CoSS-USYD Joint PhD Scholarship - The health and wellbeing impacts of the energy transition for low-income renters: a comparative UK-Australia study.

Information on the Schools/Research Groups

This PhD will be jointly hosted by the University of Glasgow and the University of Sydney, with a supervisory team comprising Professor Gerry McCartney (UoG), Professor Lynne Chester (USYD), Professor Robert McMaster (UoG), and Professor Harriet Thomson (UoG).

At the University of Glasgow, it will sit within the School of Social and Political Sciences, although one supervisor (Professor McMaster) is from the Adam Smith Business School.

The School of Social and Political Sciences conducts research of the highest quality, focusing on international, national, and local issues to inform public debate and contribute to the development of public policy. We achieve this through integrating our range of social science expertise, and building collaborative and interdisciplinary approaches to research and knowledge exchange to deepen thematic interdisciplinary approaches.

We have a thriving research community bringing together both academic staff and research students working on a range of research programmes and agendas. Research in the School is assessed in the Research Excellence Framework under four units: Architecture, Built Environment and Planning; History, Politics and International Studies and Social Work and Social Policy. For REF2021 90% or more of our research has been assessed as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’ in terms of its originality, significance, and rigour.

We conduct research that develops theoretical, conceptual, and methodological insights to advance our core social science disciplines, and more interdisciplinary, team-based research which addresses major social and political challenges, often working with research partners to develop key interventions to change policy or practice. Our work spans local, place-based research and engagement, working with partners in the city and region as well as working with the Scottish and UK governments and further afield, with international partners and multinational agencies across the globe.

At the University of Sydney, the joint PhD candidate will be situated in the Discipline of Political Economy of the School of Social and Political Sciences. The school has five strategic research themes: Inequalities, Health, Governance, Environment, and Markets.

This joint PhD opportunity strongly aligns with each of these research themes:

• Inequalities: The project focuses on low-income renter households who experience cumulative disadvantage, and new forms of inequalities (energy injustices) as governments introduce energy transition measures.
• Health: The project will present evidence of the health and well-being impacts for the most vulnerable households and communities of extreme weather events that can be amplified by energy transition
• Governance: The project will consider the energy transition roles of the state and non-state actors, and explore the potentiality for processes and mechanisms, applying social justice principles, to address often institutionalised forms of inequality and energy injustices.
• Environment: The project will situate energy transition measures for decarbonisation of the economy, and government responses to extreme weather events, within contemporary debates about the environment and climate change.
• Markets: The project will advance understanding of the outcomes and impacts of contemporary energy markets and explore alternatives to the dualism of state-market provisioning for the energy transition.

The Discipline of Political Economy provides critical analysis of contemporary problems and policies and construct alternatives to prevailing orthodoxies. This internationally recognised analysis and research is across the broad areas of globalisation, development, the environment, energy, labour, gender, race, history of economic thought, neoliberalism, public policy, human rights, markets, and finance. Several analytical frameworks are applied to this research including Post-Keynesian, Marxian, Feminist, Institutionalist, Environmental Economics as well as drawing upon the disciplines of sociology, geography, anthropology, politics, and international relations.

Project details

Governments around the world are seeking to transition energy systems away from a high reliance on fossil fuels to society’s energy needs being primarily met from renewable energy sources. At the same time, the world faces a series of inter-connected and deepening crises, including extreme weather events from climate change, rapid increases in the cost of living exacerbating long-term social and economic inequalities, and stagnating health, well-being, and life expectancy trends.

The most vulnerable households and communities - those on low-incomes, lacking in multiple social and economic resources, and exposed to cumulative inequalities arising from characteristics such as gender and ethnicity – are the most disadvantaged by these crises. This situation is further exacerbated by energy transition policies that privilege homeowners and wealthier communities.

One critical contributor to the disadvantaged circumstances of low-income households is energy costs. These households spend a higher proportion of their income on energy than high-income households. Low-income renter households are further disadvantaged, being without the resources for energy-efficient appliances or access to cheaper energy renewable sources. Low-income households have reduced their energy use in seeking to manage energy bills. However, when extreme weather conditions occur, these households – who generally live in low-standard housing stock - are unable to meet the costs of additional heating or cooling, damaging health and well-being, and provoking potentially dangerous coping strategies.

This project will advance understanding of the health and well-being impacts for low-income renter households of energy transition measures proposed by governments, and design solutions to redress identified adverse impacts as integral to these proposed measures while also generating co-benefits more broadly for society.

