News

PhD Fellowship

The Centre for Global for Women’s Studies (CGWS) in collaboration with the Office of the Vice-President for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion is pleased to announce a  4 year Doctoral Fellowship funded by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) and CGWS. The student will be based in the Centre for Global Women’s Studies, School of Political Science and Sociology, National University of Ireland Galway. The selected scholar will have full access to the NUI Galway Library, Hardiman Doctoral Hub, and other resources. This PhD position is part of the Project ‘Developing an Index of Intersectional Discrimination’ led by Dr Nata Duvvury.

The position offers an annual stipend of  €18,500 and fully paid fees for four years, flexible work hours,  graduate training and travel expenses for conference presentation and field visits. Applications from both EU and non-EU citizens are very welcome.

As part of the project, the PhD fellow will work along with the PI to achieve the objectives of the project in terms of conference organisation, presentation, publications and other forms of public dissemination. The fellow will co-author and publish articles and potentially an edited volume on intersectional discrimination in HEIs, alongside working on their thesis.

About the Project:

Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Ireland have increased their commitment to strengthen the advancement of the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion agenda to end discrimination and  achieve a fundamental shift in institutional culture grounded in respect, openness and equality.  A major challenge faced by institutions in this endeavour is the lack of understanding  and robust application of an intersection framework. How do the different grounds of discrimination (e.g., gender, race, ethnicity, sexual identity, disability, age, socio-economic status, religion and marital status)  interact to shape the individual experience of discrimination? Is it possible to measure intersectional discrimination to understand how it shapes well-being of individuals and groups? This project aims to fill this gap in our understanding and explore developing an index of intersectional discrimination to evaluate the prevalence and impacts of every day, anticipated and major discrimination experienced by students and staff in HEIs across multiple social identities and diversity characteristics. Specifically,  the project will conduct research on the context and impact of discrimination, applying an intersectional and decolonial framework to develop a valid and reliable IDI[1].  

The successful candidate will begin their fellowship from approx April 2022 and is expected to be normally resident in Galway for the entire duration of the programme.

Centre for Global Women’s Studies,  School of Political Science and Sociology

The Centre for Global Women’s Studies is the research arm of the Discipline Gender and Women’s Studies. The Discipline of Gender and Women’s Studies is built on a 30-year history of feminist academia and activism at NUI Galway. Grounded in a feminist ethos, Gender and Women’s Studies is committed to cross-disciplinary teaching and research that engages with current and historical inequalities from a critical, reflexive and intersectional perspective. Members of the Discipline bring expertise from across the fields of sociology, politics, economics, women’s history, international development, human rights and the humanities more broadly. Working through collaborative practices, Gender and Women’s Studies is dedicated to understanding the lived and gendered experiences of people throughout the world  and to contributing towards a more equitable future through public engagement and activism.

The Centre for Global Women’s Studies has gained international reputation for feminist research in gender and development grounded in feminist political economy and human rights. Major themes of research include the operation of gendered power relations and gender inequalities, changing notions of gender identity, and the challenges of achieving women's empowerment in Ireland and beyond in a context of globalisation. The Centre has had numerous research awards from UN organisations, World Bank, bilateral development agencies such DFID, Irish Government, and international and national NGOs.

Essential Qualifications: 

• MA in Gender Studies, Sociology, Politics, Human Rights, Psychology or similar areas that broadly aligns with the subject of research
• Good grounding in discourses in feminist theory, intersectionality, and EDI
• Strong written and verbal skills
• Familiarity with index development
• Strong qualitative and quantitative skills

Desirable Qualifications:

• Familiarity with the HEA policies on EDI
• Previous experience of research on sensitive topics with vulnerable and/or marginalised communities

We particularly encourage applications from candidates belonging to minority ethnic groups, and gender and sexuality minority groups (LGBTQ+), or those in Direct Provision.

Selection Process:

Interested candidates are requested to send their CVs, a 300 word personal statement and a 800 word research proposal related to the project to Ms. Gillian Browne with the title ‘PhD Application’.

 Applicants are requested to have two academic referees send their reference letters by closing date to Ms Gillian Browne (gillian.browne@nuigalway.ie), with applicant’s name in the subject line.

Deadline for application is 31 March 2022, 5pm Irish time. 

Shortlisted candidates will be invited for an interview. 

Contact:

For any query in relation to the project, email nata.duvvury@nuigalway.ie