Fully funded PhD Studentship – Science and Religion in Society
Applications are invited for one fully-funded PhD
Studentship for three years (full-time) for UK or EU students within the Centre
for Science, Knowledge, and Belief in Society, at Newman University. CSKBS is a
multidisciplinary Research Centre whose work spans a diverse range of
disciplines including social sciences, history, philosophy, and psychology. The
Studentship includes a subsistence grant in line with the recommendations of
the UK research Councils (currently £14,057 p.a. for 2015-16) with all fees
paid.
The successful candidate will also be eligible for an
hourly paid research assistant role within the broader multidisciplinary
Science and Religion: Exploring the Spectrum project team. This will be
designed to allow the successful candidate to develop a range of research
skills. This work is paid over and above the subsistence grant.
In addition, dependent on the successful submission of a
PhD thesis within three years of commencement, the university will offer a
one-year postdoctoral follow-on research position to the successful PhD
candidate. This is designed to enable successful PhD students to be retained
and develop further as an early career professional in this field of research.
This is therefore 3+1 year PhD-to-post-doctoral role.
We welcome applications with proposals for PhD research
projects in distinct and multidisciplinary areas related to the wider project’s
research themes. We will be happy to discuss project ideas that focus on
contemporary debates surrounding ‘science and religion’, particularly in the
following areas:
Social Sciences and/or Humanities approaches to media,
social media and public space discourse surrounding evolutionary science and
religion, spirituality or belief. This could among other areas focus on
specific organisations, groups or communities or be undertaken at a broader
societal level. The candidate should have a background in a relevant area of
social sciences or humanities including the social studies of science, and/or
of religion, science technology studies, science communication, media studies,
anthropology or a field related to sociology.
Quantitative or mixed methods approaches to public
perceptions and attitudes concerning the relationship between science and
faith. This studentship will link into a strand of research with a focus on
developing and commissioning a representative quantitative polling of public
attitudes to provide a more in-depth understanding of public perceptions of the
relationship between evolutionary science and belief in Canada and the The
candidate should have a background in a relevant discipline, e.g. social
science or human geography, with good quantitative data analysis skills.
Science and Religion: Exploring the Spectrum project:
This innovative and unique research project currently
employs 15 people working across four intersecting approaches: qualitative
social science field research; oral history, historical and media discourse
analysis; social psychology experimental research; and a large scale
quantitative survey of public perceptions, attitudes and identity formation in
the UK and Canada. Newman University lead this 3-year research project funded
by the Templeton Religion Trust in partnership with York University (Canada)
and National Life Stories at the British Library and British Science
Association. The research team is led by Principal Investigators Dr Fern
Elsdon-Baker (Newman) and Prof. Bernard Lightman (York, Canada), and
Co-Investigator Dr Carola Leicht (University of Kent).
More details about the project and the research team can
be found here: http://www.sciencereligionspectrum.org.
Research project related questions can be directed to Dr
Fern Elsdon-Baker F.Elsdon-Baker@staff.newman.ac.uk.
Applicants are expected to possess a Master’s Degree with
Distinction, or with Merit including a Distinction in the Dissertation, from a
UK University, or an equivalent qualification.
Alongside the standard application form candidates for
this PhD Studentship are asked in the first instance to submit a research
project proposal (between 3000-4000 words) highlighting how their PhD project
will contribute through an open minded approach to the wider understanding of a
perceived clash between science and religion.
The key criteria for selection and appointment will be:
Record of academic excellence of the candidate;
Availability of supervisory expertise and capacity; Quality of project
proposal; Research skills and training; Further information and the application
form are available on: http://www.newman.ac.uk/studentships/867?1=o.
Newman University supports world-leading and
internationally recognised research across a broad range of disciplines. Please
note that Newman University offers its PhDs in partnership with Liverpool Hope
University (who are the awarding institution), by whose regulations successful
applicants will be bound: http://www.hope.ac.uk/research/postgraduateresearch/.
Timescale
Deadline for applications: Friday 23 October 2015
Interviews: week commencing Monday 2 November 2015
Commencement of Studentship: Monday 1 February 2016