Bremen International Graduate School of Social Sciences (BIGSSS) Ph.D. Fellowship Competition

Do you want to study in Europe, in Bremen, Germany? Do you want to pursue a PhD in Social Sciences? Let's take a look at BIGSSS.

The BIGSSS Ph.D. Program:

The Bremen International Graduate School of Social Sciences (BIGSSS) invites applications to its Ph.D. program. The program will commence on September 1st, 2012.

Successful applicants for the Ph.D. and Post-doc fellowships will pursue a topic in one of BIGSSS' five Thematic Fields.

All fellows are expected to choose Bremen as their place of residence.

Financial Support:

BIGSSS offers 15 Ph.D. stipends of 1250 Euros/month for 36 months, contingent on successful completion of each year. To support its Ph.D. fellows in achieving early scientific independence, it also provides funds for conducting, presenting and publishing research. There is no separate funding application, because all admitted applicants receive a stipend.

Admission Requirements:

• An excellent MA degree (or national equivalents like the German "Diplom" or "Magister") in a discipline pertinent to at least one of BIGSSS' five Thematic fields (see above), i.e. inPolitical Science (including related degree programs in European Studies or International Relations), Sociology, Psychology, Law, Economics or Mass Communication. The degree must be completed by the end of July of the year of application, which means you may apply before having finished your MA degree.
• English proficiency as described in the application materials section below.
• Additionally BIGSSS offers 2 Preparatory Fellowships to particularly talented BA Graduates. Please refer to Preparatory Fellowships to find out more about the program. 

Diversity and Anti-Discrimination

BIGSSS believes that diverse backgrounds and ideas are crucial to academic excellence. Therefore, BIGSSS welcomes and promotes diversity and ensures equal opportunity and inclusion for all of its members regardless of ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age or (dis-)ability. More information and contact details of our Equal Opportunities Officers can be found here.

Application Deadline

The application period for the Fall 2012 semester will begin in themiddle of December 2011 and go until March 15th, 2012. The deadline refers to the date of receipt of the application. All letters of recommendation must also reach BIGSSS by March 15th, 2012.

2012 Rotary World Peace Fellowship (Open until 1 July 2011)

Do you want to study in Australia, Japan, England, Argentina, Thailand, and the US? Do you want to pursue Peace Studies? Below is an opportunity for you.

The Rotary Foundation is now accepting applications for the world-competitive Rotary Peace Fellowship. The fellowship provides academic and practical training to prepare scholars for leadership roles in solving conflicts around the world.

Up to 100 fellows are selected every year in a globally competitive process based on personal, academic, and professional achievements. Fellows earn a master’s-level degree or a professional development certificate in peace and conflict studies at one of six Rotary Peace Centers at leading universities in Argentina, Australia, England, Japan, the United States and Thailand.

Master’s Degree Option
• “Building the leaders of tomorrow”
• 15-24 months of Rotary-funded graduate study toward a master’s degree at one of our five Rotary Centers
• Training in the root causes of conflict, theories of international relations, and effective models of cooperation, conflict resolution, and negotiation including course work and applied field experience
• A growing network of committed alumni employed around the world in diplomacy, government, non-governmental organizations and private corporations.

Professional Certificate Option
• “Strengthening the leaders of today”
• 3 month professional development certificate program
• Designed specifically for candidates already working in the field of peace and conflict studies to further their understanding of conflict resolution
• Theoretical foundational knowledge during 8 weeks in the classroom and practical experience during 2-3 week on site fieldwork
Both programs require, at minimum, a bachelor’s degree in a related field; 3 years of relevant work experience and proficiency in a 2nd language for the MA program and 5 years for the professional development certificate and proficiency in English.

The 2012 Academic term deadline is 1 July 2011. Applications are available at: www.rotary.org/rotarycenters. Please pay close attention to the language and academic test requirements for each center.

All Rotary Peace Fellowship applications need the endorsement of your local Rotary district. You can find your nearest local Rotary Club by using the Club Locator tool on the Rotary International web site athttp://www.rotary.org/en/AboutUs/SiteTools/ClubLocator/Pages/ridefa....

Goodluck!

