Northern Ireland in Transition 1991-2011: Two fully-funded PhD studentships
Background
Two fully-funded PhD studentships are to be offered by QUB as part of the successful application to the ESRC to fund the Northern Ireland Longitudinal Study Research Support Unit (NILS-RSU) from 2012 to 2017. These will be focused around the general theme of ‘Northern Ireland in Transition 1991-2011’. This is a key part of the research and dissemination agenda described in the application. The first of the studentships is planned to start in late 2013 and will be based on the linkage of 2011 and 2001 Census data to the Northern Ireland Longitudinal Study (NILS). The other, to commence in late 2014, will take advantage of the full linkage of the 1991 Census data to the NILS. The closing date for applications for the first studentship is 16th September 2013.
The Data
The NILS is a large-scale longitudinal data linkage study. It covers 28% of the Northern Ireland population (based on a sample of 104/365 birthdates drawn from health cards) and has approximately 500,000 members. It is a powerful resource for health, social, demographic and labour market research through time and can be used for finely-grained spatial analysis given its sample size. The linkage of 2011 Census data to the NILS will be completed in Autumn 2013 with the linkage of the 1991 Census data finalised by Autumn 2014. Full details of the resource, its uses to date, and the routes to accessing it are available from the following website (http://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/NILSResearchSupportUnit/).
The Application Process
The two studentships are planned to complement each other within a wider programme of research on change in Northern Ireland 1991-2011 that is being developed within the newly-established QUB Institute for Conflict Transformation and Social Justice . Applications for the first studentship, to commence in 2013, are invited from suitably qualified candidates with strong quantitative backgrounds from any social science discipline (for example, Human Geography, Sociology, Politics, and Public Health/Epidemiology).
Applications should demonstrate an awareness of the research potential of longitudinal data, an understanding of suitable analytical approaches and statistical methods, and an awareness of how the NILS can be used to address the proposed research topic. In more detail, applications should contain the following elements:
1. A CV detailing qualifications and experience.
2. A 1000-word (maximum) research statement that sets out the research question(s) and places it in its context, demonstrating an understanding of relevant literature.
3. A section on how data from the NILS can be used to deal with the research question(s).
4. A section outlining the likely methods to be used for analysis.
5. An outline of the expected timetable (including outputs) for the project.
Applicants should complete the online application form available via Queen’s University postgraduate applications portal. In addition to personal details, you will be asked to provide details about your academic history, transcripts and referees. Please also upload the CV, research statement, data and methods statements and timetable as a single document attachment to the application. Further details on the School and the process of doing a PhD at Queen’s may be found on our web site: http://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/gap/ProspectiveStudents/PostgraduateStudies/
The closing date for applications is 16th September 2013, with interviews to take place within a month of this date. Dr Ian Shuttleworth (i.shuttleworth@qub.ac.uk), who will be the main supervisor, is available to answer informal queries. His research interests include residential segregation, labour market change, political demography, and migration at various spatial scales.
Suggested possible research topics include:
• The demographic bases of national identity (for example, what was the background of those in 2001 who declared themselves to be Northern Irish in the 2011 Census?);
• Young people and social disadvantage (for example, how did those young people aged 18-24 in 2001 with no qualifications fare by 2011?);
• Population dynamics and changing residential segregation (for example, how far was migration important in shaping the demographic profile of small areas in comparison with differentials in births and deaths);
• Occupational and labour market transitions between 2001 and 2011
This topic list is by no means exhaustive and applicants are therefore encouraged to develop their own ideas in consultation with Dr Shuttleworth and the staff of the NILS-RSU (nils-rsu@qub.ac.uk). Suitable second supervisors will be selected from relevant academic staff in QUB according to the research topics identified by the successful candidates.