The project will conduct a comparative study between two locations which are increasingly experiencing extreme weather events with significant adverse population impacts, and have high concentrations of low- income renter households – Glasgow (Scotland) and Sydney (Australia).

Eligibility

Applicants must meet the application, admission and enrolment criteria of each institution (including language requirements).

In addition, applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria

• Applicants will have a good Master's degree (or overseas equivalent) with a minimum overall pass average of 75% or above (for a coursework/postgraduate taught Masters)
• Applicants will have a demonstratable interest in the topic under investigation.
• Applicants must enrol on a full-time basis at both institutions for the duration of their candidature
• Applicants must be prepared to spend a minimum of 30% of their PhD candidature at the University of Sydney

Please note that all applicants must also meet all admission and enrollment requirements for the both the Sociology PhD (UofG) and the Arts and Social Sciences PhD (USYD)

Award details

The scholarship is available as a full-time +3.25 (3 year 3 month) programme only. The programme will commence in October 2024. The funding includes:

• An annual stipend at the UKRI rate
• Fees at the standard home rate or International rate
• Students can also draw on a Research Training Support Grant, usually up to a maximum of £940 per year
• In addition to the above, a one-off travel grant of £3,000 ito facilitate the required travel between Glasgow and Sydney.

Further additional information

This award requires international travel. The successful student will register at the University of Glasgow, as the Home institution, and the University of Sydney, as the Host institution, simultaneously. The successful student will be required to spend a minimum of 30% of their PhD candidature at the University of Sydney.

Application process

Applicants must apply via the Scholarships Application Portal (please see Scholarships Application Portal - Applicant Guide for more information), uploading the following documentation:

• CoSS-USYD Joint PhD Scholarship application form (Sociology) (in Microsoft Word format)
• Academic transcripts (All relevant Undergraduate and Master’s level degree transcripts (and translations, if not originally in English) – provisional transcripts are sufficient if you are yet to complete your degree).
  
• Contact details for two referees (where possible your referees should include an academic familiar with your work (from within the last 5 years). Both referees can be academics but you may include a work referee, especially if you have been out of academia for more than 5 years). Please note, a CoSS PGR Funding Reference template will be sent to your referees for completion)*.
• Curriculum Vitae (CV) (academic where applicable).
• Proof of meeting the English Language proficiency of both institutions (these are detailed on the Sociology PhD (UofG) and Arts and Social Sciences PhD (USYD) pages)

*Please note that when you enter your referees contact details on the Scholarships Application Portal and send the reference request, your referees are expected to provide their references by the closing date of the Scholarship (below). It is highly recommended you complete this as soon as possible, as late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

Closing Date: 19 April 2024

Selection process

Applications will be assessed by the project team. You may be requested to attend an interview. All scholarship awards are subject to the successful candidate securing admission to a PhD programme within the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Glasgow, and the Discipline of Political Economy, School of Social and Political Sciences, The University of Sydney.

The successful applicant will be invited to apply for admission to the relevant Joint PhD programmes.

Key contact

Professor Gerry McCartney (Gerard.McCartney@glasgow.ac.uk)

CoSS-USYD Joint PhD Scholarship - The Socio-Economic Impacts of Colonialisation in Australia.

Information on the Schools/Research Groups

The successful candidate will be registered as a postgraduate researcher in the Adam Smith Business School, University of Glasgow. Within the Economics Subject Group, they will be supported by our Applied Economics Cluster. The cluster brings together staff and PGRs researching various fields including labour economics, behavioural economics, economic history, economic development, economics of crime and other. The first supervisor is going to be Professor Michele Battisti (University of Glasgow). The rest of the supervisory team includes Dr Jordi Vidal-Robert (University of Sydney), Associate Professor Marian Vidal-Fernandez (University of Sydney) and Professor Sayantan Ghosal (University of Glasgow).

Project details

Since the early European settlements in the late 18th century, the economic history of Australia is very deeply linked to its colonisation. This PhD thesis proposal will create a rich dataset to measure the impact that British colonialisation had on its Australian colonies on a range of economic outcomes in the short and long-run. Using British and Irish records of settlers, Australian arrival records and subsequent censuses, together with current and recent rich administrative health records and surveys, the focus of this thesis will be twofold.

First, this thesis will merge and match a range of British and Australian records to 1) measure the mortality, morbidity, and characteristics of settlers travelling to Australia in the short run and 2) understand how the selection of surviving settlers still impacts the health of current Australians. Second, this project will employ early Australian censuses and arrival records, together with data on massacres that is currently being collected and surveys, to analyse the impact of the relative arrival of free versus convict settlers across different areas in Australian on the severity and incidence of indigenous massacres and current political views. Understanding the dynamics of these foundational periods is crucial for shedding light on the root causes of contemporary disparities and informing effective policy measures.

