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PhD Projects 2013-2014

The School of Geography, Archaeology & Palaeoecology (GAP) at Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) invites applications from suitably qualified students for the following two fully-funded (3 years UK fees and maintenance) projects. The first project is funded by an Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Collaborative Doctoral Award PhD studentship (closing date 10th July 2013), for start on the 1st October 2013.

The second award is offered by by QUB as part of the successful application to the ESRC to fund the Northern Ireland Longitudinal Study Research Support Unit (NILS-RSU) from 2012 to 2017. There will be two awards associated with this project, these will be focused around the general theme of ‘Northern Ireland in Transition 1991-2011’. The first of these two awards is now advertised, with a closing date of the 16th September 2013 and a start date on the 1st December 2013. The second of these awards will be advertised later in 2013. Further details of both these projects may be found further down this page.

 

Fully funded AHRC PhD Studentship

Closing date: Wed 10th July 2013

From Garrison to Atlantic Port: material culture, conflict & identity in early modern Carrickfergus
Supervisors: Prof. Audrey Horning (QUB) and Sinéad McCartan (National Museums Northern Ireland)

The project will exploit a legacy collection in the Ulster Museum derived from 5 years of excavations in the County Antrim port town of Carrickfergus conducted 1972-79. The significance of the collection lies in the turbulent history of Ireland in the 16th & 17th centuries; the implications of the extension of British control over Ireland; & its relation to British Atlantic expansion. The project will employ the artefactual & archival record from Carrickfergus to address the material expression of cultural change & continuity in late medieval & plantation-era Ulster, as well as the role of Carrickfergus in the burgeoning Atlantic economy. The successful candidate will have an interest in material culture and through the partnership with NMNI, will be trained in contemporary museum practice, collections care, and exhibit design.

AHRC studentships are open to UK and EU students who meet the residency requirements set out by the AHRC. Please see the AHRC Guide to Student Eligibility for full details. The studentship, which will support three years of full-time study, is funded through the AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Partnership Scheme, and includes the standard stipend (£13,726 for 2013/14), while the Ulster Museum will contribute up to £1000 pa to cover travel and related costs in addition to the £550 provided by the AHRC for that purpose. Applicants should have at least a 2.1 honours degree in a relevant subject and should normally have completed or be about to complete an appropriate Masters level qualification.The project is expected to start on 1 October 2013.

Download project description (pdf)

Online application is available via Queen’s University postgraduate applications portal.

The application process for this studentship involves submitting, via Queen’s University postgraduate application portal, a written research proposal (1000 words, in applicant’s own words), together with a CV and covering letter, all of which must be uploaded via the portal as a single document. The short proposal must be written by the applicant (i.e. not a verbatim copy of the project proposal document) and must demonstrate the applicant's knowledge and understanding of the proposed project. The covering letter must map students’ own experience/education/interests onto the specific project. As well as these two key documents, other standard applicant details, such as educational qualifications, transcripts, references, etc also need to be uploaded via the QUB portal. Applicants should read the university postgraduate application guidelines carefully.

Prospective applicants should discuss their applications with the project supervisor Professor Audrey Horning (a.horning@qub.ac.uk) before submitting their application and also must be prepared to attend an interview held in the School of Geography, Archaeology & Palaeoecology at Queen’s University after shortlisting.

The process:

  • Once your application is submitted online, it will be processed by the School.
  • Any incomplete applications will not be eligible. Please ensure you have supplied all the relevant documents and that you have identified two referees. Note: referees MUST NOT be your supervisor(s).
  • Your application will be ranked by the School’s Postgraduate Research Committee (SPRC). 
  • The highest scoring applicants will then be invited for interview at the School – this will occur in July/August. The interview will consist of a brief 10-minute presentation to the panel by the applicant on their proposal, and then questions by the panel members will follow.
  • Interviewees are scored on their performance and the highest scoring interviewees will be ranked. 
  • Successful applicants should know the outcome of this process by the end of August 2013. Please note that competition for PhD funding is highly competitive.
  • If you have any procedural questions do please contact the Postgraduate (Research) Coordinator for the School: Dr Nicki Whitehouse (n.whitehouse@qub.ac.uk). If you have any questions about specific projects do please contact the relevant supervisor(s).

