DOCTORAL RESEARCHER - HOMeAGE

HOMeAGE involves a nine-country collaboration between leading research units, major intergovernmental organisations, international civil society actors and governmental and non-governmental organisations. HOMeAGE aims to institute an interdisciplinary, intersectoral, and international programme of doctoral training and research that drives the development of new leaders in excellence for the advancement of evidence-based innovation on ageing in place. HOMeAGE will address the three interconnected challenges of (1) needs and systems, (2) home and belonging and (3) rights and voice. Doctoral Researchers will be hosted across the network, and in addition to conducting an original research study they will participate in a 36-month network-wide training program, public engagement activities and collaboration with network members through short-term secondments in European intersectoral partner organisations.

^{*Please note, in some institutions PhD programmes are for a 48 month period – please see individual requirements for relevant university.}

Essential language requirements The working language of HOMeAGE is English. However, in many cases doctoral researchers will also be required to conduct field work in the countries of the host organisations meaning the local language will be required. This will be specified by the individual host organisation where appropriate.

Host: Goethe University Frankfurt/Main, Germany (GUF)

Primary Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Frank Oswald

Co-supervisor/mentors: Prof. Dr. Kieran Walsh (University of Galway), Dr. Jane Barratt (International Federation on Ageing - IFA)

Duration: 36 months

Required applicant profile: Highly motivated, independent and enthusiastic doctoral researcher with a strong interest in conducting original research on ageing and place in the post-digital age. A Master's degree and excellent track record of academic achievement in either psychology, sociology or educational studies is required. Experience of working on or contributing to ageing research in intersection with any of the following: place, social inequalities, digitalisation, is essential. Required skills include knowledge of the literature on the above, and the ability to carry out qualitative research (e.g. interviews, focus groups) as well as work with quantitative data sets, and combining these into a mixed method approach where appropriate.

Desired skills: A good understanding of ageing issues and environmental change in policy across different countries is desirable. So is experience in using statistical and qualitative research packages (e.g. STATA, R, MAXQDA or equivalent tools). Willingness to improve German speaking skills or learn the language is explicitly welcomed. Any peer-reviewed publications will be considered an advantage.

Project Objectives: Working as a part of the Home and Belonging work package, the successful applicant will complete a research project on: Digital (in)equalities and belonging for ageing in place. The objective of this research project is to investigate: (1) the relevance of digitalisation strategies across diverse groups of people ageing in place; (2) how older people learn new ICT skills, and how this is influenced by gender and class; and (3) how diverse groups of older people use ICT skills in daily life to augment agency and belonging in place. It is expected that this project will involve mixed methods, such as focus groups, interviews, and ambulatory assessments of ICT.

Secondment(s): The successful applicant will complete two 4-month secondments. The first will take place in Ireland at the Irish Centre for Social Gerontology (ICSG), University of Galway, which will expose the researcher to theories concerning social inequalities in later life.

The second with the International Federation on Aging (IFA) in Canada, which will stimulate learning about policy development and dissemination internationally to improve the lives of older people.

Gross salary: Approximate annual salary of €38,000 including mobility allowance but excluding family allowance.

Application Process:

The following is an overview description of the application process for the HOMeAGE doctoral researcher positions. Before making an application please review the details below and the job/project descriptions for each individual DR available at www.icsg.ie/homeage. 

 General and project specific eligibility requirements 

All applicants must fulfil the following general eligibility criteria, or otherwise will be rejected: 

• must have completed a Master's degree or equivalent at the time of start (Sept 2023). 
• must not have a doctoral degree at the date of their recruitment; 
• should comply with the mobility rules, where they must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the recruiting organisation for more than 12 months, at any point during the 36 months immediately before their recruitment date ( short stays such as holidays or compulsory military service are not taken into account);

Project specific eligibility criteria must also be met. Please see individual job descriptions for these criteria. 

Essential language requirements 

The working language of HOMeAGE is English. Applicants are required to either be: 

• A native English speaker;                            

                        Or 

• A non-native English speaker who has demonstrable sufficient competencies in oral and written English. If successful, the candidate maybe required (depending on the essential criteria of the individual host organisation) to fulfil the academic IELTS (minimum score: 7.5), TOEFL internet-based (minimum score: 113) tests or an agreed equivalent. 

                        Or 

• A non-native English speaker who has completed a Masters degree through English. 

How to apply:

You can apply for one specific DR position or for multiple DR Positions. In the application form we will ask for you to select all positions you wish to be considered for during the process in rank order. *Please note that you only need to develop a research proposal for your primary choice. 

Your application must consist of three documents: 

1. Application form with eligibility declaration (Word file);
2. Supporting materials, which must include: (a) curriculum vitae; (b) motivation letter; (c) evidence of qualifications (e.g. formal transcript and degree certificates); (d) English language certificate, if applicable; and (e) two references (a single PDF-file);
3. *Research proposal (2000 words maximum) based on the applicant’s interpretation of the selected project –

All applications must be submitted by 28th February at 6pm CET to [Email Address Removed] 

Interviews of shortlisted applicants 

All shortlisted applicants will be invited to interview. The interviews will take place online and are intended to be scheduled in March/April 2023.  

For more information, contact: Prof. Dr. Frank Oswald, [Email Address Removed] and consult the GUF webpage: https://www.uni-frankfurt.de/53188950/IAW