The candidate will have the opportunity to work collaboratively with the supervisory team on the main project. In addition, the candidate will receive support from both the supervisory team and two institutions to conduct their own independent research.

Eligibility

Applicants must meet the application, admission and enrolment criteria of each institution (including language requirements).

In addition, applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria

• Applicants will have a good Master's degree (or overseas equivalent) with a minimum overall pass average of 75% or above (for a coursework/postgraduate taught Masters).
• Applicants will have a demonstratable interest in the topic under investigation.
• Applicants must enrol on a full-time basis at both institutions for the duration of their candidature
• Applicants must be prepared to spend a minimum of 30% of their PhD candidature at the University of Sydney
• A preference will be given to candidates with a research-oriented Master degree, such as an MRes or equivalent

Please note that all applicants must also meet all admission and enrollment requirements for the both the Economics PhD (UofG) and the Arts and Social Sciences PhD (USYD)

Award details

The scholarship is available as a full-time +3.25 (3 year 3 month) programme only. The programme will commence in October 2024. The funding includes:

• An annual stipend at the UKRI rate
• Fees at the standard home rate or International rate
• Students can also draw on a Research Training Support Grant, usually up to a maximum of £940 per year
• In addition to the above, a one-off travel grant of £3,000 to facilitate the required travel between Glasgow and Sydney.

Further additional information

This award requires international travel. The successful student will register at the University of Glasgow, as the Home institution, and the University of Sydney, as the Host institution, simultaneously. The successful student will be required to spend a minimum of 30% of their PhD candidature at the University of Sydney.

Application process

Applicants must apply via the Scholarships Application Portal (please see Scholarships Application Portal - Applicant Guide for more information), uploading the following documentation:

• CoSS-USYD Joint PhD Scholarship application form (Economics) (in Microsoft Word format)
• Academic transcripts (All relevant Undergraduate and Master’s level degree transcripts (and translations, if not originally in English) – provisional transcripts are sufficient if you are yet to complete your degree).
  
• Contact details for two referees (where possible your referees should include an academic familiar with your work (from within the last 5 years). Both referees can be academics but you may include a work referee, especially if you have been out of academia for more than 5 years). Please note, a CoSS PGR Funding Reference template will be sent to your referees for completion)*.
• Curriculum Vitae (CV) (academic where applicable).
• Proof of meeting the English Language proficiency of both institutions (these are detailed on the Economics PhD (UofG) and Arts and Social Sciences PhD (USYD) pages)

*Please note that when you enter your referees contact details on the Scholarships Application Portal and send the reference request, your referees are expected to provide their references by the closing date of the Scholarship (below). It is highly recommended you complete this as soon as possible, as late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

Closing Date: 19 April 2024

Selection process

Applications will be assessed by the project team. You may be requested to attend an interview. All scholarship awards are subject to the successful candidate securing admission to a PhD programme within the Adam Smith Business School at the University of Glasgow, and the School of Economics, The University of Sydney.

The successful applicant will be invited to apply for admission to the relevant Joint PhD programmes.

Key contact

Professor Michele Battisti (Michele.Battisti@glasgow.ac.uk)

CoSS PhD Scholarship: Forced Migration and the Politics of Bordering in the Middle East

Information on the School/Research Group

The project falls within the auspices of the School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Glasgow, as well as a five-year project on “The International Politics of Mobility Sanctions,” funded by the European Research Council (led by Professor Gerasimos Tsourapas). The project offers an interdisciplinary approach bridging international relations and migration studies, while repositioning the Global South as central to theory development on the politics of cross-border mobility. The PhD candidate will become part of a broader community of students and scholars dedicated to the study of migration across the University of Glasgow.

Project details

How do states’ borders and bordering practices affect the politics of forcibly-displaced communities in the Middle East? The border constitutes a political project of both governance as well as belonging, with the aim of constructing and delineating ‘imagined communities’ on either side. Even when unable to control migration, states continue to use borders as a way of identifying, categorising, and generating hierarchies of people. At the same time, border controls and externalisation processes have become an integral part of states’ migration diplomacy and refugee rent-seeking strategies. This creates a number of research questions with regard to migration into, out of, and across the Middle East that this PhD project may focus on: how have states in the region shifted their bordering practices over time, and what effects has this produced on refugees and asylum seekers? How are borders understood and contested by those who aim to cross them? What are the effects of refugee rent-seeking practices on refugee communities, particularly those who have crossed into ‘safety’? How is migration diplomacy implicated in the politics of shifting borders across the region? While based in international relations and political science, this project aims to also speak to ongoing debates across other disciplines, critical border studies, Middle East studies, security studies, as well as migration and refugee studies.