UNU-IAS Fellowship 2011 (Open until 28 February 2011)

The United Nations University - Institute of Advanced Studies (UNU-IAS) is offering PhD and Post-Doctoral Fellowships to young scholars, especially from developing world, to pursue advanced research and training along with the research agenda of UNU-IAS.

Field of Research

The purpose of the UNU-IAS PhD Fellowship is to provide young scholars and policy-makers, especially from the developing world, with a multidisciplinarily context within which to pursue advanced research and training that are of professional interest to the applicant and of direct relevance to the research agenda of UNU-IAS. Research proposals for UNU-IAS PhD Fellowships should therefore relate clearly to one of the current research areas of the Institute, as well as aim to be policy relevant. Research proposals are invited in the following areas:

Science and Technology for Sustainable SocietiesSustainable Urban Futures 
Biodiplomacy InitiativeSustainable Development Governance
Traditional Knowledge Initiative

Eligibility and Conditions

Applicants must be at the dissertation writing stage of their PhD with a research proposal accepted by the candidate's university. Language proficiency in English is essential. Applicants from developing countries and women are particularly encouraged to apply.

UNU-IAS Ph.D. Fellowships are awarded for a period of 12 months. The starting date of the Ph.D. Fellowship Programme is 1 September. Successful applicants are required to be in Yokohama by this date. Residency in Yokohama for the full duration of the fellowship is required.

Fellows are provided with their own desk in a dedicated study room in the Institute, administrative support and desktop computing. Fellows have access to the UNU Library in Tokyo which includes an excellent collection of UN documents. They also have access via the UNU Library to various Japanese university libraries and computer databases. A limited range of other, more specialised computer hardware and software may also be available.

The fellowship provides a monthly stipend of JPY260,000 from which a monthly usage charge for accommodation is deducted (see below). A one-time-only settle-in-allowance of JPY 80,000 will be granted to each Fellow at the beginning of the programme for relocation, adjustment expenses, ground transportation and incidental costs. UNU-IAS provides Fellows with a return air ticket between his/her country of residence and Narita Airport.  Settle-in-allowance and air tickets are, however, not provided for Fellows already residing in Japan before the commencement of the fellowship. 

Fellows carry out their research in Yokohama under the supervision of a UNU-IAS faculty member and/or affiliated UNU-IAS network scholars. Fellows will spend about half of their working hours on their dissertation and the remaining half assisting the Institute’s projects and activities.

Fellowship Type	Eligibility	Duration	Residency
UNU-IAS PhD Fellowship	1. Applicants must be at an advanced dissertation writing stage of the PhD with their research proposal accepted by the candidate's university.2. Proficiency in English is essential.	12 months	UNU-IAS, Yokohama, Japan
UNU-IAS Postdoctoral Fellowship	1. Applicants must have gained their PhD degree.2. Proficiency in English is essential.	12 months (possiblity of renewal for another 12 months)	UNU-IAS, Yokohama or Kanazawa, Japan
JSPS-UNU Postdoctoral Fellowship	1. Applicants must have gained their PhD degree on or after 2 April 2005 for the 2011 Fellowships. 2. Proficiency in English is essential.  3. Nationality: Citizens of a country that has diplomatic relations with Japan. (Japanese nationals who do not have citizenship or permanent residency of another country are not eligible.)	24 months	UNU-IAS, Yokohama, Japan or UNU-ISP, Tokyo, Japan

             

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Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology (Open until 31 January 2011)

