Please see details below for grant opportunities for PhD’s with focus on the religion in the contemporary world or those wishing to work within a multidisciplinary setting, proposing to study religion, culture and cognition. Details should be presented to either Jørn Borup or Armin W. Geertz, details below.

For those interested in pursuing study or research with the following research groups at the Department of Culture and Society, Aarhus University:

1. Center for Contemporary Religion (CCR)

2. Religion, Cognition and Culture Research Unit (RCC)

Grant applications

AUFF, the Aarhus University Research Foundation invites interested Master or PhD students to apply for grants to be awarded during the first half of 2012.

http://www.au.dk/en/facultiesdepartmentsetc/otherunits/tilknyt/auff/

The foundation’s objective is to support scientific and scholarly research at Aarhus University. The foundation awards grants on the basis of recommendations from Aarhus University. In the evaluation of applications and recommendations, emphasis is placed on academic excellence and on supporting initiatives with the potential to strengthen strategically important research efforts.

The eligible applicant for AUFF is the head of the graduate school. This call is directed to interested Master or PhD students to send forward an expression of interest to:

1. Center for Contemporary Religion (CCR). The CCR constitutes a base for general interest in contemporary issues regarding religion and society. CCR was founded as collaboration between researchers within the Study of Religion and researchers within Theology, but now being placed at the Department of Culture and Society, the center organises research focusing on religion and society in the contemporary world.

2. Religion, Cognition and Culture Research Unit (RCC). The RCC explores the dynamic interrelationships between religion, cognition and culture from both top-down and bottom-up disciplinary approaches. Its scientific methodology is explicitly interdisciplinary and draws on and practices laboratory methods as well as fieldwork, textual, iconological and archaeological methods in close cooperation with its partners in psychology, the neurosciences and the humanities.

The CCR and RCC will send selected candidates further to the head of the graduate school. If more than one candidate is recommended, the head of the graduate school is responsible for ranking the candidates. The head of the graduate school is also responsible for the qualitative evaluation of the potential doctoral student.

Application deadline

Applicants wanting to be associated with CCR should send an expression of interest to Jørn Borup (JB@teo.au.dk)

Applicants wanting to be associated with RCC should send an expression of interest to Armin W. Geertz (AWG@teo.au.dk)

The deadline for application is January 24, 2012.

Funds are distributed in May and December.

The next call for grant applications to the Aarhus University Research Foundation will take place in July 2012.

FUNDING TO FURTHER THE INTERNATIONALISATION OF PHD EDUCATION AT AARHUS UNIVERSITY

Projects and initiatives which are eligible for support:

A. Recruitment of talented foreign researchers to PhD programmes at Aarhus University

Purpose

To increase the number of highly qualified foreign PhD students at Aarhus University. Grants to enable a potential foreign applicant to visit Aarhus University for one to three months are available. The goal of the visit is to facilitate a thorough qualitative evaluation of the potential applicant to a PhD programme at Arhus University. Examples of relevant activities in which a foreign candidate might participate include courses, summer school, and workshops; laboratory work; or developing a PhD project in collaboration with his/her supervisor. The candidate is to be evaluated by his/her supervisor at the end of his/her stay. This evaluation may be included in the candidate’s application for admission to a PhD programme at Aarhus University. Danish citizens are not eligible for this grant. Students with qualifying examinations from Danish institutions are not eligible.

Funding available

Applications for funds to cover the following costs will be considered:

* An introductory grant for the foreign candidate (DKK 10,000 per month)

* Travel expenses (DKK 15,000 maximum)

* Expenses related to courses, workshops, laboratory work, etc. (DKK 20,000 maximum)

Maximum total funding available per candidate: DKK 65,000

Evaluation criteria

Applications will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

* The foreign candidate’s qualifications in relation to the research field of the section to which he/she is considering applying

* The ability of the institutional research culture to host the candidate’s visit successfully

* Additional documentation of the foreign candidate’s qualifications (where applicable)

The following documentation must be submitted along with the application

* The foreign candidate’s CV

* Reasons from both principal supervisor and the head of the graduate school in question in support of the candidate’s stay, including any strategic considerations related to the recruitment of doctoral students from specific universities, countries or regions

* Documentation of PhD scholarships the foreign student would be able to apply for

B. Funding for a term of research at Aarhus University for doctoral students enrolled at a foreign university

Purpose

To increase the number of highly qualified foreign PhD students at Aarhus University, thereby contributing to the internationalisation of doctoral education at the university, by establishing three to six-month research collaborations with foreign doctoral students. During their term of study at AU, foreign PhD students may (for example) participate in research activities, PhD courses, summer schools and workshops: perform laboratory work and/or work on their PhD theses, in order to complete a limited portion of their doctoral work at AU. Doctoral students with Danish citizenship are not eligible.

Funding available

* Fellowships (DKK 5,000 – 10,000 per month)

* Travel expenses (DKK 15,000 maximum)

* Expenses related to courses, workshops, laboratory work, etc. (DKK 20,000 maximum)

Maximum total funding available per candidate: DKK 65,000

Evaluation criteria

Applications will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

* The foreign student’s individual qualifications

* The foreign candidate’s qualifications in relation to the research field of the section at which he/she would continue his/her studies

* The ability of the institutional research culture to host the candidate’s term of study successfully

* The extent to which the foreign student’s presence would strengthen the institutional collaboration between the foreign student’s home university and Aarhus University

The following documentation must be submitted along with the application

* The foreign student’s CV

* The head of the graduate school’s reasons in support of the candidate’s term of study at AU, including any strategic considerations related to the recruitment of doctoral students from specific universities, countries or regions