Deadline: 10 March 2015
Open to: candidates of any nationality with less than 4 years research experience after their Master studies
Scholarship: recruitment and training of each researcher for up to three years (employment contract, monthly living allowance, social security cover, a mobility and family allowance)
Description
The Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions, named after the double Nobel Prize winning Polish-French scientist famed for her work on radioactivity, support researchers at all stages of their careers, irrespective of nationality. Researchers working across all disciplines, from life-saving healthcare to ‘blue-sky’ science, are eligible for funding. The MSCA also support industrial doctorates, combining academic research study with work in companies, and other innovative training that enhances employability and career development.
In addition to generous research funding, scientists have the possibility to gain experience abroad and in the private sector, and to complete their training with competences or disciplines useful for their careers. More information about various funding schemes and requirements for applying is available HERE.
The project Around the Caspian: a doctoral training for future experts in development and cooperation with focus on the Caspian region (CASPIAN 2015-19) is an Innovative Training Network that has received €3.8 million under a Marie Sklodowska Curie scheme funded by the Research Executive Agency of the European Commission with the goal of training the next generation of experts on the Caspian region. The full partners of this project are Dublin City University, Ghent University (Universiteit Gent), Tallinn University of Technology (Tallinna Tehnikaülikool), Oxford Brookes University, University of Saint Andrews, Centre for Social Studies of the University of Coimbra (Universidade de Coimbra) and the Forschungsstelle Osteuropa Bremen.
There are fifteen 36-month, full-time PhD researcher positions (subject to a positive mid-term evaluation) available at the participating universities. The Department of International Relations, at the Tallinn School of Economics and Business Administration is looking for perspective candidates with a background in economics/social sciences and with an interest in the Caspian region (Russia, Caucasus, Central Asia, Iran). Ideally, they should know one of the regional languages but willingness to learn it as part of their fellowship is also acceptable. Two fellowships are available for this year:
- Topic 1: The Politics of Welfare, Poverty and Inequality in Central Asia and the Caucasus: intended to critically engage with Western-based definitions of welfare and social policies to discuss whether current models of welfare and neoliberal approaches can be imported to the region or if new approaches, which offer a nuance of existing theory, show an alternative way of conceiving social policies in the region.
- Topic 2: Making Business around Caspian: Foreign investors between formal and informal challenges and opportunities: will explore different strategies and modes to understand marketing, business, investment and risk in the Caspian region. Traditional approaches from economics and political science see dysfunctions of the system (corruption, lack of rule of law) as temporary and their eradication as necessary for a healthy business environment in the region. The selected fellow will be requested to challenge this model by exploring possible alternative value systems and factors that may help investors, policy makers and development workers to better understand the local reality.
The training will have three main components:
- Academic training: the students will have to undergo an extensive academic training. Based at Tallinn University of Technology they will attend regular network events and will have access to a network of excellent universities where to receive complementary training;
- Private sector training: in the course of their fellowship, the fellows will have the chance to spend a period in one of our partners to get a work experience and learn how to use academic skills for non academic sectors;
- Worldwide vision on the Caspian region: fellows will be encouraged to spend a research period in one of the non-EU university to gain an alternative, and non-Eurocentric, vision on the Caspian region.
Who can apply?
Candidates of any nationality and residence are eligible to apply as long as they meet the following criteria:
Minimal qualifications: candidates must be eligible for doctoral studies in Estonia and have a Master in a relevant topic completed by Spring 2015;
Maximum seniority allowed: candidates must have less than 4 years (full-time equivalent) of research experience after their Master’s degree. This means that, from the moment they have completed their Master’s, they may have held research position but for a total of less than 48 months;
Mobility clause: candidates must not have been resident or carried out activities in Estonia for more than 12 months in the past three years.
Scholarship
A salary in accordance with Marie Curie payment scales and a sufficient research and travel budget is provided. Find more information on the funding HERE.
How to apply?
To apply send an application package containing:
- Cover letter;
- Academic CV;
- Project proposal;
- Name and contact of three referees who can comment on the applicant capacities and abilities (please inform them that, if you are shortlisted, we might contact them asking for a reference).
All the documents, as well as any questions regarding the fellowship, should be addressed to: marie.curie.management@gmail.com. Deadline for applications is: 10 March 2015.
Find the official call HERE.