The Institute for Employment Research (IAB) and the School of Business and Economics of the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU) offer a joint doctoral programme in labour market research (GradAB), which prepares graduates for a career in academics and in policy consulting. IAB and FAU jointly constitute one of the most important hubs for labour market research in Germany and provide optimal conditions for more than 200 labour market researchers from different disciplines to conduct high-quality academic research.
Target group and admission requirements
We are expecting excellent academic qualification, special interest in and enthusiasm for issues of the labour market and occupational research, and a strong personality. Preference will be given to dissertation proposals that benefit from being attached to the IAB, and that will be of particular benefit to the IAB.
Contact: Sandra.Huber@iab.de
- The Graduate Center GradAB offers a three-year programme of high-level training in labour market research, which can be extended for another year under certain conditions.
- Doctoral students benefit from a professional research and policy-consulting environment in one of the key institutions advising high-ranking social policymakers.
- The course programme provides training on labour market research, methods, and data at an advanced level and is held in English.
- The GradAB works closely together with its partners from a large network of renowned national and international universities, research and policy institutions.
- The scholarship offers financial support of 1,350€ / month. In addition, funding is available for participation in scientific conferences and further training.
- Scholarship holders are granted access to the IAB’s unique data resources on employment and social security (administrative and survey data).
Structure of the Study Programme
Compulsory and compulsory optional courses
During the first year of the programme, all doctoral students participate in three compulsory courses: “Statistics and Econometrics” (including an introduction to IAB’s data products), “Fundamentals of Labour Market Research in Sociology and Economics”, and “Good Scientific Practice”.
In the second year, doctoral students start to participate in compulsory optional courses to extend their knowledge about advanced theories and empirical methods in economics, sociology and survey methodology. Doctoral students can either complete all necessary compulsory optional courses within the IAB, or they can participate in external courses, e.g. within the framework of the "Bavarian Graduate Program in Economics (BGPE)".
To successfully complete the compulsory and compulsory optional courses, doctoral students have to fulfil the respective examination requirements.
Presentation of own research in the GradAB jour fixe meetings
All doctoral students are required to present the progress of their research in annual GradAB jour fixe meetings, which are open to all members of the Institute.
Research seminars
Research seminars of the IAB Colloquium or the School of Business and Economics of the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU) give doctoral students the opportunity to gather inspiration for their own work and to discuss new and ongoing projects with external researchers.
Internships, conferences, national and international research visits
Doctoral students have the opportunity to attend scientific conferences, participate in national and international research visits, or to do an internship at a political or social Organisation.
Graduation
After the doctoral students have passed all examinations of the study programme and successfully completed their dissertation, the FAU or one of the other cooperating universities (depending on the affiliation of the supervising professor) will grant the doctoral degree. The promotion regulations of the respective university apply.
Application documents
Application documents shall include:
- Application form
- Complete, tabular CV
- Copies of school-leaving certificates and certificates of vocational training and professional activities, copies of university certificates already attained
- A reference letter from a professor with respect to personal and academic qualification of the applicant. The letter of recommendation must be submitted to the programme coordinator directly (Sandra.Huber@iab.de).
- An outline of the project describing the fundamental, perhaps preliminary ideas of the dissertation proposal. The project outline submitted in English should be between 10,000 and 20,000 characters long, including spaces and the list of cited literature. The following points can provide a basic overview:
- Providing reasons for selecting the topic, and determining its place in current labour market Research
- Illustrating major problems and issues of the project in the field of labour market Research
- Providing a (non-exhaustive) list of relevant literature
- Considerations regarding the theoretical approach, the methodology of project implementation, and the data to be used (e.g. IAB data sets)
- Documentation of the FDZ data sets can help in deciding on data research and preparing the project outline
Please note that applications without the project outline will not be considered!
Selection process
- All applications will be submitted to a selection commission composed equally of representatives of the IAB and the School of Business and Economics of the University Erlangen-Nuremberg.
- Outstanding applicants will be invited to a personal interview with members of the selection commission. The interview will involve a short presentation of the planned idea of the project, followed by a discussion.
- Based on the written documents and personal presentation, the selection committee will decide on scholarship offers and inform the applicants.
Schedule 2017
- Application deadline: 31 March 2017
- Personal interviews: April 2017
- Scholarship offers: May 2017
- Commencement of the programme: 1 October 2017
For more information please click "Further Official Information" below.
This opportunity has expired. It was originally published here:
http://www.iab.de/en/ueberblick/graduiertenprogramm.aspx