DIViNE Doctoral Network 2026–2027: 10 PhD Positions in Political Violence, Democracy and Democratic Resilience Across Europe
The DIViNE Doctoral Network offers 10 PhD positions across five principal European university nodes to investigate democracy and political violence. Prospective candidates must first submit an Expression of Interest.
Overview
The DIViNE (Democratic Institutions and Violence Network in Europe) Doctoral Network is an interdisciplinary research initiative that examines why political violence persists, transforms, or is contained within democratic societies. The network combines quantitative conflict research, behavioral and experimental methods, historical and archival inquiry, institutional theory, and policy engagement.
As part of this initiative, DIViNE plans to hire 10 PhD researchers, with two researchers associated with each of its five principal university nodes: the University of Amsterdam, University of Essex, University of Milan, Carlos III University of Madrid, and Uppsala University. Additionally, the Political Institutions and Conflict – Max Planck Institute in Göttingen will offer one further non-MSCA PhD scholarship.
Benefits
- Opportunity to conduct doctoral research within a large European interdisciplinary network.
- Engagement with international research and policy partners such as Action on Armed Violence, CIDOB, Clingendael, Fondazione Giangiacomo Feltrinelli, ICIP, and International IDEA.
- Participation in international mobility across participating institutions and research stays with partner organizations.
- Training in cross-disciplinary, multi-method, and policy-relevant research.
Eligibility
- Open to aspiring researchers whose academic interests align with the DIViNE research agenda on political violence and democratic resilience.
- Candidates must be prepared to satisfy relevant Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) mobility requirements, including restrictions preventing researchers from residing or working for more than one year in the country of the enrolling institution.
How to Apply
The current application stage is an Expression of Interest (EOI) rather than the final PhD vacancy application. Interested candidates must prepare the following components:
- Information on Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees and academic background.
- A motivation and preliminary research idea including a research question, relevant literature, theoretical argument, and proposed methods.
- Selection of a preferred Work Package or research theme along with a statement of fit.
- Contact information for two academic referees.
After submitting the expression of interest, candidates should monitor the official university webpages for formal PhD vacancy calls.
Deadline
The deadline to submit the Expression of Interest is October 10, 2026. Formal PhD vacancy calls are expected to be published between October and November 2026, with positions anticipated to start by January 2027.