2 PhD fellowships in the field of Caspian Studies (Social Sciences/Modern History)

Starting 1 September 2015 or as close to that as possible, for 36 months.  Contact Professor Rick Fawn at caspian@st-andrews.ac.uk. 

In the frame of the Marie Sklodowska Curie Innovative Training Network project Around the Caspian: a Doctoral Training for Future Experts in Development and Cooperation with Focus on the Caspian Region (2015-2019), and funded by the REA of the European Commission in the frame of the Horizon 2020 Programme, The Institute for Middle East, Caucasus and Central Asian Studies (MECACS), School of International Relations, in cooperation with the Institute of Iranian Studies and the School of Modern History at the University of St Andrews, seeks 2 outstanding PhD researchers in the framework of the project ‘Around the Caspian:  a doctoral training for future experts in development and cooperation with focus on the Caspian region' (CASPIAN 2015-19). 

This is an Innovative Training Network (TN) funded by €3.8 million under a Marie Sklodowska Curie scheme of the Research Executive Agency of the European Commission with the goal of training the next generation of experts on the Caspian region.

In addition to MECACS, University of St Andrews, the full partners of this project are Dublin City University; Ghent University (Universiteit Gent); Tallinn University of Technology (Tallinna Tehnikaülikool); Oxford Brookes University; the Centre for Social Studies of the University of Coimbra (Universidade de Coimbra); and the Forschungsstelle Osteuropa Bremen. 

Description
A 36-month, full-time Ph.D. researcher position (subject to a positive mid-term evaluation); a salary in accordance with Marie Curie payment scales and a sufficient research and travel budget. The selected PhD candidates will respectively work on the research projects, and complete a PhD thesis, on:

Topic 1:  Iran's relations with the Caucasus, history, politics and international relations, including oil; Iran's relations with Russia; Iran's historical and political relations (including cultural) with Central Asian littoral states; Iran's historic attitude towards the Caspian, policy towards, energy and fisheries.

Topic 2:  The regional and international interactions of Caspian littoral states or those connected them, extending across the Caucasus and Central Asia, with other international actors, which may be transnational economic or social, nongovernmental, governmental or intergovernmental.

Candidates will partake in and fulfil all appropriate PhD training at the University of St Andrews, including from a range of academics, as well as that of the consortium, and will have their supervision from among Professor Rick Fawn, Professor Ali Ansari and Dr Chris Ogden.

The training component of the fellowships will have four main parts:

1. fulfilment of all requirements of the University of St Andrews for the completion of a PhD;  extensive academic training and will attend regular network events and will have access to a network of universities where to receive complementary training;
2. encouragement to spend a period in one of our non-academic partners for work experience and learn how to use academic skills in a non-academic sector;
3. encouragement to spend a research period in one of our non-EU university partners to gain an alternative vision on the Caspian region.

Eligible candidates should:

• have a Master’s degree in Political Science, Modern History, Sociology, Social Geography, or relevant area studies, completed by the application deadline at the latest;
• have knowledge of and experience with relevant qualitative research methodologies;
• have knowledge of and experience with relevant quantitative research methodologies (such as opinion surveys);
• be organized, field-oriented, and able to work and manage research independently;
• have excellent knowledge of and writing skills in English, and functional knowledge of one relevant regional language (such as Russian, Persian, or a relevant, indigenous language of the Caucasus or Central Asia);
• be able to cope maturely with hardships, practical problems and unforeseen circumstances that may emerge during the research and on the research locations in general;
• be prepared to travel often, including both for relevant training, an internship and fieldwork;
• familiarity with, and previous field experience in, the wider Caspian region is desirable, which is defined broadly to include a country or countries engaged with the Caspian basis and/or international actors with interests in that region.

Please note under EU terms applicants 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 a research position, but for a total of less than 48 months);
• not have resided or carried out his/her main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the host organisation for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the deadline for submission of proposals. Compulsory national service and/or short stays such as holidays are not taken into account. As far as international European interest organisations or international organisations are concerned, this rule does not apply to the hosting of the eligible researcher. However, the appointed researcher must not have spent more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the deadline for submission of proposals in the same appointing organisation
• not have been resident or carried out activities in the United Kingdom for more than 12 months in the past three years prior to the recruitment date.

The application must be in English and the application should contain the following items:

1. a letter of application outlining the candidate’s interest and, if applicable, experience in the Caspian region;
2. a detailed CV including, if applicable, a list of relevant publications;
3. a title and a 500-word project proposal on one of the topics mentioned above;
4. the names and contact details of three references

Given the expected high number of applications, we regret that we are unable to comment on draft applications.

For more information on the type of research conducted in the MECACS and the Institute of Iranian Studies please see:  http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/intrel/mecacs/ and http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/~iranian/index.html.

For more information on the Marie Sklodowska Curie Research Fellowship Programme, please see:  http://ec.europa.eu/research/mariecurieactions/. 

The University of St Andrews is committed to promoting equality of opportunity for all, which is further demonstrated through its working on the Gender and Race Equality Charters and being awarded the Athena SWAN award for women in science, HR Excellence in Research Award and the LGBT Charter;  http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/hr/edi/diversityawards/. 

Interview Date: 2 or 3 April 2015 by Skype

Please quote ref:  SB1624

Closing Date:  9 March 2015

Further Particulars: SB1624AR FPs.pdf  

School of International Relations
Salary: £23,386 per annum (subject to exchange rates)
Start: 1 September 2015 or as soon as possible thereafter
Fixed term for 3 years