PhD Fellowship in Political Science - ERC Project WarEffects

The Department of Government at the University of Bergen is seeking a highly motivated PhD candidate with strong quantitative skills and a keen interest in the WarEffects project. The project is a five-year research initiative funded by the European Research Council (ERC, 2022-2027) that aims to examine the micro-level effects of civil wars on multiple dimensions of women's empowerment. More information about the project is available at www.wareffects.eu .

As a PhD Candidate, you will work closely with the project team, which includes two postdoctoral fellows, research assistants, and the project's Principal Investigator, Associate Professor Carlo Koos. Together, you will combine survey experiments, administrative and archival data, GIS, and qualitative field research in Colombia, DR Congo, and Sri Lanka to significantly advance research at the intersection of peace and conflict, gender, and political behaviour across disciplinary boundaries.

This PhD position is for a fixed-term period of 4 years, of which 75% will be dedicated to research and 25% will be dedicated to teaching. The employment period for the successful candidate may be reduced if he or she previously has been employed in a PhD position.

Required qualifications:

MA degree (or equivalent) in political science, economics, social psychology, or a related discipline (degree must have been awarded by the starting date)

The requirements are generally a grade B or better on the Master thesis and for the Master degree in total

Research interest in peace and conflict, international politics, gender, or related fields

Excellent quantitative methods skills, including a strong command of Stata, R, and/or Python

Willingness to expand methods skills (e.g., survey design, GIS, machine-learning)

Strong analytical skills and ability to communicate clearly

Ability and willingness to work independently as well as in a larger team

Excellent command of English (written and spoken)

The successfull candidate is expected to live and work in Bergen

Desired qualifications:

Interest to do field research in Sri Lanka

Knowledge of French

Your application must include:

A cover letter (max 2 pages), including a statement of motivation

A research proposal for your PhD project (maximum 3,000 words excluding references): Please present your topic and research problem(s), your theoretical approach and hypotheses, and the data and methods you would like to use. In your data and methods section, please specify which data you would collect and use and share some thoughts on causal identification

A CV summarizing education, positions, research and teaching experience, quantitative methods trainings, and other qualifying activities

An academic writing sample in English (e.g., chapter of MA thesis, publication, or term paper)

Contact details of three referees. Reference letters are not needed

Copies and transcripts of educational diplomas documenting award of main degrees (e.g., MA, BA)

The closing date is June 18th, 2023. The application must be marked with: 2023/6516.

For more information, please see full advertisement on Jobbnorge.no.

For more information about the PhD, please visit our website: PhD candidate at the Faculty of Social Sciences

Detailed information about the position can be obtained by contacting Associate professor Carlo Koos at [email protected]

Practical questions about the application, please contact [email protected] .