. Applicants should have the right to work in the Netherlands for the duration of the contract.

Sociology
The department of Sociology provides academic teaching on the themes of family, work, organisation and management, citizenship, social theory, urban sociology, migration, and policy. The department offers a dynamic and collaborative working environment, and has an international staff active in many key areas of the discipline.
The department of Sociology provides academic teaching on the themes of family, work, organisation and management, citizenship, social theory, urban sociology, migration, and policy. The department offers a dynamic and collaborative working environment, and has an international staff active in many key areas of the discipline.

Additional information
  • Information about the research project, including a more detailed description of the content and context of the research, can be obtained from Professor Pearl A. Dykstra (email: dykstra@fsw.eur.nl, or phone: +31 10 408 2112).
  • Questions about the application procedure and other general questions should be addressed to the Sociology Secretariat (vacatures-soc@fsw.eur.nl).
Application procedure
The deadline for applications is June 30, 2013. Please refer to ‘PhD candidate Families In Context’ in the subject line of your application. To apply for this position, please send the following documents in English by e-mail to vacatures-soc@fsw.eur.nl:
  • Motivation letter, including a motivated preference for one of the four sub-projects
  • Curriculum vitae
  • Proof of your Master degree, including grade transcripts. If you have not completed your degree at the time of application, please provide a statement from your supervisor confirming the expected date of completion.
  • An academic writing sample (e.g., journal article, Master thesis).
  • Names and contact details of two referees.

Please send all documents in PDF.
The job interviews are scheduled for the second week of July 2013.

Friday, June 7, 2013

23 PhD scholarships in Italy's University of Trento (School of Social Sciences)

Do you want to study in Europe? Does Italy sound a good place for your PhD studies? Are you interested in Social Sciences such as Economics, Sociology, Policy Science, Development Studies, etc..?
Then, you can try this call for applications. It is now accepting applications from all over the world. Go and pursue your dream and interest.

Applications deadline: 3 July 2013 - 4 p.m.
(Italian time).  

Number of PhD positions
Economics and Management
Local Development & Global Dynamics
Sociology & Social Research
Positions with scholarships
9*
4
10
Additional positions
2
0
0

*1 scholarship sponsored by the Fondazione Bruno Kessler on the topic “Behavioural Economics applied to public policiy and social welfare” 
*1 scholarship sponsored by Telecom Italia S.p.A. on the topic “Behavioural Economics analysis on mobile consumers’ habits over personal data” 
OFF-SITE INTERVIEW FOR CANDIDATES WHO ARE NOT RESIDENT IN ITALY
CANDIDATES EXPECTING TO GRADUATE BY OCTOBER 31, 2013 CAN APPLY TO THE PROGRAMME
Application MUST include
1.     copy of ID (European citizens) or passport
2.     degree certificate or self-certification with the transcript of records (see details in the call)
3.     research proposal in English (max. 3000 words) with a short abstract (max. 150 words) and bibliography
4.     curriculum vitae et studiorum - Europass format available at:http://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/europass/home/vernav/Europasss+Documents/Europass+CV.csp
5.     the form called “Signed acceptance document” generated by the online application

Application MAY include:
•   up to 3 reference letters (in English or Italian)
•   any international certificate attesting the knowledge of the English language (at the C1 level or higher in the Common European Framework of Refernce for Languages)
•   list of scientific publications if any
•   any other documents useful to attest to the research skills and abilities of the candidate (dissertations, journal articles, or other scientific publications)

For more information, click here.