Doctoral Research Fellow; Divine), Department Of Government

Please note (MSCA mobility and qualification stipulations)

Applicants must comply with the MSCA Doctoral Networks mobility requirements: must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the UK for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before their recruitment date; eligibility will be checked during recruitment.

In addition, applicants should not already possess a doctoral level research degree (PhD), as part of the rules of the grant.

Applicants who cannot meet these requirements should not apply.

DIViNE - Democratic Institutions and Violence Network in Europe, Doctoral Network HORIZON-MSCA

The DIViNE Marie Curie Doctoral Training Network is looking to hire two PhD researchers, to join a group of 11 studies across the nodes of the network. Further information on DIViNE can be found at .

DIVINE has two main ambitions: (1) to advance scientific understanding of how and why political violence persists, transforms, or is contained within democracies; and (2) to train a new generation of cross-disciplinary, multi-method scholars, capable of producing world-leading research that is scientifically rigorous and relevant to policy and stakeholders. DIViNE organizes the research around four research themes that address the overarching question from complementary temporal, institutional and analytical perspectives.

1. Conflict inheritance and legacies in democracies. How does historical violence, patterns of repression, and transitional compromises shape contemporary political behavior and institutional functioning.
2. Democratization and conflict resolution. How do reforms enacted during democratic transitions (transitional justice mechanisms, decentralization, land and territorial reform, constitutional redesign, power-sharing) influence incentives for violence and reconciliation.
3. Dynamics of support for violent movements and responses. What are the micro-foundations of public support for, and tolerance of, state and non-state political violence, including how violent organizations and state actors cultivate legitimacy.
4. Democratic resilience and violent stress. How can institutional design, public policy, and civil society enhance democratic resilience, focusing on securitization dynamics, militarization, and institutional responses that either constrain or exacerbate violence.

Doctoral Candidate (DC) Research Themes

DC1 – Historical Legacies of Violence and Democratic Institutions

DC2 – Exogenous Shocks, Violent Legacies, and Democratic Resilience

DC3 – Endogenous Persistence of Violence after Democratization

DC4 – The Unintended Consequences of Democratic Reforms

DC5 – Institutional Reform, Violence, and Democratic Consolidation

DC6 – Security Externalities and Post-Conflict Democratization

DC7 – Public Support for Political Violence in Advanced Democracies

DC8 – Militarization, Public Support, and Democratic Erosion in Latin America

DC9 – Democratic Decline, Political Violence, and Cycles of Repression

DC10 – Recruitment Dynamics and Behavioral Output of Violent Organizations
Faculty and Partners

Qualifications and Skills required

You should hold an MA/MSC level degree in political science, or equivalent professional experience or practice sufficient to be admitted to a PhD programme. You must be able to demonstrate sufficient ideas to complete a doctoral thesis around one of the four divine research themes mentioned above.

Knowledge of existing research on violence and democratic institutions and knowledge of quantitative methods and core principles of research design in the social sciences is essential.

In addition, you must be willing and able to relocate to the UK, work on campus, and engage in visits to other nodes in the DIViNE network.

At the University of Essex, internationalism and diversity is central to who we are and what we do. We are committed to being a cosmopolitan, internationally oriented university that is welcoming to staff and students from all countries, faiths and backgrounds, where you can find the world in one place.

To support this commitment we have our , a staff-led network that promotes and celebrates the rich cultural diversity among Essex staff, and our Colchester campus based Faith Centre, which hosts regular services, meetings and events organised by our chaplains and faith representatives. For more information see: .