Doctoral Degree Scholarships in History, Stockholm University, Sweden

Expires on: 03/15/2024

Description

The Department of History at Stockholm University is one of the larger departments within the Faculty of Humanities with about 70 employees. The Department has about 15 active PhD students. There are several different fields of research within the Department.

The Department invites applications for one PhD student positions in history within the research project “Adaptations to climate change in the northern Baltic region ca 1500–1900”. The PhD student shall work on the sub-project that examines the effect of climate change on winter transportation and adaptations to it in the early modern Swedish Realm. The PhD thesis will preferably consist of four studies.

Two studies shall be developed by the doctoral student herself/himself, the topics for which can be freely decided, while the two other topics have already been largely determined and have the working titles “The effects of mild winters on production capacity in forestry and mining” and “The impact of seasonal weather variability on connectivity and transportation across the Baltic Sea”.

However, the PhD student is free to further develop them thematically at her/his own discretion. Read more about the project on: www.su.se/research/research-projects/adaptations-to-climate-change-in-the-northern-baltic-region-ca-1500-1900.

Eligibility 

In order to meet the general entry requirements, the applicant must have completed a second-cycle degree, completed courses equivalent to at least 240 higher education credits, of which 60 credits must be in the second cycle, or have otherwise acquired equivalent knowledge in Sweden or elsewhere.

In order to meet the specific entry requirements, the general syllabus for doctoral studies in the field stipulates that applicants must have received a passing grade on second-cycle courses worth at least 30 credits, including a degree project worth at least 15 credits.

The qualification requirements must be met by the deadline for applications.

Selection criteria 

The selection among the eligible candidates will be based on their capacity to benefit from the training and the suitability for the research project in question. The following criteria will be used to assess this capacity:

Qualifications

• Assessment of the depth and breadth of the applicant’s previous education.
• Academic production. On the basis of the applicant’s degree projects from the first and second cycle and, where applicable, other written scholarly production, the applicant’s capacity to benefit from the training is assessed according to the following criteria: critical ability; analytical skills; creativity; independence. The assessment will also consider the time aspect, i.e. to what extent the applicant has demonstrated the ability to complete previous academic projects within specified time limits. In addition, based on a comparison of the academic works, an assessment is made of the applicant’s academic development.
•  Research proposal (maximum 6 pages). In connection with the application, the applicant must briefly outline the planned PhD thesis work within the framework of the project’s overall theme, which is the effect of climate change on winter transportation and adaptations to it in the early modern Swedish Realm. The research plan should preferably focus on the two studies that the PhD student shall develop independently within the framework of the project’s overall theme. The research proposal should outline the implementation of the research. The research proposal will be assessed on the basis of: relevance; originality; potential for completion within the specified time limits (i.e. a period equivalent to four years of full-time study).
• Ability to collaborate. The applicant’s interpersonal skills are assessed on the basis of references, certificates, interviews, etc.

In addition, it is particularly desirable for the current PhD student position to have experience of working with quantitative methods, and/or have previous education in such methods, as well as documented knowledge in reading early modern Swedish handwritten documents.

Application

Apply for the PhD student position at Stockholm University’s recruitment system. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the application is complete in accordance with the instructions in the advertisement, and that it is submitted before the deadline.

Please include the following information with your application

1.  Your contact details and personal data
2. Your highest degree
3. Your language skills

and, in addition, please include the following documents

1. Cover letter (no more than 1 page)
2.  CV – degrees and other completed courses, work experience and a list of degree projects/theses
3.  Research proposal of maximum 6 pages (font size 12 pt, line spacing 1.5)
4.  Degree certificates and grades confirming that you meet the general and specific entry requirements (no more than 6 files)
5.  Degree projects/theses (no more than 6 files): a) Bachelor / C thesis; b) Master thesis at the advanced level, or D thesis; c) Information on how much actual study time has been spent on the essays / thesis work (upload as a separate document).