PhD position
Governance of International Research Collaboration
Project & Function
In certain areas of scientific research, major cognitive breakthroughs are stimulated at the intersection of established scientific disciplines and across fundamental and applied technological research, and they are often performed in diverse institutional environments. A preceding research project showed that “heterogeneous research cooperation” across different institutions and organisations in the German research system (mainly universities, Max-Planck-Institutes, Helmholtz Centres, Fraunhofer Institutes) is a constitutive characteristic of emerging fields like nano S&T (the field studied in the project). Heterogeneous cooperation is even more an issue when collaboration is crossing national borders. Here, research actors are confronted with diverse institutional environments and cultures which might have a triggering or retarding impact on effective research. In international collaboration the meso-governance of research becomes a highly complex issue; this holds in particular given the many changes and “reforms” implemented not only in the German but also in various other national research systems. Hence, a central question for the second phase of the project is how increasing international collaboration in public research, particularly in Europe, can be explained and understood from a meso-level institutional perspective that takes into account recent changes in governance structures.
Profile
The ideal candidates hold a master’s degree (or equivalent) in political science, administrative science, sociology, or political economy. You have an interest in/experience with empirical studies on governance issues as well as on scientific research as a social process. You also possess a mix of research skills, good communication skills and fluency in English.
Employment conditions
We offer a very challenging position in an inspiring environment, both the STeHPS department and the DFG-funded group ‘Governance of Research’. As a PhD candidate you will be appointed in a full-time position for a period of four years (38 hours a week), at the end of which you must have completed your PhD thesis. The gross monthly salary for a PhD increases from € 2000 in the first year to € 2612 in the final year (in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities). In addition, the University of Twente offers additional attractive employment conditions. We provide a PhD educational programme within the research school WTMC (Netherlands Graduate School of Science, Technology and Modern Culture).
For more information on this position you can contact Prof. dr. Stefan Kuhlmann, phone: 053-4892627, e-mail: s.kuhlmann@utwente.nl. You can send your application including a full resume (including a list of your education, publications, research, industry and teaching experience), possibly with references, before 30 May 2008 to the University of Twente, School of Management and Governance, Attn: Prof. Dr. P.J.J.M. van Loon, Dean, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, the Netherlands, stating application number 08/135. You can also send your application by email to MBSollicitaties@mb.utwente.nl. For further details relating to this position, see www.mb.utwente.nl/vacatures or http://www.mb.utwente.nl/stehps/about/.
