Υποτροφία για διδακτορικό

Κάλεσμα για υποτροφία διδακτορικής διατριβής. Το πρόγραμμα είναι συγκριτικό πάνω στη σχέση κοινωνικών κινημάτων και κομμάτων σε Λατινική Αμερική και Ν.Ευρώπη και η υποτροφία είναι για 4 χρόνια. Οι υποψήφιοι/ες θα πρέπει να μιλούν αγγλικά, ισπανικά, ή/και ελληνικά.

Πληροφορίες παρακάτω.

Maynooth University
Ollscoil Mhá Nuad

Centre for the Study of Politics at the Department of Sociology

Fully Funded 48-month PhD Fellowship

Maynooth University invites applications for a fully funded PhD Fellowship, starting September 2022, as part of the SFI-IRC Pathway project Anti-neoliberal parties and popular movements: Andean and Southern European cases in Comparative Perspective (ANPPMASE)

The total budget for the project is €552,500.

Project overview
Where financial crises were followed by austerity, and where traditional labour-based parties programmatically converged with their conservative rivals by imposing neoliberal adjustment programs, mass social and electoral protests paved the way for the emergence of varying types of anti-neoliberal parties/candidates (ANPs). While similar underlying factors opened space to the left of traditional mainstream party-systems, each ANP emerged from, and adapted to, respective national contexts. SYRIZA (Greece), Podemos (Spain), Evo Morales’ MAS (Bolivia), Rafael Correa’s PAIS (Ecuador), and Hugo Chávez’ MVR (Venezuela) are key examples and are the focus of research.

The project will assess the capacity of each ANP to
    • respond to popular demands for boosted political and socio-economic incorporation,
    • what forms opposition to the projects take,
    • how ANPs respond to such opposition, and
    • how they have reshaped core constituencies of the traditional mainstream parties.

The research also aims to open the black box concerning ANP relations with constituent bases, addressing the following issues
    • if and why party-base tensions emerge,
    • how tensions develop,
    • whether bases mobilise against “their” party if it moderates from demands,
    • how the party responds to bottom-up critique (accede/coopt/repress),
    • impact of party-base tensions on voter support for alternative outsider parties (left/right)
    • impact on democratic participation.

The PhD Fellowship Scheme
This exciting opportunity will cover the candidates’ PhD fees and provide the successful applicant with an annual stipend of €18,500. Furthermore, the successful candidate will be allocated significant funding for fieldwork research expenses in Southern Europe, expenses for participation and attendance at three international conferences in Europe, and course fees for participation in an international methods school.

The successful candidate will be located in the Centre for the Study of Politics at the Department of Sociology, Maynooth University in the new state of the art Technology, Society and Innovation building and alongside a vibrant international postgraduate community. The PhD will be supervised by the project’s Principal Investigator, Dr. John Brown and with noted Latin American specialist Dr. Barry Cannon acting as second supervisor. The successful candidate will be enrolled in the structured 4-year PhD Programme in the Department of Sociology (for details relating to required and optional courses, credits and training,  see the Department’s website here.

The Department of Sociology has 18 full time staff and offers undergraduate degrees in both sociology and politics as well as postgraduate degrees, based on its research strengths in political economy, work and inequality; technology, media and society; and political sociology, power and civil society.

Your role
The topic of the PhD research should fall within the broad thematic focus of the project, as described above and focusing particularly on the Southern European cases, but we will actively encourage and facilitate candidates developing their own individual projects within that. An example of possible topics that the candidate may address (though not limited to) include the emergence and impact of outsider-parties to the left and right of mainstream party systems in Southern Europe in the past decade and/or popular movements’ evolution from the era of anti-austerity mobilization to the current moment.

The successful applicant should have the following qualifications:
Essential:
    • A Master’s degree / diploma (awarded or pending) or international equivalent in a relevant academic area (relevant areas include but are not limited to: Politics, Sociology, International Relations). Exceptions may be made for applicants without a masters if a compelling case is made.
    • Fluency in English (both written and spoken as per Maynooth University’s general requirements, see here for details.
    • A solid understanding of Spanish, written and spoken
Desirable:
    • Language competency in Greek
    • Knowledge of qualitative methods (interviewing, document analysis)
    • Qualitative Software Analysis (Maxdata, NVivo etc)
    • Good report writing skills
    • Social media skills to promote and disseminate project
    • Project and time management skills
    • Ability to work on own initiative
    • Preparedness to travel and spend time outside Ireland

Informal enquiries should be sent by email to Dr. John Brown john.brown@mu.ie with the words “IRC-Pathway PhD” followed by the applicants name in the subject bar.

To Apply:
Applicants should submit:
    • A detailed CV
    • Letter of motivation detailing how the applicant’s studies and research interests relate to the project
    • Two letters of recommendation from referees familiar with the applicants’ academic record to date
    • Certified academic transcripts and certificates of all degrees
    • Please send your applications as a single PDF to Dr. John Brown at john.brown@mu.ie
Closing Date for Applications: 1st May 2022.
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to interview in June 2022. Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application in early July.

Important information
Please note that all applicants must meet the general requirements for a PhD at Maynooth University. – For non-native English speakers without a degree from an English-speaking institution, a language test is required (TOEFL, IELTS or PTE); the application can be submitted without the test, but any offer made will be conditional until the required test results are submitted. The successful candidate will further have to apply separately for their place through the Maynooth University system. Such applications have to be submitted by following the link for PhD in Sociology (Full Time – 4 years, MHY02), https://v2.pac.ie/institute/2

Information on the University
Maynooth University is a very distinctive university, a collegial institution focused on science and engineering, humanities, and social sciences, and equally committed to research, teaching and community engagement. Located in Ireland’s only university town, its distinctive features and character owe much to its unique history and heritage. It provides a high-quality educational experience to over 13,500 students on a campus with 18th century roots and 21st century dynamism.
The strategic trajectory and accomplishments of Maynooth University, in the twenty years since its establishment as an autonomous public university, are exceptional, and a source of great pride to the university community, staff, students and alumni. Maynooth University is now acknowledged to be one of the leading young universities in the world, ranked 43rd in the latest Times Higher Education (THE) ‘Young Universities’ list. Maynooth University’s growing global reputation is based on the originality, quality, importance and impact of its research and scholarship, commitment to teaching and learning, the quality of academic programmes, and its leadership in widening participation in higher education. The sources of success are the dedication of its staff and the energy and engagement of its students.

Maynooth University values the enrichment that comes from a diverse community and seeks to promote equality, prevent discrimination and protect the human rights of each individual. To learn more about our commitment to Equality and Diversity, please read the Maynooth University Equality and Diversity Policy. Additionally, as an Athena SWAN Bronze Award Institute, we are committed to advancing gender equality across the University.

We aim to reflect the diversity of the community we serve and welcome applications from all individuals, in particular from people underrepresented in our workforce.