Two doctoral research positions in the Division of Anthropology of Law and Conflict Studies
Project Description These doctoral positions are granted in the context of the interdisciplinary programme of the new 'Max Planck Research School on Retaliation, Mediation, Punishment (IMPRS-REMEP)'. The research program aims to attract researchers educated in social anthropology (in particular, legal anthropology and conflict studies). The doctoral students will carry out their studies mainly in Halle/Saale. They will participate in the training programme offered by the IMPRS-REMEP and can make use of the facilities and infrastructure of the Max Planck Institute for Foreign and International Criminal Law. Working language of the training programme and the dissertation is English. According to local university regulations, German language skills may be required in exceptional cases. The scientific supervision of the doctoral students will be carried out by the Max Planck Institute and the University of Freiburg. Cross-disciplinary dissertation projects may be co-supervised by a member of the academic staff from a partner institute. Job description Dissertation Topics The research agenda has its focus on the fundamental question common to the disciplines of social sciences and humanities regarding how peace and social order are negotiated, constructed, maintained and re-gained. In particular, in the context of conflict and post-conflict societies, traditional approaches to reconciliation and mediation are being adopted, amending, and - partially - replacing, well-established systems of punishment mainly based on concepts of retaliation. Research at the Max Planck Institute in Halle/Saale should fall within the fields of legal anthropology and conflict studies in the broadest sense of these terms. The focus of analysis should be conflict and conflict settlement procedures (retaliation, mediation, punishment) in plural legal contexts and should also include strategies for inclusion and exclusion in conflict situations. Of special interest are configurations of various juridical repertoires, such as local or customary law, state law, religious law, or transnational norms for conflict management, including actors’ abilities to manoeuvre within or among these repertoires (e.g. forum shopping). Of equal importance are issues pertaining to the social construction of conflict parties and their identity patterns. This research programme encompasses dispute management within or between various groups or institutions at various levels of social organisation: in semi-autonomous social fields such as kinship groups and local groups; within or between ethnic or religious communities, both within or across national borders; between states; or in transnational settings. Potential research topics range from conflict resolution in acephalous societies to conflict management procedures in (post) conflict societies (retaliation, punishment, compensation, reconciliation), for example, in the form of transitional or restorative justice or reconciliation processes. The interaction of global, local and translocal processes may thus acquire special analytical importance. Applicants are expected to develop their research questions independently, and to specify those in their proposal. Proposals with a comparative perspective and/or an inter-disciplinary approach will be considered with priority. It is expected that anthropological projects include a field research of approximately one year. Requirements Application requirements 1. Completion of a university degree in social anthropology at a German university or completion at an equivalent university abroad. 2. Alternatively to (1), completion of regular university studies in a social sciences’ discipline as major subject, a second major subject, or two additional minor subjects, with an overall duration of at least 4 years at a German university, or completion of an equivalent programme at an equivalent university abroad. Master degree or equivalent degree from abroad. In exceptional cases with a background in sociology of law and interest in social anthropology empirical research, completion of a law degree at a German university or completion at an equivalent university abroad. First or Second German State Law Exam with a minimum overall grade of "vollbefriedigend" (according to the examination regulations "JAPrO" of the State of Baden-Württemberg), or an equivalent degree with an equiva¬lent grade ("with distinction") from abroad. 3. Submission of a substantive proposal for a dissertation topic linked to the research agenda of the IMPRS-REMEP. 4. Solid proficiency in the English language. In addition, students should have at least some basic knowledge of German language and demonstrate willingness to improve it. The IMPRS-REMEP seeks to reach a composition of at least 50 percent foreign doctoral students. Thus, foreign candidates with a foreign degree are explicitly encouraged to apply. Recognition of equivalence of foreign degrees is to be determined by the doctoral committee of the Faculty of Philosophy I of the Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, in accordance with the criteria laid out by the Central Office for Foreign Education at the Secretariat of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs ("Zentralstelle für ausländisches Bildungswesen im Sekretariat der Ständigen Konferenz der Kultusminister der Länder"). Payment Financial support is granted in accordance with the guidelines of the Max Planck Society in the form of a doctoral contract or bursary. The financial support regarding the doctoral contract corresponds with public service organizations (up to 50 per cent of the payment group 13 degree 1 of the General Framework Agreement on Public Services, "Tarifvertrag Öffentlicher Dienst", TVöD). Financial support will be granted for a period of two years, with a possibility of two subsequent extensions, each for a duration of six months. Application Application documents must be submitted electronically no later than by January 31st 2011 to the following email address: wagenbrett@eth.mpg.de (maximum 5 MB per E-Mail). Please refrain from sending postal applications. Applicants will be invited to telephone or personal interviews in Halle/Saale in mid February. The selection procedure should be completed by the end of February 2011. The applicants will be informed of the selection results in writing. During the selection procedure we ask applicants to refrain from contacting the Institute with regards to the results of the procedure. An absolute right to financial support does not exist. Application documents 1. Cover sheet addressed to the 'International Max Planck Research School on Retaliation, Mediation, Punishment' at the Max Planck Institute for Foreign and International Criminal Law in Freiburg i.Br. 2. European style curriculum vitae (http://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/) in German or English. It should include information on all previous research activities. 3. Copy of Secondary Education certificate with a list of subject areas. The documents must be officially translated into German (preferably) or English and a copy of the original supplied. 4. Copy of all university certificates with a list of all grades, including the overall grade, the average grade and the university certificate of graduation. The documents must be officially translated into German (preferably) or English and a copy of the original supplied. 5. Substantive/meaningful proposal for a research topic (5 pages), preferably in English, structured into a) relevance of the proposed topic in the context of the overall research agenda of the IMPRS-REMEP, b) state of preparation, c) aim of the project, d) probable links to other disciplines, e) methodology, f) proposed timeline, g) intended time of completion of the dissertation. It is intended that doctoral students, when participating in the research programme in a regular manner, will be able to complete the programme within a three years period (two plus twice a half a year). 6. Two letters of recommendation from two senior scientists (to be written in English or German). These letters should include information as to previous research experience, and vouch for the ability of the applicant to undertake doctoral studies at the Research School. 7. Applicants who do not speak English as their native language and who are unable of demonstrating good proficiency in English language in any other way must prove their skills through language examination certificates. In particular, the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) with at least 6.0 bands or TOEFEL (at least 560 points, computer: 220 points) are recognized. 8. Applicants who do not speak German as their native language should be capable to demonstrate basic knowledge of German, e.g., through a certificate German language ("Zertifikat Deutsch", ZD). Proficiency in German language is not a formal precondition for application. However, subject to university regulations, German may be mandatory for the oral doctoral exam or defense, or for parts of it, in individual cases. If necessary, access to external language courses can be arranged. Presentation of officially authenticated copies of the original certificates etc., with regards to Nos. 3 and 4 above, is only necessary once a decision has been made to admission.  The Max Planck Society and the Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg endeavour, wherever possible, to employ disabled persons and applications from such persons are expressly called for. The Max Planck Society and the Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg also desire to increase the proportion of women in areas where they are underrepresented. Women are therefore expressly encouraged to apply. Deadline for applications: January 31th, 2011. Contact Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology Bertram Turner Advokatenweg 36 06114 Halle (Saale) E-mail: turner@eth.mpg.de Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology Nadine Wagenbrett (for applications) Advokatenweg 36 06114 Halle (Saale) E-mail: wagenbrett@eth.mpg.de Further information Website of the Institute www.eth.mpg.de