Eligibility

Applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria

• Applicants will have a good Masters degree (or overseas equivalent) in a relevant subject (international relations, political science, Middle East studies, migration and refugee studies, etc)
• Applicants will have a demonstratable interest in the topic under investigation.
• Applicants should ideally have fluency in Arabic or another Middle Eastern language.
• Applicants can study part-time or full-time (although International applicants may have visa restrictions that preclude undertaking a PhD on a part-time basis)

Please note that all applicants must also meet the entry requirements for the Politics, PhD. 

Award details

The scholarship is available as a full-time +3 (3 year) PhD programme only. The programme will commence in October 2024. The funding includes:

• An annual stipend at the UKRI rate
• Fees at the standard home rate or International rate
• Students can also draw on a Research Training Support Grant, usually up to a maximum of £940 per year

Application process

Applicants must apply via the Scholarships Application Portal (please see Scholarships Application Portal - Applicant Guide for more information), uploading the following documentation:

• CoSS PhD Scholarship - Forced Migration application form (in Word format)
• Academic transcripts (All relevant Undergraduate and Master’s level degree transcripts (and translations, if not originally in English) – provisional transcripts are sufficient if you are yet to complete your degree).
  
• Contact details for two referees (where possible your referees should include an academic familiar with your work (within the last 5 years). Both referees can be academics but you may include a work referee, especially if you have been out of academia for more than 5 years). Please note, a CoSS PGR Funding Reference template will be sent to your referees for completion)*.
• Curriculum Vitae (CV) (academic where applicable).
• Two samples of written work (ideally one being a Masters dissertation)

*Please note that when you enter your referees contact details on the Scholarships Application Portal and send the reference request, your referees are expected to provide their references by the closing date of the Scholarship (below). It is strongly recommended you complete this as soon as possible, as late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

Closing Date: 19 April 2024

Selection process

Applications will be assessed by the project team. Shortlisted applicants may be requested to attend an Interview.

All scholarship awards are subject to candidates successfully securing admission to a PhD programme in the School of Social and Political Sciences. Successful applicants will be invited to apply for admission to the relevant PhD programme after they are selected for funding.

Key contact

Professor Gerasimos Tsourapas (Gerasimos.Tsourapas@glasgow.ac.uk)

CoSS PhD Scholarship: These Islands: Austerity and Life Expectancy in Great Britain and Ireland

Information on the School/Research Group

The supervisory team consists of Professor Gerry McCartney (School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Glasgow), Dr Will Ball (Robert Gordon University) and Dr David Walsh (Public Health, University of Glasgow). The team are linked to the Scotland-wide Mortality Special Interest Group and UK-wide public health intelligence network, which co-ordinate research into the changing trends in life expectancy. McCartney and Walsh have led analyses on the impacts of austerity on life expectancy trends, synthesised in a 2022 report published by the Glasgow Centre for Population Health.¹

1. McCartney G, Walsh D, Fenton L, Devine R. Resetting the course for population health. Glasgow: Glasgow Centre for Population Health and the University of Glasgow, 2022.

Project details

Background

The average life expectancy of high-income countries has consistently improved since the late 1800s except for times of pandemic and war.¹ However, after around 2012, this changed such that trends in average life expectancy stagnated across many high-income countries, including the UK, USA and Germany,^2,3 with health inequalities worsening⁴. International studies show that austerity is an important cause of the stagnating trends.^3,5 Yet, some countries such as the Republic of Ireland (RoI) have continued to see improving life expectancy despite a form of austerity being implemented, raising questions about the varied nature of the austerity, and the importance of the broader economic context.^3,6,7

Aim

This studentship will characterise the varied nature of austerity through a comparison of the UK and RoI, to understand whether and how varied forms of austerity can explain their divergent life expectancy trends.

Research Objectives (ROs)

RO1: To characterise the nature of austerity policies implemented in the UK and RoI after 2010.

RO2: To describe the health trends in the UK and RoI after 2010, including mortality, morbidity and inequalities.

RO3: To evaluate the extent to which differences in the implementation of austerity can explain the divergent life expectancy trends.

