Scholarships & funding

CoSS College PhD Scholarship – The Religious and Spiritual Lives of Transnational Young People of African Migrant Background

The prospective PhD candidate will be part of a vibrant PhD community within the School of Social and Political Sciences, which hosts over 60 postgraduate research students undertaking sociological research at the University of Glasgow, dealing with subjects across the discipline. In Sociology, we have developed a number of effective ways of providing support to our PhD students, including:

• The yearly Sociology seminar series, which offers a diverse programme, bringing internationally recognised speakers to Glasgow, but also provides a supportive yet critical context in which postgraduate students can present their first papers and findings.
• The annual two day Sociology postgraduate conference, allowing students and staff to present and discuss their work in a congenial atmosphere.
• Individual postgraduate review panels at which the Postgraduate Coordinator and individual supervisors can meet to discuss progress with each student.

The successful applicant will enjoy wider links to the School of Social and Political Sciences as well as join the vibrant and diverse community of the Graduate School of the College of Social Sciences, renowned for its research environment and advanced training in research methods across its campuses.

Project details

The University of Glasgow invites applications for a new three-year, full-time PhD Scholarship in the field of religion and migration, with a particular emphasis on transnational young people of African migrant backgrounds.

This scholarship is attached to an ESRC research project, ‘The Religious and Spiritual Lives of Transnational Young People of African Migrant Background’ (2023- 2026). The project will investigate the role of religion and spirituality in constructing youth identities and a sense of belonging among transnational young people of Nigerian and Zimbabwean migrant backgrounds in London and Birmingham (UK), Lagos (Nigeria), Harare (Zimbabwe) and Johannesburg (South Africa). As part of this project, the PhD will be integrated into an international research team of researchers and project partners interested in studying religion and migration between the UK and Africa. The successful applicant will work with the project’s international research team: Dr Dominic Pasura (Principal Investigator, University of Glasgow), Professor Ezra Chitando (Co-Investigator, University of Zimbabwe), Professor Dodeye Williams (Co-Investigator, University of Calabar, Nigeria) and Professor Tinashe Nyamunda (Co-Investigator, University of Pretoria, South Africa) and five project partners.

The new scholarship is for a doctoral project aimed at supporting the UK part of the multi-sited and comparative fieldwork, investigating whether and how first- and second-generation youths of Nigerian and Zimbabwean migrant backgrounds in London and Birmingham engage across boundaries with those of other faiths and secular groups, and how they maintain transnational ties with Africa. The student will work with the project team to design and conduct mixed methods qualitative research, including document analysis, ethnographic observations, biographical and key informant interviews to understand the everyday lives of young people living in urban neighbourhoods and practitioners of Christian, Muslim and African Indigenous Religions faiths.

The scholarship award will be tenable for three years and will cover fees and an annual maintenance grant in line with UKRI stipends. It is anticipated that the PhD will commence on 1 May 2023.

Applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria

• A good Master's degree (or overseas equivalent), with a significant component in a social science or relevant humanities discipline (at Distinction or Merit).
• Demonstrate knowledge of the key issues in the project – for example, migration, religion and transnational young people of migrant backgrounds.
• A foundational understanding of social science research methods.
• Demonstrate an interest and/or experience working with various stakeholders from African countries and/or migrant backgrounds, including Global South academics and non-academics.

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

Number of Scholarships

1

Value

The scholarship is available as a +3 programme only. The programme will commence in May 2023. The funding includes:

• An annual stipend at the UKRI rate- Stipend at the UKRI level (£17,668 in 2022/23); 10

• Fees at the standard home or international rate

• Students can also draw on a Research Training Support Grant, usually up to a maximum of £750 per year

How to apply

Applicants must apply via the Scholarships Application Portal, uploading the following documentation:

• College PhD 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).

• 2 references (where possible your references should include an academic familiar with your work. Both references can be from academics but you may include a work reference, especially if you have been out of academia for more than 5 years).

• Curriculum Vitae (CV) (academic where applicable).

Closing Date: 31st of March 2023 

 

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 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.

For more information contact: Dr Dominic Pasura (Dominic.Pasura@glasgow.ac.uk)