PhD student in Gender Studies

Job Description

We are now recruiting a PhD student in the Department of Gender Studies.

Gender Studies is an interdisciplinary subject within the Faculty of Social Sciences. The department has a well-developed research environment with clear roots in feminist, queer, and trans, as well as post/decolonial, theory and method. Researchers in the environment are prominent in developing and problematizing various understandings of gender and gender relations and have a long tradition of exploring gender and sexuality from a critical, intersectional, postcolonial, and interdisciplinary perspective in global and local contexts.

The PhD program is conducted full-time, and the PhD student will meet the requirements for a doctoral degree and actively participate in the department's activities. The position as a PhD student is a four-year full-time position that may require teaching or other departmental work up to 20%, which can extend the total employment period to a maximum of five years.

Research at the Department of Gender Studies combines highly developed theoretical frameworks with solid, rich, and reflective empirical analysis, with strengths in intersectional perspectives on gender and sexuality and feminist methods. The call is open for research applications aligned with the scientific profile of the environment, see Gender studies at LU.

The working language in the PhD program is mainly English, and non-Swedish-speaking PhD students are expected to acquire basic skills in Swedish during the employment period. The position as a PhD student is to be taken up on 2025-09-01. The study plan and other information about the PhD program are available at: Doctoral Handbook | Department of Gender Studies. 

Eligibility

Basic eligibility for education at the doctoral level is held by those who have completed a degree at the advanced level, completed course requirements of at least 240 higher education credits, of which at least 60 higher education credits are at the advanced level, or otherwise acquired essentially equivalent knowledge in Sweden or abroad. Special eligibility for admission to the PhD program in Gender Studies is held by those who have completed course requirements of at least 30 higher education credits in Gender Studies at the advanced level, of which at least 15 higher education credits consist of work at the advanced level or equivalent knowledge acquired within or outside the country.

When appointing a PhD student position, the student's ability to benefit from the PhD program shall primarily be considered. Those employed as PhD students may, in addition to their studies, be required to work with educational tasks, research, and administration according to specific regulations in the ordinance.

Employment of PhD students is regulated in the Higher Education Ordinance.

Assessment Criteria

Only those admitted to education at the doctoral level may be appointed to a position as a PhD student. Upon admission, the degree of ability to benefit from the PhD program shall primarily be considered. Ranking of applicants is based on an overall assessment of the quality of submitted thesis work and submitted research plan, as well as personal suitability. As doctoral studies are very demanding, the applicant must be highly motivated and able to work independently under pressure. Good cooperation and communication skills are also required, as well as good knowledge of English in both speech and writing. Interviews will be conducted with a limited selection of applicants at the final stage of the admission process. Applicants may be asked for work samples even after the application has been submitted.

Application Procedure

Applications are made electronically via Lund University's applicant portal. The application must include:

• Personal letter in Swedish or English, comprising a maximum of 1,000 words, containing a brief presentation of yourself and a brief description of why you are interested in the PhD program in Gender Studies.
• CV in Swedish or English showing eligibility for the PhD program in Gender Studies.
• Degree certificates and transcripts in Swedish or English.
• Master's thesis/other publications and possibly other merits relevant to the position.
• A brief research plan of no more than 5 pages in Swedish or English, excluding references.
• A work sample consisting of a selection of a feminist/gender studies text (article, chapter, or book) that has been particularly important to you.

Analyze the text based on the following questions:

1. What are the author's main points?
2. How would you exemplify the text's arguments on your own?
3. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the text? Discuss how the text has influenced your intellectual work (your thesis, your research idea).

Your paper should be a maximum of 1500 words and can be written in English, Swedish, Danish, or Norwegian.

• Names and contact details of two references.
• Other documents relevant to the position. 

We welcome your application!