Methods

RO1: will be addressed through: a. Policy analysis of budget statements and government departmental plans; b. Literature review; and c. Key stakeholder interviews.

RO2: will involve analysis and interpretation of publicly available data (e.g. mortality, burden of disease).

RO3: will apply the MRC approach to evaluating complex natural experiments.⁸

Impact

The studentship will inform policy recommendations through the existing UK/RoI public health networks on the health impacts of public spending and tax policies.

References

1             McCartney G, Walsh D, Whyte B, Collins C. Has Scotland always been the ‘sick man’ of Europe? An observational study from 1855 to 2006. European Journal of Public Health 2012; 22: 756–60.

2             Fenton L, Minton J, Ramsay J, et al. Recent adverse mortality trends in Scotland: comparison with other high-income countries. BMJ Open 2019; 9: e029936.

3             McCartney G, McMaster R, Popham F, Dundas R, Walsh D. Is austerity a cause of slower improvements in mortality in high-income countries? A panel analysis. Social Science & Medicine 2022; 313: 115397.

4             Fenton L, Wyper GM, McCartney G, Minton J. Socioeconomic inequality in recent adverse all-cause mortality trends in Scotland. J Epidemiol Community Health 2019; 73: 971.

5             McCartney G, Walsh D, Fenton L, Devine R. Resetting the course for population health. Glasgow: Glasgow Centre for Population Health and the University of Glasgow, 2022.

6             Saltkjel T, Ingelsrud MH, Dahl E, Halvorsen K. A fuzzy set approach to economic crisis, austerity and public health. Part I. European countries’ conformity to ideal types during the economic downturn. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health 2017; 45: 41–7.

7             Whiteside H, McBride S, Evans B. Varieties of austerity. Bristol: Bristol University Press, 2021.

8             Skivington K, Matthews L, Simpson SA, et al. A new framework for developing and evaluating complex interventions: update of Medical Research Council guidance. BMJ 2021; 374: n2061.

Eligibility

Applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria

• Applicants will have a good Masters degree (or overseas equivalent)
• Applicants will have a demonstratable interest in the topic under investigation.
• Applicants can study part-time or full-time (although International applicants may have visa restrictions that preclude undertaking a PhD on a part-time basis)

Please note that all applicants must also meet the entry requirements for the Social & Public Health, PhD. 

Award details

The scholarship is available as a full-time +3 (3 year) PhD programme only. The programme will commence in October 2024. The funding includes:

• An annual stipend at the UKRI rate
• Fees at the standard home rate or International rate
• Students can also draw on a Research Training Support Grant, usually up to a maximum of £940 per year

Application process

Applicants must apply via the Scholarships Application Portal (please see Scholarships Application Portal - Applicant Guide for more information), uploading the following documentation:

• CoSS PhD Scholarship - These Islands application form (in Word format)
• Academic transcripts (All relevant Undergraduate and Master’s level degree transcripts (and translations, if not originally in English) – provisional transcripts are sufficient if you are yet to complete your degree).
  
• Contact details for two referees (where possible your referees should include an academic familiar with your work (within the last 5 years). Both referees can be academics but you may include a work referee, especially if you have been out of academia for more than 5 years). Please note, a CoSS PGR Funding Reference template will be sent to your referees for completion)*.
• Curriculum Vitae (CV) (academic where applicable).

*Please note that when you enter your referees contact details on the Scholarships Application Portal and send the reference request, your referees are expected to provide their references by the closing date of the Scholarship (below). It is strongly recommended you complete this as soon as possible, as late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

Closing Date: 19 April 2024

Selection process

Applications will be assessed by the project team. Shortlisted applicants may be requested to attend an Interview.

All scholarship awards are subject to candidates successfully securing admission to a PhD programme in the School of Social and Political Sciences. Successful applicants will be invited to apply for admission to the relevant PhD programme after they are selected for funding.

Key contact

Professor Gerry McCartney (Gerard.McCartney@glasgow.ac.uk)

Listed below is an ESRC-funded supervisor-led Doctoral Studentship currently available within the College of Social Sciences, i.e. a supervisor has been awarded a funded Doctoral studentship for a PhD research project of their design, for which eligible potential PhD candidates can apply (see individual studentship advert for project details, eligibility and application procedures). 

