University of Munster - PhD opportunities (Deadline: April 15, 2014)

Do you want to pursue a PhD in Germany?

PhD Positions - Cluster of Excellence “Religion and Politics

Position(s): Up to five PhD opportunitiesApplication deadline: April 15, 2014

Location: Münster

Website: http://www.uni- muenster.de/Religion-und-Politik/en/graduiertenschule/

Up to five PhD opportunities available in the Cluster of Excellence “Religion and Politics” at the University of Münster, Germany.

An exciting opportunity exists for potential PhD students to fill up to five positions by October 1, 2014 in the Graduate School within the interdisciplinary Cluster of Excellence “Religion and Politics in Pre- Modern and Modern Cultures” at the Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster – University of Münster, Germany. The Cluster involves a large number of academics from the areas of History, Catholic and Protestant Theology, Jurisprudence, Islamic Studies, Islamic Theology, Jewish Studies, Philosophy, Philology, Ethnology, Egyptology, Political Science, and the Sociology of Religion. Projects in the Cluster are grouped around four themes: Normativity, Mediality, Integration, and Violence. Further information about the research areas of the Cluster can be found at:http://www.uni-muenster.de/Religion-und-Politik/en/forschung/forschungsfelder.html.

Each of these positions is half an E13 TV-L position (approximately € 1.100 net salary per month, including health insurance). Initially the positions are available for two years, with an extension of up to one year possible. Besides from working on their own projects, PhD students are expected to participate in the planning and organization of at least one conference or workshop. These workshops or conferences are expected to cover such areas as theory, methods, and the interpretation of source material. PhD students will also participate in the Cluster’s Doctoral Studies Programme. Information about the Graduate School and its study program can be found at: http://www.uni-muenster.de/Religion-und-Politik/en/graduiertenschule/.

We are seeking students who have demonstrated exceptional ability in the Humanities, Cultural Studies, Social Sciences, Law/Jurisprudence, or Theology/Religious Studies. Furthermore we are particularly interested in attracting students who have demonstrated high competence in interdisciplinary studies, have proven their ability to communicate their research to a variety of forums, and have the potential to establish themselves in international arenas. In order to facilitate communication and collaboration within the Graduate School, applicants who are not proficient in German will be encouraged to attend German language courses. Applicants are kindly requested to provide a five page description of their intended project (including a bibliography). It is expected that the project will complement the research aims and also one or more of the research areas of the Cluster. All doctoral projects will be supervised by Cluster professors.

Please send your application (including cover letter, CV, copies of transcripts, a project description, and two academic references) by April 15, 2014 to the Speaker of the Cluster of Excellence, Prof. Dr. Barbara Stollberg-Rilinger, preferably by email (with an attached PDF file):
Prof. Dr. Barbara Stollberg-Rilinger Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster Cluster of Excellence “Religion and Politics in Pre-Modern and Modern Cultures“ Johannisstraße 1 D – 48143 Münster, Germany Email: exc.graduiertenschule@uni-muenster.de

Please direct any further enquiries to the coordinator of the Graduate School, Robert Spät (exc.graduiertenschule@uni-muenster.de).

University of Strasbourg Institute for Advanced Study (USIAS) Fellowship Program

Do you like to do research in France? 

1. Introduction

The University of Strasbourg Institute for Advanced Study (USIAS) is a place of intellectual innovation, welcoming excellent researchers from all countries and disciplinary backgrounds in residence, to conduct independent research within a scientific community of excellence. Each year, the Institute awards between ten and twenty Fellowships for a period of between three months and two years to enable the pursuit of original, innovative research projects aiming at exploring novel questions with new approaches and methods. 

In this year’s call for proposals, USIAS welcomes applications from both promising young scholars and excellent advanced researchers from outside of Strasbourg, wishing to carry out research in collaboration with researchers in Strasbourg and/or using a Strasbourg facility. In addition, excellent researchers already in Strasbourg wishing to work on highly original research ideas, or to apply their knowledge and skills to new domains outside of their current field of work, are welcome to apply, especially when jointly with an external collaborator. The grantees will become USIAS fellows for the period of their project.

2. Fellowships

USIAS will provide Fellows with the working conditions and the academic environment necessary for the successful completion of their project, including the operating costs for research, seminars, travel and publications, partial dispensation of teaching and administrative obligations, and space and administrative support. Fellows from outside of Strasbourg are expected to reside in Strasbourg during the period of their fellowship; the costs of their stay will be covered by USIAS (e.g. accommodation, travel). Differences between the cost of living in France and the cost of living in the fellow’s home country will be taken into account, and relevant other elements of individual cases will be taken into consideration.

3. Criteria

Applications should present an original, high quality research proposal, which is remarkable in terms of ambition, topic, methodology or (interdisciplinary) perspective, and which will result in research that has the potential to make a step-change (rather than merely incremental) contribution to a certain (emerging) field of research. The research proposal may represent a project that is a clear change of direction of the applicant’s research, requiring an investment in time and effort that cannot be undertaken in a normal academic position with administrative and teaching obligations. Furthermore, the call is open to original research proposals that require Strasbourg-specific resources (e.g. library or art collections, specialised technical equipment).

4. Eligibility

The fellowships are open to junior and senior researchers in any field with a doctorate or comparable degree currently employed at the level of assistant professor (or equivalent) or beyond. All applicants must provide evidence of excellence in accordance with their level of seniority. The main criterion for selection will be the quality and originality of the proposed research.

5. Submission procedure

Proposals should be written in English to enable international review, using the specific template provided by USIAS (link below), respecting headings, structure and limit of space and providing the requested information in the order of listing. The budget should provide a preliminary estimate of the costs involved; a more detailed and precise budget will be determined in a later phase in case of selection of the proposal.

Internal applicants (based in Strasbourg) should include the annex (link below) signed by the director of their research unit (and the dean of their faculty if their application includes a request for teaching dispensation). 

Applicants from outside of Strasbourg must include a letter of support from a researcher, research group or research facility based in Strasbourg.

Applications are to be submitted via the online form (link below) and the proposal, the CV of the applicant(s) and the annexes need to be uploaded as part of the online form. The CV should be no more than 6 pages, publication list included.

TEMPLATE (word file) 

ANNEX (for internal applicantS)

ONLINE APPLICATION FORM

6. Timeline

Deadline for submission: March 24, 2014

Publication of final results by June 1, 2014

Fellowships start between October – December 2014

7. Contact

For additional information, please contact Dr. Rifka Weehuizen at info@usias.fr