Trajectories of Change PhD Scholarships in Humanities and Social Sciences 2018 – Germany

“Trajectories of Change” addresses historical and current transformation processes in the European neighbourhood. The programme offers stipends and fieldwork grants for Ph.D. students in the humanities and social sciences studying political and social change in Eastern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East as well as Central Asia.

Application Deadline: 31st July 2018

Eligible Countries: Europe, Central Asia and MENA Countries

About the Award: The scholarship programme “Trajectories of Change” addresses historical and current transformation processes in the European neighbourhood. It offers stipends and fieldwork grants for Ph.D. students in the humanities and social sciences. For 2018, research applications dealing with transnational and regional dynamics of transformation are especially welcome.

We encourage applications for the following topics, but will also consider other approaches:

• geography, space and borders in the European neighbourhood
• sovereignty and law in a transnational and regional context
• state and non-state actors as agents of change
• international and regional actors and their influence on change
• diaspora politics
• migration, economic development and investment strategies as consequences of and contributing factors for change
• negotiation processes and conflict resolution
• transnational diffusion of ideas

Type: PhD

Eligibility: 

• The programme seeks to support young researchers in the social sciences and humanities in contributing novel insights into trajectories of change.
• Both empirical research based on intensive fieldwork and projects centred on theoretical reflection are eligible for support. Innovative and challenging research questions as well as comparative approaches are highly welcome.
• The applicant must have obtained a university degree that qualifies him or her for Ph.D. studies. Proof of this qualification must be submitted together with the application.
• Students applying for the pre-doctoral grants should expect to complete their degree in the same year.
• The program is aimed exclusively at graduates who in the course of their studies have shown above-average academic aptitude and whose research project promises to yield independent and new findings.
• The Foundation reserves the right to admit qualified applicants who have other sources of income to the program without granting them a full scholarship to cover their living costs.

Selection Criteria: Scholarships are granted by the Board of Directors of the ZEIT-Stiftung on the basis of the application submitted by the candidate. The ZEIT-Stiftung reserves the right to instate a selection committee or obtain an additional external expert’s opinion on the research project. No applicant may claim automatic entitlement to a scholarship.

Number of Awards: Not Specified

Value of Award: The Programme offers stipends and fieldwork grants for Ph.D. students in the humanities and social sciences

How to Apply: The application must be submitted in English on the appropriate online form provided by the ZEITStiftung before the deadline. It must contain a research proposal (for doctoral students: max. 7 pages, for pre-doctoral candidates: 3-5 pages, references excluded, 1.5 spacing, 12 point font) outlining the dissertation project, a research plan with the time schedule (max. 2 pages), a copy of the university degree, the curriculum vitae as well as a photo. Two letters of reference by university professors should be submitted through the electronic system provided by the Foundation. For the PreDoctoral Research Grants and the Fieldwork Grants the Foundation requests also an individual budget plan.

Visit Programme Webpage for Details

Award Providers:  ZEIT-Stiftung