ERC project History of EU (postdocs)

February 15, 2017February 13, 2017 Steph

Postdoctoral Research Associate in International Economic History at the University of Glasgow (2 posts)

Project description

The successful candidates will be part of the ERC-funded project The Making of a Lopsided Union: Economic Integration in the European Economic Community, 1957-1992 (EURECON) led by Dr Emmanuel Mourlon-Druol (See http://e-mourlon-druol.com/eurecon/ for more details). They are expected to begin on 1 September 2017, or as soon as possible thereafter (a few months’ delay is negotiable if need be).

The positions will be for 2 years, starting from September 2017 (or later if so negotiated). In addition to their salary, Post-Doctoral Researchers will receive an allowance for research missions and participation to international conferences of at least £2,500 per year.

Description of the EURECON project

The goal of EURECON is to explore European policymakers’ views about how to make the organisation of the European Economic Community (EEC) fit for the creation of a single currency, from 1957 to 1992. It is often said that the euro has faults of conception. But how did this happen? How was the euro made in such a way that it nearly completely overlooked some critical aspects of monetary unions? The assumption is that in the run-up to the 1992 Maastricht Treaty, European policymakers just did not think properly about how to make the Euro work. Was this really the case? Did European policymakers really overlook the economic foundations of European monetary union?

The project aims to examine European policymakers’ debates and proposals, understand the reasons for their success or failure, identify the dynamics of political and economic trade-offs and compromises, shifting priorities, and alternative approaches that were abandoned at the time but recycled later. The project focuses on five work packages: macroeconomic policy coordination, fiscal transfers, capital market integration, banking harmonisation/supervision and the deepening of the common/single market. The project will examine the origins of the issues that are currently bedevilling the European Union (EU) by investigating the period between the creation of the EEC in 1957 and the decision to create a European single currency in 1992.

The Postdoctoral Research Projects will focus on the role and influence of non-state, non-EEC actors and factors in the above discussions.

Postdoctoral Research Projects

Interested applicants should focus specifically on the role of one of the following actors/factor:

Commercial banks: Commercial banks were central actors in the development of European economic integration, in particular with regard to capital market integration, regulation/supervision, and the development of the common/single market. Did they support the creation of a common market in banking? Did they adopt specific lobbying strategies within their respective member states and in Brussels? How did they view the possible future creation of a monetary union in Europe?

Big business (other than banks): The implementation of the common/single market, the issue of EEC fiscal transfers, and macroeconomic policy coordination had an impact on the conduct of business in Europe. Did big business consider that these developments would improve their environment, in creating more business opportunities, easier financing and trade? The Roundtable of Industrialists famously lobbied for the Single Market Project; did big business aim to actively support or oppose other developments at different time periods?

Trade unions: Macroeconomic policy coordination, EEC fiscal transfers, and the development of the common/single market had an important impact upon labour relations. How did trade unions try to influence European economic policymaking? In particular, how did they promote European social policies and how did they cope with the challenges induced by European economic integration in a globalising world? The rise of unemployment in Europe from the 1970s as well as the reflections mentioned above about the introduction of an EEC-wide unemployment benefit provided an important points of interest for trade unions.

The spread and influence of economic ideas on the evolution of European economic cooperation and integration: Many economic ideas have influenced and competed over the development of European economic integration, including German ordo-liberalism, French planning, and neo-liberalism. Recent studies have shed light on the rise of neo-liberal politics in the evolution of thinking about deregulation and the free movement of capital. How did economic thinking evolve in the EEC and how did these influences permeate policymaking at the European level? This topic would more specifically focus on the intellectual history dimension of the economic integration of Europe by looking at one of these schools of thought. How did these ideas spread among European policymakers? How did these ideas change over time? What was their actual influence?

The successful candidate is expected to:

Engage in independent scientific research that will result in high-quality publications in international peer-reviewed journals (individual and co-authored)
Be an active part of the EURECON project and work in close cooperation with other team members
Provide some organisational and administrative support, in collaboration with other team members, to the research activities of the EURECON project
Present papers at conferences
Participate in yearly workshops organised within the scope of EURECON.

To apply for the position, applicants are required to submit (www.glasgow.ac.uk/jobs, Job Ref 016726):

Their CV,
The details of three referees
A cover letter explaining how their research experience fits the EURECON project,
A one to two-page description of the research they would like to undertake during their tenure, clearly mentioning: the scope of their project, the state of the literature, and the archival sources they would like to use.