Europe-Asia Studies PhD Scholarship

Information on the School/Research Group

The School of Social and Political Sciences takes an interdisciplinary approach to the Social Sciences making a dynamic and engaging teaching and research environment. By linking core Social Science disciplines we deliver high-quality undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and cutting-edge research. We offer a wide variety of courses for everyone interested in the development and impact of economies and societies globally. Our undergraduate and postgraduate courses provide knowledge, skills and training relevant to a broad range of careers, and the flexibility of our courses and their interconnections allows for the exploration and analysis of all aspects of economies and societies, informed by contemporary concerns. Academic staff engage extensively with public and private sector partners in research dissemination and knowledge exchange to advance understanding of social sciences, and we are proud of our record of impacting upon public debate, social and economic policy development and practice based innovations. In REF 2014, over 80% of the School’s research performance was assessed in the two top categories of 4* world-leading or 3* internationally excellent.

Central and East European Studies (CEES) hosts a dynamic and thriving PhD student community which plays a significant role in the research activities of the subject area. Our students regularly deliver papers at leading international conferences, publish their findings in leading scholarly journals, and are helping to shape the research agendas in their respective areas.

Postgraduate students are provided with numerous opportunities to advance their research skills and subject knowledge. These include regular talks and classes by leading academics via an extensive visiting scholars programme, cross-institutional workshops and mini-conferences. Students also benefit from the opportunity to participate in international Summer Schools and regular joint events with a number of partner universities including the Aleksanteri Institute, University of Helsinki

Abstract

Russia’s construction of the ‘other’: implications for ontological (in)security

This research is concerned with how and with what implications contemporary official narratives of Russian identity have been shaped by the relationship with particular ‘others’, whether ‘internal’, ‘external’, or a combination of the two. The research theme focuses on the post-Soviet period, while taking into account the role of historical developments in explaining some of the present phenomena. The research may include one or more of the following dimensions.

Internal ‘others’:

• non-Russian ethnic groups (non-Slavic ethnic minorities and/or migrants)
• the Ukrainian minority (since 2014)
• sexual minorities
• ‘disloyal’ members of society (i.e. political opponents of the regime).

External ‘others’:

• external actors denounced by the Russian regime as promoting alternative norms or values, presented as an existential threat and a source of ontological insecurity for Russia.
• internal actors linked to external actors by the Russian government (e.g. though the so-called ‘foreign agents’ legislation).

Internal and external ‘others’:

The research considers how the construction of the ‘other’ may lead to its overlap with the concept of ‘enemy’, which, in turn, may trigger: a) ‘us-or-them’ dynamics to respond to a (real or perceived) challenge to official narratives on Russian identity; and b) the securitisation of the ‘other’.   

Besides state narratives on the construction of the ‘other’ in its multiple dimensions, we are interested in vernacular (in)security, or the experience of (sub-)groups affected by these dynamics: how they respond to securitisation by official actors, and whether/how they might seek to engage in counter-securitisation.

Due to security and ethical concerns, the research will not include interviews with actors within the Russian Federation. While in some cases it might be possible to interview participants based outside Russia, research methods should focus on other sources (e.g. policy documents, media outputs, social media (where possible), secondary sources).

Eligibility

Applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria

• Applicants will have a good first degree (or overseas equivalent);
• Applicants will have a demonstratable interest in, and knowledge of, Russian politics;
• Applicants will have advanced knowledge of Russian

Please note that all applicants must also meet the entry requirements for the Central & East European Studies, PhD. 

Award details

The scholarship is available as a +3 (3 year) programme only. The programme will commence in October 2024. The funding includes:

• An annual stipend at the UKRI rate
• Fees at the standard home rate or International rate
• Students can also draw on a Research Training Support Grant, usually up to a maximum of £940 per year

Application process

Applicants must apply via the Scholarships Application Portal (please see Scholarships Application Portal - Applicant Guide for more information), uploading the following documentation:

• Europe-Asia Studies Scholarship application form (in Word format)
• Academic transcripts (All relevant Undergraduate and Master’s level degree transcripts (and translations, if not originally in English) – provisional transcripts are sufficient if you are yet to complete your degree).
  
• Contact details for two referees (where possible your referees should include an academic familiar with your work (from within the last 5 years). Both referees can be academics but you may include a work referee, especially if you have been out of academia for more than 5 years). Please note, a CoSS PGR Funding Reference template will be sent to your referees for completion)*.
• Curriculum Vitae (CV) (academic where applicable).

*Please note that when you enter your referees contact details on the Scholarships Application Portal and send the reference request, your referees are expected to provide their references by the closing date of the Scholarship (below). It is highly recommended you complete this as soon as possible, as late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

Closing Date: 17 May 2024

Selection process

Applications will be assessed by a selection panel and applicants will be notified if they have been shortlisted for interview by 31 May 2024. Interviews will be online and will take place by Friday 13 June.