 

Northern Ireland in Transition 1991-2011: Two fully-funded PhD studentships

Closing date: Mon 16th September 2013

Background

Two fully-funded PhD studentships are to be offered by QUB as part of the successful application to the ESRC to fund the Northern Ireland Longitudinal Study Research Support Unit (NILS-RSU) from 2012 to 2017. These will be focused around the general theme of ‘Northern Ireland in Transition 1991-2011’. This is a key part of the research and dissemination agenda described in the application. The first of the studentships is planned to start in late 2013 and will be based on the linkage of 2011 and 2001 Census data to the Northern Ireland Longitudinal Study (NILS). The other, to commence in late 2014, will take advantage of the full linkage of the 1991 Census data to the NILS.

The Data

The NILS is a large-scale longitudinal data linkage study. It covers 28% of the Northern Ireland population (based on a sample of 104/365 birthdates drawn from health cards) and has approximately 500,000 members. It is a powerful resource for health, social, demographic and labour market research through time and can be used for finely-grained spatial analysis given its sample size. The linkage of 2011 Census data to the NILS will be completed in Autumn 2013 with the linkage of the 1991 Census data finalised by Autumn 2014. Full details of the resource, its uses to date, and the routes to accessing it are available from the following website (http://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/NILSResearchSupportUnit/).

The Application Process

The two studentships are planned to complement each other within a wider programme of research on change in Northern Ireland 1991-2011 that is being developed within the newly-established QUB Institute for Conflict Transformation and Social Justice . Applications for the first studentship, to commence in 2013, are invited from suitably qualified candidates with strong quantitative backgrounds from any social science discipline (for example, Human Geography, Sociology, Politics, and Public Health/Epidemiology).

Applications should demonstrate an awareness of the research potential of longitudinal data, an understanding of suitable analytical approaches and statistical methods, and an awareness of how the NILS can be used to address the proposed research topic. In more detail, applications should contain the following elements:

  1. A CV detailing qualifications and experience.
  2. A 1000-word (maximum) statement that sets out the research question(s) and places it in its context, demonstrating an understanding of relevant literature.
  3. A section on how data from the NILS can be used to deal with the research question(s).
  4. A section outlining the likely methods to be used for analysis.
  5. An outline of the expected timetable (including outputs) for the project.


Applicants should complete the online application form available via Queen’s University postgraduate applications portal. In addition to personal details, you will be asked to provide details about your academic history, transcripts and referees. Please also upload the CV, research statement, data and methods statements and timetable as a single document attachment to the application.

The closing date for applications is 16th September 2013, with interviews to take place within a month of this date. Dr Ian Shuttleworth (i.shuttleworth@qub.ac.uk), who will be the main supervisor, is available to answer informal queries. His research interests include residential segregation, labour market change, political demography, and migration at various spatial scales.

Suggested possible research topics include:

  • The demographic bases of national identity (for example, what was the background of those in 2001 who declared themselves to be Northern Irish in the 2011 Census?);
  • Young people and social disadvantage (for example, how did those young people aged 18-24 in 2001 with no qualifications fare by 2011?);
  • Population dynamics and changing residential segregation (for example, how far was migration important in shaping the demographic profile of small areas in comparison with differentials in births and deaths);
  • Occupational and labour market transitions between 2001 and 2011

This topic list is by no means exhaustive and applicants are therefore encouraged to develop their own ideas in consultation with Dr Shuttleworth and the staff of the NILS-RSU (nils-rsu@qub.ac.uk). Suitable second supervisors will be selected from relevant academic staff in QUB according to the research topics identified by the successful candidates.