Please upload your cover letter and one to two-page research document as ONE document.

Candidates must be fluent in English. A good command of another European language would be an advantage.

Candidates should have a PhD in History (or related discipline), or be close to completion.

Short-listed candidates will be invited for an interview to present their research proposal. It is anticipated that the interviews for these positions will take place in May/June 2017.

Interest applicants may contact Dr Emmanuel Mourlon-Druol (Emmanuel.Mourlon-Druol@glasgow.ac.uk) for informal enquiries.

Fully-funded PhD opportunity (ESRC)

January 25, 2017 Steph

I am very pleased to announce that we have been able to get funding for a doctoral student in the history and contemporary experience of female entrepreneurship in West Africa. The application deadline is very soon (15 February), please encourage any good candidates you may know to apply!

Female entrepreneurship in West Africa

ESRC DTP Joint Studentship in the Midlands Graduate School

Aston University and University of Birmingham

The Midlands Graduate School is an accredited Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP), with the first intake of students to begin in October 2017.

One of 14 such partnerships in the UK, the Midlands Graduate School is a collaboration between the University of Warwick, Aston University, University of Birmingham, University of Leicester, Loughborough University and the University of Nottingham.

Midlands Graduate School is now inviting applications for an ESRC Doctoral Joint Studentship between Aston University (where the student will be registered) and the University of Birmingham to commence in October 2017.

Contemporary research such as the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM)[1] shows that female entrepreneurship is more common in Africa than in the rest of the world. This is particularly true of West Africa, which has higher rates of female entrepreneurship than the rest of Africa. Historical research shows that this has a long tradition, with women having been perhaps even more dominant as entrepreneurs before colonialism.

This doctoral research project aims to establish both historical and contemporary reasons for the greater prevalence of female entrepreneurship in West Africa. It is important to understand this because a) entrepreneurship is an important driver of economic growth and job creation, and b) gender has been recognized as an important factor in driving social development, inclusive growth and intergenerational progress. However, high levels of entrepreneurial activity can also be an indicator of poverty and inequality. This doctoral research project should identify the complex reasons behind the predominance of women in West African entrepreneurship.

Research questions:

– Why do women in West Africa chose to become entrepreneurs more commonly than in other areas of the world?

– What drives these choices: necessity, cultural attitudes, lack of alternative opportunities, historical tradition, gender stereotypes?

The student to be recruited to this project would develop these research questions further in line with her/his expertise and interest. The exact choice of case context (country / region) would be a matter of negotiation with the student researcher. Applicants who are invited for interview will be ask to indicate the direction in which they would like to take this project, and how they would develop the topic.

Application Process

To be considered for this PhD, please complete the Joint Studentship application form available online here, together with a cover letter and a CV (form available here) and along with two references email this to e.bridges@aston.ac.uk.

Application deadline: Wednesday 15 February 2017

Interviews will be held Tuesday 7 March 2017 at Aston Business School

Midlands Graduate School ESRC DTP

Our ESRC studentships cover fees and maintenance stipend and extensive support for research training, as well as research activity support grants. Support is available only to successful applicants who fulfil eligibility criteria. To check your eligibility, visit: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/cross_fac/mgsdtp/studentships/eligibilty/

Informal enquiries about the research or Aston Business School prior to application can be directed to Professor Stephanie Decker.

For more information on how to apply, please go to the Midlands Graduate School:

http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/cross_fac/mgsdtp/collaborativeandjoint/#joint

http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/cross_fac/mgsdtp/collaborativeandjoint/au_joint_advert_s_decker_-_female_entreperneurship.pdf

[1] E.g., Global Entrepreneurship 2014 Women’s Report (2015). http://gemconsortium.org/report/49281 GEM Subsaharan Africa Report (2015) http://www.gemconsortium.org/report/48601

ANC: Midlands Graduate School

November 30, 2016November 28, 2016 Steph

Together with several regional partners, Aston University is now part of the Midlands Graduate School and offers ESRC scholarships for eligible candidates who want to study for a PhD at Aston.

The Midlands Graduate School DTP makes an annual award of a large number of studentships to outstanding applicants across the Social Sciences. The studentships are linked to disciplinary and inter-disciplinary training pathways, and some have a built-in element of collaboration. A masters is not a prerequisite for studying at the Midlands Graduate School DTP. A range of training programmes are available based on an assessment of the applicant’s prior learning and training needs.

