Deadline: 10 May 2018
Open to: Eurasia Programme  target countries mentioned  below
Scholarship: fully funded

Description

The University of Tartu (Estonia) announces a call for applications for doctoral candidates and PhD-holding academics in the Social Sciences for a five-month fellowship at the Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies, supported by the Eurasia Programme of the Open Society Foundations. The purpose of the fellowship programme is to enable scholars from the target countries to develop analytical and research skills and build international networks.

Eligibility

• Applicants must be a citizen of one of the Eurasia Programme target countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine or Uzbekistan) and be permanently residing in one of these countries;
• Applicants for the doctoral fellowship must be doctoral students enrolled in a PhD programme* in the Social Sciences (preferably in Political Science or International Relations) at an institution of higher education in one of the programme countries (for at least one year at the time of applying);
• Applicants for the postdoctoral fellowship must be young scholars who have been awarded a PhD (or candidate degree)* in the Social Sciences (preferably in Political Science or International Relations or a closely related field) during a period of six years preceding the application deadline;
• Applicants should have a very good command of English (be able to follow lectures and write academic or policy papers in English);
• Preference will be given to individuals whose work has potential to make a significant contribution to the public interest and to building open societies, as well as to individuals who face the risk of isolation or marginalization in their home country. Individuals who have already spent considerable time in the EU or North America, and have extensively benefited from comparable fellowship programs, will, as a rule, not be selected for support.

*For the purposes of this programme, a candidate degree (kandidatskaya) awarded in several Eurasian countries is considered to be an equivalent of a doctoral degree awarded in the Western system. Thus, the definition of a doctoral candidate includes those working towards their candidate degree.

Scholarship

The fellows are supported by a grant from the OSF Eurasia programme, administered by the University of Tartu. The grant covers travel, visa, accommodation, health insurance and living costs during the fellowship period. Specifically, the PhD candidate will receive a monthly scholarship of 1200 EUR , while the Post-Doctoral Fellow will receive a net salary of 1500 EUR per month.

The fellows are expected to cover accommodation and living costs from the monthly income specified above. The host institution will provide assistance in arranging suitable accommodation (options include single room in a modern dormitory or hostel, or a small rental apartment).

Additionally, expenses for one-time roundtrip travel to Tartu will be covered along with relevant visa and insurance fees. Air tickets will be arranged and covered directly by the University of Tartu. Visa and insurance fees must initially be incurred by the Fellow but will be reimbursed upon the Fellow’s arrival to Tartu. In addition, limited funding will be available for professional travel in the region (e.g. attending a conference outside of Estonia during the fellowship period).

How to Apply?

Applicants for the doctoral fellowship must submit the following documents:

• completed application form;
• a cover letter, explaining the candidate’s motivation for  applying (max 1 page);
• description of the research project to be undertaken during the fellowship period (max 3 pages), detailing the objectives and relevance of the project, main research questions, theoretical and empirical approaches and data used. Please indicate what the concrete research output will be (academic article, chapter of a dissertation or a book; policy paper, etc.). Feel free to indicate what kind of assistance and advice you need with this project;
• CV detailing education, professional experience, and any publications;
• official letter from home university proving enrollment in a PhD programme, together with an academic transcript (if applicable) detailing coursework completed;
• copy of the identification pages of the applicant’s passport.

Applicants for the post-doctoral fellowship must submit the following documents:

• completed application form;
• a cover letter, explaining the candidate’s motivation for  applying (max 1 page);
• description of the research project to be undertaken during the fellowship period (max 3 pages), detailing the objectives and relevance of the project, main research questions, theoretical and empirical approaches and data used. Please indicate what the concrete research output will be (academic article, chapter of a dissertation or a book; policy paper, etc.). Feel free to indicate what kind of assistance and advice you need with this project;
• CV detailing education, professional experience, and any publications;
• copy of PhD (or candidate degree) diploma and academic transcript (if applicable) detailing coursework completed;
• copy of the identification pages of the applicant’s passport.

For more information please read the open call.

For more information please visit the official website.