Berlin Graduate School for Transnational Studies (1 February 2011)

The Berlin Graduate School for Transnational Studies is a joint endeavour of the Freie Universität Berlin, the Hertie School of Governance, and the Social Science Research Center Berlin. It offers a rigorous and intense English-language PhD programme for exceptionally-talented graduate students in the field of transnational and international relations, defined as an interdisciplinary field of reasearch encompassing Political Science, History, Economics, Law and adjacent disciplines.


Overview:


Programme: 3 year full-time PhD programme
Language of instruction: English
Starting date for Applications: 1 December 2010
Deadline for Applications: 1 February 2011
Decision taken by the Committee: early April 2011
Starting date of Programme: 1 September 2011
Scholarships: 8 Doctoral Scholarships - two of these scholarships are reserved for projects addressing the field of research of the Research College 'The Transformative Power of Europe'.

Application Requirements
Admission to the programme is open to graduates of masters' programmes in the social sciences and adjacent fields.

The application requirements for the programme are:

• An exceptionally strong completed university degree qualifying for PhD studies in political science, international relations, sociology, economics, law or related disciplines
• Proof of C1-level English language skills or the equivalent
• An up-to-date CV
• A short letter of motivation (600 words maximum)
• A research proposal (5000 words maximum) with timetable of your project
• Two letters of reference from professors at universities or research institutions

All documents need to be submitted in English. Calls for applications always run from December till the end of January each year.

