Application and admission procedure

Fellowships are granted twice a year throughout the period of five years. The first application round started 2015 and the last application round will be in 2019. Successful candidates will typically start their fellowships in January or July.

Application Procedure

There is a three-step application procedure:

  1. Interested candidates are asked to submit their CV and a motivation letter (in English or German) via email to the Professor who matches the candidate’s research interests until 31st May (start of PhD work: January) or 30th November (start of PhD work: July). Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and are also possible beyond the deadlines although they might be transferred to the next application round.
  2. Short-listed candidates are asked to prepare a 10 page research outline and to apply for a scholarship for doctoral students at the Evangelisches Studienwerk Villigst through submitting all required documents by 30th July (start of PhD work: January) or 31st January (start of PhD work: July).
  3. The Evangelisches Studienwerk Villigst invites selected candidates to final personal interviews in Schwerte, Germany in October (start of PhD work: January) or April (start of PhD work: July).

Application Requirements

(see also here)

  • Graduate degree in related discipline
  • Above-average performance (final grade at Master level at least “good”)
  • Very good command of English
  • Membership in a Protestant church would be an asset, but is not required

Specific requirements for candidates applying in the field of

  • Agricultural science
    Applicants must have an excellent/very good degree in agricultural sciences and be willing to analyze data regarding relevant environmental effects of agricultural production. Very good skills in English language are a prerequisite as well as skills in statistics and huge data handling. We do expect independent and well organized candidates having a sole responsibility for their research work and are willing to cooperate in a larger research network in the frame of the topic “Third Ways of Feeding the World” together with PhD students from Europe, Africa and Latin America.
  • Agricultural economics/political science
    A master degree or a comparable university degree in food or agricultural economics, economics or political science, mathematical or computational economics is essential. A good knowledge in quantitative methods of economics or social science, or Policy Network Theory would be an asset. PhD candidates are expected to undertake their own and original research work and actively contribute to the program “Third Ways of Feeding the Whole World”.
  • Agricultural ethics
    The critical comparison of these prescriptive assumptions aims at reasoning a viable normative basis for a third way. Furthermore, the applicant will also investigate if such a third way can be justified universally or if it is rather bound to certain cultural and socioeconomic circumstances respectively in a particularistic way. This investigation aims at yielding conditions agro-ethical concepts (like the third path) have to meet to qualify for global consideration. We are looking for an applicant featuring an above-average final degree which qualifies for a doctorate in environmental or agricultural ethics (e.g. Philosophy, an interdisciplinary degree program with a focus on environmental, agricultural or food-ethical questions) who has a keen interest to become acquainted with the mentioned working areas.

Other

The University seeks to increase the proportion of women on its staff and applications by suitably qualified female candidates will be preferred. Qualified candidates with physical disabilities will be given preferential consideration.

Further Information

For further information please contact:
twfw@ae.uni-kiel.de