Up to 10 UNU-MERIT PhD Fellowships at Maastricht University within the PhD programme on Innovation, Economics, Governance and Sustainable Development (IEGSD).
Candidates of the Global South are encouraged to apply.
The PhD programme is part of the UNU-MERIT Graduate School and hosts over 100 PhD fellows working on a doctoral dissertation within the core disciplines of UNU-MERIT:
- The economics of innovation — Topics of interest include: the process of technological change and innovation; the economics of knowledge and new technologies; structural change and economic development; economic complexity and innovation.
- Public policy and governance — Topics of interest include: governance and institutions; migration and development; population, development and labour economics; social protection; poverty and inequality; policy analysis and evaluation.
- Societal transformations — Topics of interest include: innovation and entrepreneurship for sustainable transitions; sustainable innovation and transformation; system transitions; innovation for the ‘base of the Pyramid’.
What is offered
10 PhD fellowships are awarded in the full-time track mode, and tuition is waived for selected candidates.
The fellowship awarded consists of a monthly net fee of €1650 provided by UNU-MERIT for a period of four years, conditional on satisfactory progress assessed at the end of the first year. In addition, fellows receive a research budget to cover costs related to research, such as equipment or travel.
Due to the limited availability of fellowships, motivated candidates are also encouraged to apply for other scholarships. More information can be found at the scholarships pages of the university website.
There are several types of PhD positions within UNU-MERIT, and Maastricht University more broadly, depending on the type of funding (with an employment contract from Maastricht University, through a research grant or fellowship or using other external sources of funding) and the time available for the doctoral research (full-time or part-time, in combination with work responsibilities). See also PhD information from Maastricht University.
Who is eligible
Candidates are expected to have:
- A Master’s degree from a relevant academic field, including economics, political science, social sciences, business administration, computational social sciences, with a strong academic background in one of the core disciplines of the institute. Fellows who complete their Master’s degree in spring 2023 may also apply.
- Documented theoretical and practical understanding of one or more of the topics of interest specified in the introduction.
- The position requires spoken and written fluency in the English language, to be demonstrated through an approved test (see section application process) for applicants from non-English-speaking countries.
The UNU-MERIT PhD programme also offers a Dual career (part-time) track. However, it does not offer any scholarships. More information here.
Deadline: 15 February 2024