All scholarship awards are subject to the successful candidate securing admission to a PhD programme within the School of Social and Political Sciences. The successful candidate will be invited to apply for admission to the relevant PhD programme.

Key contact

Dr Federica Prina (Federica.Prina@glasgow.ac.uk)

School of Law PhD Scholarships

About the Project

The School of Law invites applications for up to two funded PhD scholarships for doctoral research, either in Scots Private Law or UK Public Law, commencing in October 2024.  Indicative topics that would be appropriate for these awards include (but are not limited to) the following:

• For Scots Private Law (including topics in private international law): contracts and obligations, delict (including negligence), equity and trusts, family law, property law (including family property), remedies, and wills and succession.
• For UK Public Law: administrative law, devolution, the judiciary and judicial review, the executive and executive power, Parliament and parliamentary sovereignty, the rule of law, and the separation of powers.

About the School/Research Group

The University of Glasgow, founded in 1451, is one of Scotland’s ancient universities and the 4^th oldest university in the English-speaking world. Today, the University’s School of Law is a vibrant and cosmopolitan centre for world-leading legal scholarship, recognized by the 2021 Research Excellence Framework as one of the top 5 law schools in the United Kingdom for academic research.  Further information about the University of Glasgow’s School of Law can be found at https://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/law/. The following pages may be of particular interest:

• Research in the School of Law: https://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/law/research/
• Postgraduate research in the School of Law: https://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/law/postgraduateresearch/
• Current research students: https://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/law/research/researchstudents/

Eligibility

The scholarships are open to anyone who, by September 2024, will hold an honours degree in Law or an honours degree in another discipline followed by a graduate LLB. A Master’s degree (or overseas equivalent) may be an advantage but is not essential. Applicants without a Master’s degree may, if successful, be asked to register initially for the LLM by research with a view to transferring to the PhD programme at the end of their first year of study.

Applicants must have a minimum of an upper second-class honours undergraduate degree (or overseas equivalent), which should include evidence of at least some performance at first-class level (or overseas equivalent). Applicants without a Master’s degree (completed or in progress) must either have achieved (or be predicted to achieve) a first-class honours (or ‘distinction’) degree classification in their LLB (or overseas equivalent).

Please note that all applicants must also meet the entry requirements of the Law, PhD.

Award details

The scholarships will provide funding for three years of research towards a PhD in Law. The programme will commence in October 2024. The full scholarship package includes:

• An annual maintenance grant (stipend) indexed to the UKRI rate
• Fees at the standard Home rate rate
• Recipients can also draw on a Research Training Support Grant (RTSG) of up to £940 per annum.

Applicants may apply to hold the scholarship on a part-time basis over five years: where this is the case it should be made explicit in the application. Part-time applicants must be able to commit 50% of full-time equivalent to PhD study and must include a realistic assessment of how the time required to complete a PhD will be balanced with other commitments. International applicants may have visa restrictions that preclude undertaking a PhD on a part-time basis

The scholarship does not cover fees at the international rate but successful applicants who are required to pay international fees may be able to apply separately for a waiver of the difference in fees. There will be no obligation to accept any award before a decision on such an application is confirmed.

Other information

Applicants are encouraged to contact potential supervisors for advice before applying; potential supervisors cannot suggest a topic but may be able to advise on the feasibility of - and suggest potential refinements to - a proposed area of study. 

How to apply

Applicants must apply via the Scholarships Application Portal (please see Scholarships Application Portal - Applicant Guide for further details) uploading the following documentation:

• School of Law PhD Scholarships application form (in Word format)
• Academic transcripts (All relevant Undergraduate and Master’s level degree transcripts (and translations, if not originally in English) – provisional transcripts are sufficient if you are yet to complete your degree).
• Contact details for two referees (where possible your referees should include an academic familiar with your work (within the last 5 years). Both referees can be from academics but you may include a work referee, especially if you have been out of academia for more than 5 years).
• Curriculum Vitae (CV) (academic where applicable).

*Please note that when you enter your referees contact details on the Scholarships Application Portal and send the reference request, your referees are expected to provide their references by the closing date of the Scholarship (below). It is strongly recommended you complete this as soon as possible, as late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

Closing Date: 31 May 2024

Selection process

Applications will be assessed by a selection panel and shortlisted applicants may be asked to attend a remote interview.

All scholarship awards are subject to candidates successfully securing admission to a PhD programme within the School of Law.  Successful scholarship applicants will be invited to apply for admission to the relevant PhD programme after they are selected for funding.

