PhD Studentship in care research available from October 2024

1 May 2024

A PhD Studentship focusing on care and care relations in contemporary society is available at UCC from October 2024.

The studentship will be hosted by ISS21 (Institute for Social Science in the 21^st Century), in conjunction with the School of Applied Social Studies. Deadline for applications is Friday 28^th June 2024.

The three year studentship forms part of ISS21’s and Collective Social Futures’ ambitions to advance interdisciplinary and social scientific understandings of care, care relations and care practices in contemporary society, and to conduct innovative, creative, research which develops and sustains more inclusive, caring and liveable societies. It includes EU student fees for three years, a yearly stipend of €10,000, and financial support for research and dissemination activities (€2,000 per year).

The successful candidate will pursue a PhD in Social Science, supervised by Dr. Claire Edwards , School of Applied Social Studies/ISS21 and Dr. Carol Kelleher , Management and Marketing/ ISS21. They will be based jointly in the Institute for Social Science in the 21^st Century (ISS21) and School of Applied Social Studies, UCC.

The PhD will follow all requirements (including coursework, completion of modules, training, a learning plan and annual progress review) of a PhD in Social Science at the School of Applied Social Studies. The student will also be a member of the ISS21 Care21 research cluster and become part of a vibrant community of PhD researchers in the School of Applied Social Studies and ISS21. Renewal of the studentship each year is conditional on a satisfactory review of progress at the end of each year. 

Essential criteria:

• An honours level degree (NFQ level 8) with a minimum of a 2H1 (second class honours, grade 1) in social science or other relevant discipline (Please see here to check for international qualifications comparison);
• Research interests in care relations, care theory and ethics, policy or practice;
• Excellent written and oral communication skills;
• Strong motivation to publish in academic journals.

Desirable criteria:

• Master’s degree in a relevant discipline;
• Experience of undertaking research;
• Prior engagement with care issues in a professional capacity or through activist, artistic or community organisation work;
• Creative and/or technical abilities that could be applied in the context of the PhD research.

To apply:

Applicants are asked to submit the following:

• An application letter of no more than 2 pages describing your motivations, relevant qualifications and experience.
• A CV with names and contact details of two academic referees.
• A project proposal setting out the proposed research. This should be no more than 4 pages (excluding bibliography) and should set out (i) project objectives and originality of the proposed research in relation to the state-of-the-art (ii) relevant literature/brief literature review (ii) proposed methodology and feasibility of the study, including approximate timescales and (iv) plans to disseminate the research to different audiences.
• One sample of written work (academic or other).

We invite proposals which cover one or more of the following thematic areas:

• care, care relationships and identities as they relate to different groups in society;
• disability and the politics of care;
• young carers;
• research which advances theorising on and/or reframes how we think about future care relations in contemporary society;
• research which develops methodological innovation in care research, particularly in terms of creative and participatory methods;
• social policy and the political economy of care;
• geographies and spaces of care (including formal and informal spaces, human and non-human care relations) and care mobilities;
• innovation in care infrastructures and practices; alternative models of care provision.

Applications will be assessed on the basis of two key areas:

• Assessment of the research proposal, to include (i) originality and excellence of the proposed research, including how it will advance care scholarship; (ii) feasibility of the project and research methodology; and (iii) quality of plans designed to communicate and disseminate the research to different audiences. 
• Ability of the applicant to successfully undertake the proposed research (based on demonstrated qualifications, skills and experience).

All documents should be combined into one pdf document to be submitted by email to: claire.edwards@ucc.ie by 12 noon (Irish local time) on Friday 28^th June 2024.

The successful candidate will be required to confirm whether they will take up the offer within two weeks of an offer being made.

The studentship is open to EU and Non-EU applicants. However, the funding will only cover the EU fee.

The successful candidate will need to submit an application via the university’s online application portal at a later date.

For more information and inquiries about the position, please contact Dr Claire Edwards via email at claire.edwards@ucc.ie 

About care research in ISS21 / Collective Social Futures

Over the past ten years, ISS21 has developed a significant record in developing innovative, interdisciplinary, social scientific research which advances knowledge and debates about care and care relations in society. Through academics affiliated to its Care21 research cluster, it has conducted research into the experiences of family care and carers, including young carers (CARERENGAGE; YOUNGCARERS); on care cooperatives as an alternative model of care provision (CO-AGE); and most recently through the CareVisions project, re-envisioning care relations and practices in Ireland beyond COVID-19, developing ideas from the feminist ethics of care. Academics and researchers within this group have received funding from multiple sources for this research and have worked with community organisations and NGOs in the field to develop policy and practice impact. They also have a commitment to participatory and creative research methodologies in their research practice. The PhD studentship represents an opportunity to further advance critical care scholarship in UCC and contribute to Collective Social Futures’ wider goal to develop inclusive, liveable, and caring societies.