SPARK project PhD Scholarship: Patterns, Practices and Interpretations of Knowledge Use in Parliaments

Key contact: PG Research Office: pgresearch.sps@ed.ac.uk

Project Details

The University of Edinburgh is offering a three-year funded scholarship to pursue a PhD. This UKRI-funded scholarship sits within the 2024-29 research project, Studying Parliaments & the Role of Knowledge (SPARK). SPARK is a five-year research project with three overarching objectives:

• To examine and compare patterns of knowledge use in and by parliaments. In this objective, the project team will identify what kinds of knowledges (e.g., expert, experiential, legal) are used, by whom, & under what circumstances;
• To understand how parliaments and parliamentary actors interpret the role of knowledge. In this objective, the project team will focus on MPs, officials, and stakeholders, and how them interpret different kinds of knowledges &  their authority;
• To evaluate the impact of knowledge use on parliamentary democracies. In this objective, the project team will examine how parliamentary functions are affected by different kinds of knowledges.

Applicants should choose one (or more) of the following case study parliament(s) to pursue a research project that contributes to the overall SPARK aims:

1. the German national parliament,
2. the Bavarian state parliament, and/or
3. the European Parliament.

Applicants may also suggest a combination of further cases from across SPARK for a comparative project. It is expected that the PhD student will focus on at least one of the three case study policy areas (healthcare, environment, welfare) as part of their project.

Eligibility

You must meet the eligibility criteria for admission to the full-time University of Edinburgh PhD Politics programme, with the exception of a Master’s degree requirement. Applicants must also meet the additional eligibility criteria for this award.

Award details

This scholarship is for three years (full-time PhD only), to commence on 1 September 2024.

It provides:

• PhD tuition fees
• Annual stipend at the UKRI rate (currently £19,327 for 2024-25)
• Coverage for relevant expenses incurred as part of SPARK project tasks (to be agreed with PI)

Application and Selection

How to apply

The closing date for this scholarship is 6 June 2024 at 23:59 GMT

Application Process and Deadline

Applicants must submit two separate applications by this deadline (further information about both is given below):

• Application for admission to the University of Edinburgh PhD Politics programme
• Application for the PhD Scholarship

Application for admission to a PhD research degree

The application to study is made via the University's on-line applications system EUCLID.

PhD Scholarship application

Applicants should combine the following documents into a single PDF document and send it to marc.geddes@ed.ac.uk:

• A full university transcript, showing the courses/modules taken & marks for individual courses and for a dissertation (if marks are affected by previous industrial action by UCU or by Covid-19, please note this in your personal statement).
• A CV of no more than two pages.
• Two references from academic staff who have direct experience of your work, including (if possible) your dissertation supervisor.
• A personal statement of up to two pages that addresses the following questions and issues (in any format or order). Please review the detailed guidance on the website prior to applying.

Selection process

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to interview (likely to take place by the end of June). Candidates will be asked to submit a two-page proposal and a previous university assignment of which they are particularly proud. These materials will be discussed as part of a presentation and an interview about their suitability for this scholarship.

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