Contact details

Susan Holmes (Susan.Holmes@glasgow.ac.uk)

School of Social & Political Sciences PhD Scholarships

Information on the School/Research Group

The University of Glasgow, founded in 1451, is one of Scotland’s ancient universities and the 4^th oldest university in the English-speaking world. Today, the University’s School of Social and Political Sciences (SPS) is a vibrant and cosmopolitan centre for world-leading social scientific scholarship, recognized by the 2021 Research Excellence Framework as having 90% or more of its research as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’ in terms of its originality, significance and rigour. The School is a leading centre of interdisciplinary social science, bringing together research, innovation and student education to tackle the key social and political challenges of our time.

Further information about the University of Glasgow’s School of Social and Political Sciences can be found at https://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/socialpolitical/ and https://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/socialpolitical/research/   

Abstract

The School of Social and Political Sciences invites applications for three funded PhD scholarships for doctoral research (1 international and 2 home scholarships). An International scholarship will be awarded to a candidate from a country or territory listed as either 'Least Developed, Low Income or Lower Middle Income' by the OECD and two Home scholarships to be awarded to UK Widening Participation candidates.

Eligibility

The scholarships are open to anyone who, by September 2024, will hold an honours degree in the social sciences. A Master’s degree (or overseas equivalent) may be an advantage but not essential.

Applicants must have a minimum of an upper second-class honours undergraduate degree (or overseas equivalent), which should include evidence of at least some performance at first-class level (or overseas equivalent). Applicants without a Master’s degree (completed or in progress) must either have achieved (or be predicted to achieve) a first-class honours (or ‘distinction’) degree classification in their undergraduate degree (or overseas equivalent).

Please note that all applicants must also meet the eligibility criteria of the Research Opportunity they intend to undertake. Research Opportunity eligibility information can be found here: https://www.gla.ac.uk/postgraduate/research/

Award details

The scholarships will provide funding for 3.5 years of research towards a PhD in the School of Social and Political Sciences. The programme will commence in October 2024. The full scholarship package includes:

• An annual stipend at the UKRI rate
• Fees at the standard home rate or international rate
• Students can also draw on a Research Training Support Grant, usually up to a maximum of £940 per year
• Commencement Bursary (single payment at the start of the PhD)

Further information

Applicants must contact potential supervisors for advice before applying; potential supervisors cannot suggest a topic but may be able to advise on the feasibility of - and suggest potential refinements to - a proposed area of study. 

You can start to search for potential supervisors using the University's Staff research interests search, and the School of Social & Political Sciences' Our Staff webpage 

Application process

Applicants must apply via the Scholarships Application Portal (please see Scholarships Application Portal - Applicant Guide for more information), uploading the following documentation:

• SPS PhD Scholarship application form (which includes a lay summary, section on preparedeness and your research proposal)
• Academic transcripts (All relevant Undergraduate and Master’s level degree transcripts (and translations, if not originally in English) – provisional transcripts are sufficient if you are yet to complete your degree). Please see Scholarships Application Portal - Applicant Guide for more information.
• Contact details for two referees (where possible your referees should include an academic familiar with your work - they can be, but do not have to be, a member of your proposed supervisory team. Both referees can be academics but you may include a work referee, especially if you have been out of academia for more than 5 years). Please note, a CoSS PGR Funding Reference template will be sent to your referees for completion*
• Curriculum Vitae (CV) (academic where applicable).
  
• SPS PhD Scholarship Supervisor Statement of Support
• Demographic eligibility
  
  • Home applicants will need to upload a Widening Participation Eligibility Declaration
  • International applicants will need to upload proof of citizenship (e.g. passport photo page) of a country or territory listed as 'Least Developed', 'Low Income' or 'Lower Middle Income' by the OECD and proof you have been through the Secondary education system of that country (e.g. Secondary/High School transcript or certificate)

*Please note that when you enter your referees contact details on the Scholarships Application Portal and send the reference request, your referrees are expected to provide their references by the closing date of the Scholarship (below). It is highly recommended you complete this as soon as possible, as late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

Closing Date: 15 March 2024

Selection process

Applications will be assessed by a selection panel and shortlisted applicants may be asked to attend a remote (online) interview.

All scholarship awards are subject to candidates successfully securing admission to a PhD programme within the School of Social and Political Sciences. Successful applicants will be invited to apply for admission to the relevant PhD programme after they are selected for funding.

Key contact

Professor Naomi Head (Naomi.Head@glasgow.ac.uk)