Dr T Boland, Dr J O'Mahony
No more applications being accepted
Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)
About the Project
Post summary
Applications are invited for the position of Ph.D candidate in a 4 year funded project on the topic of Fan cultures and the networked life of cultural icons: Texts, digital forums and conventions. The research will focus in detail on both mainstream and niche fan cultures, and involve multiple methodologies, from textual analysis, ethnography and discourse analysis.
Standard duties and responsibilities of the scholarship
Applications are invited for a PhD fellowship to investigate the effects of domestic and transnational social and economic policies on Irish work practices. This fellowship will be carried out under the newly established Ethnographic and Human Centred Research Group at Waterford Institute of Technology and in conjunction with the Moral Foundations of Economy & Society centre. The fellowship will be full-time over 4 years and the fellow is expected to be present at Waterford Institute of Technology and take on teaching duties appropriate to the post requirements.
The researcher will conduct a doctoral investigation of at least two fan cultures contributing to theory, reviewing current literature, developing methodological design and carrying out extensive analysis of key texts, and conduct and develop on-site and digital ethnographies.
The scholar will be expected to be ordinarily resident in the region and contribute to academic culture at the institute, and travel abroad to fan conventions and events as required.
The Fellowship will provide an annual stipend to the successful scholar of €10,000. A budget of €2,000 annually is allocated to cover materials, consumables and travel costs. In addition, an allowance of €4,500 per annum will be awarded to cover postgraduate tuition fees. Non-EU nationals will be charged at EU rates. During the first 6 months of the fellowship the fellow will be required to undertake a training programme onPractical Pedagogy for Research Postgraduates and thereafter undertake 2 hours per week of departmental work activities as directed by the Department.
The successful applicant is required to apply at least once to the Irish Research Council under the Government of Ireland Postgraduate Programme or the Enterprise Partnership Programme or Employment Based Programme (or equivalent external funding agency) within the first year of the award.
Desirable
• Applicants should hold or expect to attain a Master’s degree in a cognate discipline, as a minimum a 2.1 Honours degree.
Knowledge & Experience
Essential
• Applicants should have well developed interests in vibrant contemporary fan cultures, both mainstream and niche.
• Applicants should be familiar with academic approaches to literary or cinematic texts, and be familiar with qualitative methods, particularly ethnography.
Desirable
• It is an advantage to have experience of on-line fan forums and have attended fan conventions and similar events.
Funding Notes
Qualifications
Essential
• Applicants should hold or expect to attain, as a minimum, a 2.1 Honours degree , or equivalent, by the 1st of August 2017, in Sociology, Anthropology, Cultural Studies, Literary Studies or a cognate discipline.
Skills & Competencies
Essential
• Applicants whose first language is not English must submit evidence of competency in English, please see WIT’s English Language Requirements for details.