Established in 2016, The Midlands Graduate School is an accredited Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Doctoral Training Partnership, with the first intake of students to begin in October 2017.

The DTP offers 17 different training pathways that span various social science disciplines; several postgraduate studentships will be awarded annually across the pathways and institutions. These pathways include Management & Business Studies and Finance, Economic and Social History, and Area Studies.

At this stage, the ESRC DTP website for the open competition is now live: https://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/cross_fac/mgsdtp/

This competition is open to Home or EU applicants holding an offer of a PhD place with Aston Business School. The deadline for the funding application is 24^th January 2017 – at this stage the applicant must:

Hold a full offer of a place on the PhD programme
Have two references
Have a supporting statement from their proposed supervisor

Further studentships with shared supervisory teams across different universities, as well as collaborative projects supervised jointly by universities and non-academic partners will be advertised in the new year.

Research Fellowship Canada

October 28, 2016October 17, 2016 Steph

The 2017-18 CBHA/ACHA Research Fellowship

The CBHA/ACHA, Canada’s leading organization for the study of business in Canada, offers support for a research project in an area of Canadian business history. Applicants are encouraged to think creatively in developing proposals that will result in an academic product (scholarly article, book project, digital, oral or public history project) that advances our understanding of some aspect of Canadian business history. The field of study is open, to any area or time period, but the Grants Committee especially encourages proposals that embrace questions that emerge from the global and international challenges faced by Canadian business. One particular area of interest for the CBHA/ACHA is the internationalization of Canadian financial services.

The successful applicant will receive up to $5,000 per year over two years, for a total of up to $10,000, to support the completion of the project. Academic support and oversight will be provided by an Academic Advisory Board drawn from the CBHA’s membership. The Research Fellowship is open to graduate students (MA, PhD., MBA), and postgraduate scholars at an early stage of their academic careers (within ten years of completing their degrees).

Deadline for applications to the CBHA Research Fellowship is 31 January, 2017. Applicants should include a cover letter, detailed project proposal, and curriculum vitae to be sent to the CBHA Grants Committee, c/o Dr. Christopher Kobrak, Wilson/Currie Chair of Canadian Business and Financial History, Rotman School of Business, University of Toronto, 105 St George St, Toronto, ON M5S 3E6. Enquires and applications can also be sent to chris.kobrak@rotman.utoronto.ca

About the CBHA: Created in 2015, the CBHA brings together academics from a wide range of disciplines, archivists and business leaders in the common pursuit of advancing the study and understanding of business history in Canada. Learn more about the CBHA at our website, http://cbha-acha.ca/

Funded PhD position

October 21, 2016October 11, 2016 Steph

PhD position at the Department of Historical studies

1 PhD position within the project “European integration and the quest for access to external natural resources, 1945-2015.”

The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU, Trondheim), Department of Historical Studies, offers a full-time 3-year PhD position within the project “European integration and the quest for access to external natural resources, 1945-2015. “, funded by the Norwegian Research Council (NFR). The PhD candidate will work with the project leader, Researcher Mats Ingulstad (NTNU). The department also hosts several other research projects which examine different aspects of the international political economy of natural resources. The PhD candidate will thus be a part of a research team of 12-14 historians.

The research project examines how European countries have worked through the EU and its predecessors to secure their supply of raw materials from external sources. It will examine how this influenced the integration process from 1945 until the present, and how the EU-members collectively have sought to shape the international environment in order facilitate access to these resources.

The proposed PhD project should illuminate longer trajectories in the historical relationship between the member states individually or collectively, the EU, and third countries, based on the exploitation of natural resources. Relevant topics are diplomacy, international trade, decolonization, development, technology, environmental and security policy. A description of the research project is available upon request from the project leader (mats.ingulstad@ntnu.no).

For further information, please follow this link: https://www.jobbnorge.no/ledige-stillinger/stilling/129796/phd-position-at-the-department-of-historical-studies

Job advert: Research Fellow in Business History (15 April)

April 4, 2016April 4, 2016 Steph

Cross-posted from the ABH mailing list. Please contact Anna Greenwood for questions.

