Transnational firearm trafficking: Developing a Real-Time Intervention Model

Applications are invited for the following PhD studentship at Staffordshire University starting in September 2017 or as soon as possible thereafter.

This project will develop recommendations that facilitate the provision and use of real-time intelligence and real-time policy-making, to deter and prevent escalated progression of organised crime networks. Key objectives of the research are:

1. Identify the prospective sources of real-time intelligence to detect organised arms networks and trafficking.

2. Identify and rank current facilitators and barriers to reporting trafficking and to delivering real-time policy-making.

3. Provide national and international agencies with an improved, evidence-based community prevention and enforcement framework.

These will be delivered through:

1. Evaluation and analysis of existing and available sources of both formal and informal literature and data for firearm trafficking.

2. Categorisation of the social, ethical, legal and political drivers and barriers for reporting and eliminating firearm trafficking.

3. Production of a structural framework for a future community-level path analysis to explore and potentially predict the factors having a significant role on the reporting and prevention of trafficking at national and international level.

4. Identification of global institutional requirements to enable real-time policy-making to operate such that it allows the rapid deployment of security and law enforcement resources to prevent and reduce the potential for organised crime escalation.

5. Production of a toolkit for national and international agencies.

Queries about the project can be directed to the principal supervisor, Professor David Williamson ([Email Address Removed])

Applicant Criteria
It is essential that candidates have previously studied and/or conducted research in the area of transnational organised crime. Ideally such study/research would be at Masters level and desirably in the field of firearm trafficking. It is also desirable that applicants can demonstrate during the application process their awareness of governance frameworks and community interventions implemented in the investigation of organised crime. The successful candidate will be expected to use available literature from around the world, therefore candidates must be fluent in English and should indicate whether they can fluently read, write and/or speak any other languages.

Application Information
To apply please send a cover letter and CV to the Graduate School at [Email Address Removed] by 4th August 2017.

In your cover letter please explain why you are interested in the specific project and what you will bring to it, your suggested focus and why you are confident that you will be able to complete the PhD successfully (note - this is in place of a Research Proposal). Applications that do not state which specific project they relate to will not be considered.

Closing Date for applications: Friday 4th August 2017

For information Interviews will be held in late August/ early September 2017

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