PhD Position in Political Science

The project “Security Externalities of Trade”, funded by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF), has a vacancy for a doctoral researcher (PhD student).

Project description: The large literature on what is known as “commercial peace” expects that increased trade between countries strengthens their peaceful relations. Recent tensions between China and the United States and between Russia and NATO, however, cast some doubt on the literature’s core expectations. This project thus aims to revisit both the theoretical and empirical bases of the commercial peace literature relying on a variety of methods.

Profile: Applicants should have a master’s degree in political science or a related discipline, good methodological skills, and an excellent command of English. The master’s degree needs to be completed prior to the starting date of the position (1 October 2022).

The position: The doctoral researcher is expected to actively contribute to the project and to write a PhD thesis in the project’s thematic area. The successful candidate will benefit from advanced method training and ample opportunities for collaboration early on.

The position is funded for three years, starting on 1 October 2022. The working time is 30 hours per week (75% of full employment). The salary, which includes health and occupational insurance, is in accordance with standard FWF salaries for doctoral candidates (https://www.fwf.ac.at/en/research-funding/personnel-costs). Funds for conference attendance and research travel are available.

How to apply: Please apply to Dr. Yuleng Zeng (yuleng.zeng@plus.ac.at) and submit: a letter of motivation including research interests, a current CV, scans of your university diploma(s) and transcripts, a sample paper, and the names and email addresses of two referees. The deadline for applications is midnight of 25 March 2022.

The University of Salzburg is an equal opportunity employer and particularly encourages applications from qualified women and persons with disabilities.

Informal inquiries may be addressed to Dr. Yuleng Zeng (yuleng.zeng@plus.ac.at) or Prof. Andreas Dür (andreas.duer@plus.ac.at).