Call for applications: Four Research Fellowships (100%, 2 years)

Location: Stockholm, Swedish Institute of International Affairs

Closing date: 10 April 2023

The Swedish Institute of International Affairs (UI) is one of Europe’s oldest and most established research institutes, founded in 1938. The institute is politically independent and provides information, analysis and research on international issues.

Successful applicants will pursue their own proposed research projects within the framework of our existing and emerging thematic programmes. Each position is 100% funded for a two-year period. The successful candidates will first and foremost pursue their research plans at an international scientific standard. They will also participate in, and receive support from, the institute’s research environment and the institute’s wider activities

Applicants in this round of recruitments are encouraged to propose projects in the following areas:

• European politics, especially but not limited to European or Euro-Atlantic related security questions (at the Europe Programme).
• Global politics, especially but not limited to geopolitics surrounding the green transition (at the Programme for Global Politics and Security).
• Middle East and North African politics, especially but not limited to geo-economic competition playing out in the region (at the Middle East and North Africa Programme).
• Asian politics, especially but not limited to Indo-Pacific relations (at the Asia Programme).

Each position will be affiliated with one of the institute’s thematic programmes, which are fully described at ui.se.

The positions are part of UI’s Special Research Programme on International Studies (SFP) which is funded by the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs to deepen and broaden Sweden’s knowledge base for foreign policymaking. Candidates with a willingness to engage their research with broader society, through participation in public events, practitioner dialogues, and providing commentary to the news media, are thus especially encouraged to apply.

Qualifications

We are searching for candidates who possess the following qualifications:

• A doctoral degree in a relevant subject area (e.g. political science, international relations or other social sciences). We are primarily looking for early-career scholars at the postdoc level, having finished their degree (or having submitted their PhD dissertation for examination) at the time of application;
• Demonstrated evidence of, and high future potential for, high-quality research regarding relevant theories, methods, and publications in one of the thematic areas outlined above.
• Good analytical skills, good oral presentation and communication skills, and experience with both theory-based research and policy-oriented research;
• Interest in and experience of policy-oriented analysis and popular science communication; and,
• Knowledge of the Swedish language and of Swedish society, which is advantageous but not a requirement.

What we offer

An exciting, international, and professional working environment with good opportunities for personal and professional development. Working hours are flexible. There will be an opportunity to work in a research group with highly motivated colleagues, and working space in Stockholm, one of Europe’s most dynamic and forward-looking capitals. Support for conference participation and scholarly memberships is included in the position, along with pension and insurance through governmental and occupational schemes.

How to apply

Applications must include a letter of intent, a project plan (3 pages max, excluding references), and a CV including both own publications and the names of references we may contact. The project plan should include your project’s purpose, central research questions, understanding of past research, theoretical approaches to be used, methods to be employed, expected outputs, time plan, etc. The applications should be sent to research@ui.se.

The positions are open to highly qualified researchers of all nationalities. UI strives to be a workplace free from discrimination and with equal opportunities for all.

Closing date: 10 April 2023

Selection criteria

Special emphasis will be paid to research acumen demonstrated through merits (peer-reviewed publications, research cooperation; research grants etc.). Your expertise and publications should be clearly relevant for the program to which you apply. Evaluated on the basis of your CV and on research plan submitted, strong emphasis will be made on the quality of the proposed research project. Quality criteria regarding the project include the scholarly and practical relevance of the research topic, the feasibility and rigour of the research design, the publication plan, and the potential for impact. Additional criteria include potential to contribute to academic and public debate, and documented ability to cooperate well with colleagues and fellow researchers. Applicants having received their PhD degree within the past five years, measured from the date of application, will be prioritised.

When making the final assessment, consideration will also be taken to gender balance.

For further information, please contact Jennifer Bergman, research coordinator, jennifer.bergman@ui.se.

Trade union representative is Hedvig Pettersson, hedvig.pettersson@ui.se.