 

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PhD scholarships and 1 postdoctoral scholarship in Germany (open until March 1, 2011)

Giessen University's International Graduate Centre for the Study of Culture (GCSC), funded by the German federal government’s Excellence Initiative, offers a three-year structured PhD-programme in the study of culture. With its excellent research environment, a doctoral programme which is tailored to the needs of PhD students and the intensive personal support it provides, the Graduate Centre offers postgraduate students optimum conditions for their PhD-projects and a custom-made preparation for the time thereafter, both with regard to academic and non-academic careers.

From 01st October 2011, the GCSC offers

Up to 9 PhD scholarships and 1 postdoctoral scholarship.

PhD scholarships include a monthly stipend of approximately €1.100 and are offered for one year with the possibility of two extensions, each of a year. The postdoctoral scholarship, with a monthly stipend of about €1.500, is limited to two years. All scholarships start on 01st October, 2011. Acceptance of a scholarship requires participation in the study programme and the wide-ranging events offered by the GCSC, as well as active involvement in at least one GCSC graduate research group. PhD scholarship holders must register as PhD students at Justus Liebig University. There are no tuition fees for doctoral students at JLU, except for an enrolment fee of approximately €200 per semester. All scholarship holders are expected to take up residency in or near Giessen.

Eligibility

We invite applications contributing to the study of culture in various historical contexts as well as those analyzing contemporary phenomena The GCSC encourages applications from graduate students who have or expect to obtain a first or upper second class honours M.A.-degree (or equivalent) in one of the GCSC’s academic subjects or in the arts/humanities, cultural studies, or social sciences. Candidates applying for a post-doctoral scholarship should hold a PhD in the arts/humanities, cultural studies, or social sciences, have an excellent academic record, and pursue a research project relevant to the GCSC’s research areas. Fluency in either English or German is required.

Application Procedure and Deadline

The main selection criteria are the candidates’ academic qualification, the academic quality of the research proposal and the suitability of the project for the GCSC’s research programme. Short-listed candidates will be invited to a 30-minute interview; telephone interviews can be arranged for candidates from overseas.

The application deadline is March 1st, 2011 (date of receipt). All applications (including an application form and further documents as stated on the GCSC-website) have to be submitted online. Please find all information on the two-stage application procedure on our website.

If you have any questions concerning your application, please contact us at gcsc-application@uni-giessen.de. On 24th January 2011, the GCSC will host an Information Day at the Graduate Centre for the Study of Culture (GCSC), Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Alter Steinbacher Weg 38, 35394 Giessen. The Information Day gives potential applicants the opportunity to meet the staff and students involved in the doctoral programme. You will also have the chance to obtain more information on the research areas and academic objectives of the GCSC, the wide range of interdisciplinary courses, colloquia, and conferences, the research support on offer, our international networks and partner institutions, as well as on publishing and funding opportunities available to GCSC-members.

Please continue with our notes on the two-stage application procedure.

Scholarships on Masters and PhDs on Peace and Conflict Studies (open until 31 October 2010)

Do you want to specialize and further your studies on peace and conflict? Do you want to study in New Zealand?

The National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Otago in New Zealand is offering generous scholarships for international masters and PhD students.

If you have a First Class or Upper Second Class Postgraduate Diploma/Honours or Masters degree and would like to do advanced postgraduate research in Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Otago we are currently recruiting postgraduate research students from all around the world.

We are looking for students who can reinforce existing research and practice strengths within the Centre but will contemplate proposals that are in cognate areas as well. We have some grants in aid available to support Master's level research and some Centre Scholarship assistance to those wishing to do a PhD. Otago has a very generous post graduate scholarship scheme. All students who apply to the Centre for the PhD will be automatically considered for  Otago University's Doctoral Scholarship.

For general enquiries about Masters and Ph.D research for 2011 please contact (by the 30th October 2010) the
Centre Administrator:
Ann Hassan at peaceandconflict@otago.ac.nz
or
phone: 643 479 4546
fax: 64 3 479 8084
Web page: http://www.otago.ac.nz/humanities/ncpacs

If you want specific advice about possible research topics/supervisors please send your enquiries to
Dr Isak Svensson, Director of Research
at isak.svensson@otago.ac.nz or
phone: 643 479 7681
and 
Professor Kevin P Clements, Director
at kevin.clements@otago.ac.nz
Phone 643 479 9468

Goodluck!