Online:
http://www.scholarshipportal.eu/

Department of Political and Social Sciences
Call for Applications to the PhD Programme
(Successful candidates are offered funding for up to four years)

The Department of Social and Political Sciences of the European University Institute (Fiesole/Florence) invites applications for its PhD Programme. The Department specializes in comparative politics, comparative sociology, international relations, political behaviour and social and political theory, and was recently listed as the top-ranking political science department in Europe.

The Department has good working relations in teaching and research with the EUI Departments of Law, History and Economics and the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, and is at the centre of extensive international networks. It hosts a number of large, collaborative projects financed by the European Commission Framework programmes or other external sources. The main working language is English, although theses can be written in the other principal languages of the European Union.

The European University Institute is one of the world’s leading academic institutions for postgraduate study in the political and social sciences. Located in the hills overlooking Florence, it is distinguished by its unique international nature and strong European focus. It was founded in 1972 by the European Community Member States to provide advanced academic training to PhD students and to promote research at the highest level. The SPS Department currently has fifteen full-time professors from all parts of Europe. PhD Research and Training

The Department’s four-year doctoral programme puts a strong emphasis on the theoretical and methodological tools required for PhD research. In the first year there is a common core course on approaches and methods in the social sciences. Additional courses in both quantitative and qualitative methods are also available. A wide range of seminars and workshops is offered in substantial fields, many of them linked to the current research interests in the Department, while others are interdisciplinary and offered jointly with other departments in the Institute. Further intensive courses and workshops are offered as needed and funding is available for the summer schools run by the ECPR, the ECSR, and other organizations. Colloquia organized by professors with their supervisees provide spaces for discussion of research design and problems.

PhD researchers benefit from an excellent library which also includes a wide range of electronic resources. Language training is provided by the EUI Language Centre. Funding is available from the Department for PhD researchers to undertake trips for field work or archival research, and to participate in summer schools and conferences.

The Department hosts some twenty or more visiting and postdoctoral scholars each year, whose work is linked to that of the professors. They are available for consultation by PhD researchers, and normally present guest seminars based on their current research. The Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies is a research centre within the EUI, and professors and students in the SPS Department are fully involved in its programme of seminars and workshops

Scholarships
Each year up to 40 citizens of EU Member States, Norway and Switzerland, as well as a small number from elsewhere, are admitted to the PhD programme of the SPS Department and funded for four years (subject to satisfactory progress). The basic monthly stipend is around €1200, depending on the country. Some scholarships are available to citizens of non-EU states, under the Central and Eastern Europe, South-East Europe, Mediterranean and Latin American programmes. The basic entry requirements are a Masters’ degree in a relevant subject and language skills appropriate to the proposed programme of study. The closing date for applications for the coming academic year is 31 January 2011.

Faculty (and their previous affiliations)
Rainer Bauböck (Austrian Academy of Sciences)
Fabrizio Bernardi (UNED, Madrid)
László Bruszt (Central European University, Budapest)
Pepper Culpepper (Harvard Kennedy School of Government)
Donatella Della Porta (Università degli Studi di Firenze)
Adrienne Héritier (Max Planck Institut, Bonn)
Martin Kohli (Freie Universität Berlin)
Peter Mair (Universiteit Leiden)
Christian Reus-Smit (Australian National University, Canberra)
Olivier Roy (Ecole des Hautes Etudes des Sciences Sociales, Paris)
Sven Steinmo (University of Colorado)
Alexander Trechsel (Université de Genève)
Pascal Vennesson (Université Panthéon-Assas, Paris II)

For more detailed information about the European University Institute and about how to apply, go to http://www.eui.eu/Servac/Postgraduate/
Inquiries about administrative and procedural matters may be addressed to applyres@eui.eu
Please do not contact faculty members directly. The general policy of the EUI departments is not to offer individual guidance and advice on project proposals. Prospective applicants are requested to consult the department’s web pages where research themes are listed.

Bremen International Graduate School of Social Sciences (BIGSSS),
Bremen, 01.09.2012-31.08.2015
Bewerbungsschluss: 15.03.2012

The Bremen International Graduate School of Social Sciences (BIGSSS) invites applications to its Ph.D. program. BIGSSS is an inter-university institute of the University of Bremen and Jacobs University Bremen and is funded by the German Excellence Initiative. The program provides close supervision of dissertation work within a demand-tailored education and research framework. Fellows are expected to choose Bremen as their place of residence. BIGSSS is part of an international network of highly acknowledged graduate programs. It supports its doctoral and postdoctoral fellows in achieving early scientific independence and provides funds for the conduct, presentation, and publishing of their research. The language of instruction is English.

Successful applicants for the Ph.D. and Predoctoral Fellowships will pursue a topic in one or more of BIGSSS' three Thematic Fields:
- Global Governance and Regional Integration
- Welfare State, Inequality, and Quality of Life
- Changing Lives in Changing Socio-Cultural Contexts

1)
15 Ph.D. Stipends/Fellowships
BIGSSS seeks candidates with strong academic abilities and a Master's degree (or equivalent) in political science, sociology, or psychology. Applicants with a degree in law, economics, or other social science disciplines are also welcome. We offer Ph.D. stipends of EUR 1.250/month for 36 months, contingent on successful completion of each year.

2)
2 Predoctoral Fellowships for BA Graduates
Additionally, BIGSSS offers 2 stipends of EUR 850/month for particularly talented BA graduates. After fulfilling some course requirements and having their proposals accepted within the first year, candidates can switch into the regular three year program.

More information as well as lists of required application materials can be found at http://www.bigsss-bremen.de. For additional inquiries, please check the online FAQ and feel free to contact our admissions officer at admissions-officer@bigsss-bremen.de.

Ph.D. fellowships will start on September 1, 2012. Non-German students are strongly encouraged to apply. BIGSSS strives to increase the share of women in the university and hence also strongly encourages women to apply. Applicants with disabilities who are equally qualified will be favored. Applications must be submitted online under "Admissions" at http://www.bigsss-bremen.de until March 15, 2012.

MPIfG Doctoral Fellowships at the IMPRS-SPCE – Call for Applications 2012

The International Max Planck Research School on the Social and Political Constitution of the Economy (IMPRS-SPCE) is operated jointly by the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies and the University of Cologne. It invites suitable candidates to apply for up to seven doctoral fellowships in economic sociology and political economy.

Applicants must hold a Diplom or a Masters degree in political science, sociology, organization studies or related fields. Degrees must be received by September 2012. Fellowships will start on October 1, 2012, and will be awarded for 15 months with the option of two additional years. Working languages at the Research School are English and German. The deadline for applications is March 15, 2012.

Doctoral fellows will participate in a graduate school program including courses and summer school sessions and contribute to the intellectual life of the Institute and the University.

Doctoral degrees are awarded by the University of Cologne. In addition, students at the IMPRS-SPCE may acquire a French doctorate by entering a joint doctoral program with Sciences Po in Paris (Co-tutelle).

For more information see the MPIfG website, where the application forms can be found.
http://imprs.mpifg.de/