Research Fellow for the Dept of History

History

Location:	University Park
Salary:	£28,982 to £37,768 per annum, depending on skills and experience. Salary progression beyond this scale is subject to performance.
Closing Date:	Friday 15 April 2016
Reference:	ARTS031316

Applications are invited for the above Research Assistant post based at University of Nottingham working with Dr Anna Greenwood on her project ‘Boots and the Colonial World: Imperial Networks and the Business of Empire: 1919-1960’. Focusing on a range of colonial and commonwealth regions (India, Africa, New Zealand, Australia and Fiji), the project will analyse Boots’ negotiation of the colonial market between 1919 and the end of Empire in 1960.

The successful candidate will be responsible for undertaking the first mapping of the international history of Boots, working closely with the archivist team at the Walgreens Boots Alliance archive in Nottingham. Duties will include: archival research, secondary reading, the development of a larger funding bid and the organization of a workshop.

A limited amount of travel and irregular hours are expected as defined by the needs of the role.

Candidates must have a completed doctorate in medical history, colonial history, international history or business history. Some experience of academic event organisation and grant construction would also be desirable.

This full-time post will be offered on a fixed-term contract from 1^stSeptember 2016 to 31st August 2017.

Informal enquiries may be addressed to Anna Greenwood on email; anna.greenwood@nottingham.ac.uk . Please note that applications sent directly to this email address will not be accepted.

The University of Nottingham is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.

Full job advert: https://jobs.nottingham.ac.uk/Vacancy.aspx?id=6883&forced=1

Marie S Curie fellows at Aston Business School

February 15, 2016February 8, 2016 Steph

Aston is currently looking for external researchers to work with on Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowships. The current deadline for applications is 14th September 2016, with the next call opening in April 2016.

Eligible Researchers

The Funder requires that the researchers shall be in possession of a doctoral degree or have at least four years of full-time equivalent research

At the time of the deadline for submission, they shall not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc) in the country of their host organisation for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to 14th September

Preferred Researcher Profile

Experience suggests that successful researcher have strong CV’s, with 10+ strong publications (high- ranking, international journals) and a good range of experience (teaching, industry/non-academic, PhD supervision).

The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships enable eligible applicants to come to Aston University for a period from 12 to 24 months; the aims are to undertake world class research, undertake career development, and transfer knowledge. If you have the time, read the Guide for Applicants, it will enable you to fully appreciate the aims and objectives of the scheme – http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portal/doc/call/h2020/h2020-msca-if-2014/1600147- guide_for_applicants_if_2014_en.pdf

If you are interested please contact Prof Stephanie Decker (s.decker@aston.ac.uk). Send a description of your potential theme, Aston host and a description of the potential project (please keep the description to no more than 250 words), accompanied by your full academic CV to r.knobbs@aston.ac.uk .

The current deadline is 14th September 2016. If you are interested you must send the requested documents by the end of July for this call.

Dean’s scholarships for PhD at Aston Business School

February 9, 2016February 8, 2016 Steph

This year there will be a number of Dean’s scholarships available for doctoral study at Aston Business School (ABS). The scholarship offers £17.000 for 3 years + cover of PhD fees (same condition for Home/EU and Overseas students).[1] The deadline for applications is March 14^th 2016.

If you are interested in doing a PhD in organizational history, please contact Prof Stephanie Decker, s.decker@aston.ac.uk.

Application Criteria for Dean’s Scholarship

All applicants for the Dean’s Scholarships must meet the standard entry requirements for the PhD programme at the Aston Business School:

UG Degree 2:1 or above
MSc Degree – 65% in taught and dissertation elements.
English Language requirements (TOEFL 101, IELTS 7)

Additionally, all applicants must have:

GRE/GMAT[2] at 70% (i.e. this means that the applicant has obtained a better score than 70% of all tested participants).

[1] Teaching is not required as a condition of this scholarship. All PhD students will be able to undertake paid teaching work should they wish to, where available, subject to a number of conditions. Students can only undertake teaching on successful completion of their Qualifying Report and must take the Aston Certificate: An Introduction to Learning and Teaching in HE. To ensure that research time is not affected, the total amount of teaching and/or research assistance hours a PhD student can undertake will be limited to 110 hours per year and will be agreed and monitored by the RDP office.

[2] GRE/GMAT is an independently administered test that assesses quantitative, analytical and verbal skills. This test allows for a rigorous degree of bench marking between applicants. The minimum requirement of 70% applies to each section. For candidates having additional English Language requirements (TOEFL/IELTS), these results will count instead of the verbal reasoning section.

The applicant must provide evidence of: