Projects for January 2018 Entry
SPaRK is conceived as a global, multidisciplinary project; as such, it offers PhD research positions in all three of the Faculties in Queen’s University Belfast.
The SPaRK project will recruit two cohorts of ESRs. The deadline for applications for a 2017-18 SPaRK ESR position is Friday 11 August 2017.
Details of the projects available for 2017-18 are detailed in the dropdown menu below. Please click on the link for further details of each project. If you have any further questions, please contact the lead supervisor. All candidates are encouraged to make contact with their potential supervisor in advance of submitting an application.
Postgraduate experience
The Graduate School is our dedicated hub for postgraduate students, providing state-of-the-art facilities for study, and high-quality training and development programmes within a diverse interdisciplinary community.
Training and development programmes
Eearly Stage Researchers (ESRs) will enrol on a 3 year programme with clear training inputs, research and transferable skills outputs as follows:
Early Stage Researchers (ESRs) will enrol on a 3 year programme with clear training inputs, research and transferable skills outputs. To ensure the best possible outcomes for participants in the programme, all SPaRK researchers will benefit from a tailored individual skills assessment and a programme of skills development activity that will constantly evolve in relation to individual and cohort needs.
All ESRs will complete a needs analysis based on the Kouzes and Posner Leadership Challenge and on key personality type evaluations, such as the Meyers Briggs Type Indicator. This will provide the basis for a bespoke skills assessment and development programme in addition to the cohort-based opportunities for training Thinkers, Leaders, Innovators and Communicators who are Future-Ready, the five core Graduate School pillars, which all SPaRK ESRs will enjoy.
Training and skills development is fostered through a range of contexts:
1: Researcher Training Programme
ESRs will be trained in the core skills for successful research within their discipline through formal training events and through the ongoing training provided by their supervisors and (where relevant) laboratory teams.
2: SPaRK Competence-Based Development Programme
The competence framework to support the programme aligns with the skills and capabilities within the Researcher Development Framework, which is a tool used within Higher Education Institutions in the UK, to support the personal, professional and career development of researchers. This is interpreted via the five Graduate School pillars.
3: Intersectoral Working
QUB has a strong track record of offering collaborative research project opportunities, and all of our established Doctoral Training Partnerships work with private, public and voluntary sector partners to provide placement opportunities for students. SPaRK ESRs will be given the opportunity to work closely with non-HEI partners through placements/secondments for defined periods of time, as determined by the PhD project description.
ESRs will also be given the opportunity to engage with representatives from the non-academic sector through attendance at national and international conferences and workshops and through attendance at networking events hosted by the Graduate School.
4: International Experience and Collaboration
All SPaRK ESRs will be given the opportunity to attend at least one international conference or workshop. This will provide them with the opportunity to present their research findings and listen to and network with colleagues working in their field of study. Some of the researchers will also have an opportunity to spend a period of time working with leading research groups in international Higher Education Institutes and research organisations.
Eligibility Criteria
Early Stage Researchers must be, at the time of recruitment, in the first four years (full-time equivalent) of their research careers and must not yet have been awarded a doctoral degree. This is measured from the date when they obtained the degree that would formally entitle them to embark on a doctorate.
Researchers can be of any nationality. However, they must comply with the mobility rule as stated in the Marie Skłodowska Curie Actions work programme: they ‘shall not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc) in the country of their host organisation for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the reference date. Compulsory national service and/or short stays such as holidays are not taken into account’.
The minimum requirement for eligibility for consideration will be equivalent of a UK 2.1 Hons degree/equivalent OR Masters completion. The level of prior qualification required will be entirely consistent with disciplinary norms to ensure there is equal treatment of candidates within cognate disciplinary areas. Normally, admission to a doctoral programme in the Humanities will require completion of a Masters degree, whereas candidates for programmes in Physical and Life Sciences may be eligible for entry on completion of an undergraduate degree. Please contact the lead supervisor for further information on requirements.
Financial information
SPaRK ESRs will be employees of Queen’s University Belfast while completing their doctoral study and thus enjoy a wide range of opportunities and benefits.
For further information on Queen’s commitment to excellence as an employer, please go to: www.qub.ac.uk/sites/StaffGateway
The SPaRK programme offers a generous remuneration package based on a basic per annum salary of £21,917.17 with pension or £25,576.45 without pension.
For further information on the remuneration package, contact Ms Aveen Lavery, EC Research Finance Manager ([email protected])
Belfast is a vibrant regional capital with a very reasonable cost of living.
How to apply
The SPaRK project will recruit two cohorts of ESRs.
The closing date for the current applications round is Friday 11 August 2017.
The process for applying for a SPaRK scholarship is as follows:
