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PhD Studentship: The Institute of Cognition and Culture at Queen’s University Belfast and the Religion, Cognition, and Culture unit at Aarhus University

The Institute of Cognition and Culture at Queen’s University Belfast and the Religion, Cognition, and Culture unit at Aarhus University are offering a new joint PhD studentship in the cognitive science of religion.
Applications would be welcome regarding the intersection of atheism or non-religion and cognitive science.

Please see details below and contact Paulo Sousa p.sousa@qub.ac.uk for questions regarding the first studentship, available for this upcoming year (2014-2015). 

 
A new Doctoral programme in the cognitive the science of religion has been established by Aarhus University (Graduate School of Arts/Religion, Cognition and Culture Research Unit–see http://www.rcc.au.dk/) and Queen’s University, Belfast (School of History and Anthropology/Institute of Cognition and Culture—see http://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/InstituteofCognitionCulture/).Students should apply for admission via one of the two Universities, and will be considered in line with their normal Postgraduate Admission Procedures, which require, among other things, a research proposal on a topic relevant to the cognitive science of religion. The normal duration of the Doctoral programme is full time for three years. In general, admitted students will spend the first six months and the last six months of their doctoral studies at the University where they are admitted. The intervening 24 months are spent according to a PhD plan established for each individual student. In completion, the student receives a single degree certificate issued by Aarhus University and Queen’s University.

Each University agreed to provide two fellowships to support the programme. One fellowship shall be available each year—Queen’s University will allocate funding in the academic years 2014-15 and 2016-17, while Aarhus University will allocate funding in academic years 2015-16 and 2017-18. Students who wish to compete for a fellowship will be required to apply to the University responsible for offering the support in the related year. For more information about the programme, please contact Armin W. Geertz (AWG@teo.au.dk) or Paulo Sousa (p.sousa@qub.ac.uk)

 

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Posted on by Beth Calls for Papers, News, Uncategorized

Funding opportunity: The John Templeton Foundation is launching a competition to advance the scientific study of religious cognition.

The John Templeton Foundation is launching a $3m funding competition to
advance the scientific study of religious cognition.

Purpose and scope: Scientific descriptions of how people think about God
and gods are currently fragmented across sub-disciplines of the
psychological, cognitive, and social sciences. This competition is
designed to promote integration of ten existing lines of research and to
generate and test new hypotheses that emerge from this integration.
Applicants may request up to $250,000 for empirical or conceptual projects
of up to 30 months in duration.

Eligibility: The competition is open to researchers worldwide. Proposals
are encouraged from — but not limited to — scholars in the disciplines
of psychology, cognitive science, anthropology, religious studies,
sociology, philosophy, linguistics, and computer science.

Deadline for online funding inquiries (letters of intent): October 1, 2013

Full details are available at
http://www.templeton.org/what-we-fund/funding-competitions/gods-in-minds-the-science-of-religious-cognition

============================================================================================
NSRN members: note that this special call includes how atheists think
about supernatural agents; note also the general open-submission call for
grant proposals, to which proposals on all aspects of non-religion are
welcomed.
Note also that the Fall Funding Cycle for open submission is now open, and
that proposals relating to all topics within the Foundation’s core funding
areas (which range from quantum physics to religious nones to archaeology)
are also welcome; visit https://portal.templeton.org/login to apply. The
deadline for core area online funding inquiries is also October 1.

Learn more about JTF’s grantmaking process here:
http://www.templeton.org/what-we-fund/our-grantmaking-process

Learn more about Sir John Templeton’s philanthropic vision here:
http://www.templeton.org/sir-john-templeton/philanthropic-vision

============================================================================================

Posted on by Beth Uncategorized

Job Opportunity: Tenure track assistant professor in sociology of religion at Purdue Univeristy

Purdue University is searching for a tenure-track asst. prof. position in sociology of religion for fall of 2014 (deadline before October 15th). The announcement and description can be found on the department’s website at http://www.cla.purdue.edu/sociology/documents/asst_religion2013.pdf

Purdue University, The Department of Sociology invites applications for an Assistant Professor position beginning Fall 2014. We seek a scholar whose primary research and teaching interests are in the sociology of religion. The candidate should have a vibrant research program and will be expected to provide teaching excellence at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Interest in teaching social theory is a plus, but is not required for full consideration. A Ph.D. in Sociology is required by the time of appointment. Complete applications include:

(1) a letter of application describing research and teaching interests;

(2) curriculum vitae;

(3) teaching evaluations, if available;

(4) a writing sample; and

(5) three letters of recommendation.

Electronic applications are required in the form of two PDFs, one consisting of documents 1-3 (ordered as specified above) and the other consisting of the writing sample. Letters of recommendation should be sent directly by the recommenders. Address all materials including letters of recommendation to: Sociology Faculty Search Committee, jasmundm@purdue.edu, Department of Sociology, Purdue University, 700 W. State Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2059. Purdue offers competitive salaries and excellent benefits. The university is located in an affordable metropolitan area of 167,000 people, conveniently located between Indianapolis and Chicago. Review of applicants will begin on October 15, 2013, but applications received after this date will be accepted until the position is filled. A background check will be required for employment in this position. Purdue University is an equal opportunity/equal access/affirmative action employer fully committed to achieving a diverse workforce.

Posted on by Beth News, Uncategorized

Funding opportunity: The John Templeton Foundation is launching a $3m funding competition to advance the scientific study of religious cognition

Note that this special call includes how atheists think
about supernatural agents; note also the general open-submission call for
grant proposals, to which proposals on all aspects of non-religion are
welcomed.

The John Templeton Foundation is launching a $3m funding competition to
advance the scientific study of religious cognition.

Purpose and scope: Scientific descriptions of how people think about God
and gods are currently fragmented across sub-disciplines of the
psychological, cognitive, and social sciences. This competition is
designed to promote integration of ten existing lines of research and to
generate and test new hypotheses that emerge from this integration.
Applicants may request up to $250,000 for empirical or conceptual projects
of up to 30 months in duration.

Eligibility: The competition is open to researchers worldwide. Proposals
are encouraged from — but not limited to — scholars in the disciplines
of psychology, cognitive science, anthropology, religious studies,
sociology, philosophy, linguistics, and computer science.

Deadline: October 1, 2013

Full details are available at
http://www.templeton.org/what-we-fund/funding-competitions/gods-in-minds-the-science-of-religious-cognition

============================================================================================

Note also that the Fall Funding Cycle for open submission is now open, and
that proposals relating to all topics within the Foundation’s core funding
areas (which range from quantum physics to religious nones to archaeology)
are also welcome; visit https://portal.templeton.org/login to apply. The
deadline for core area proposals is also October 1.

Learn more about JTF’s grantmaking process here:
http://www.templeton.org/what-we-fund/our-grantmaking-process

Learn more about Sir John Templeton’s philanthropic vision here:
http://www.templeton.org/sir-john-templeton/philanthropic-vision

============================================================================================

Posted on by Beth News, Uncategorized

Postdoctoral position: Laboratory for Experimental Research of Religion

Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Cognition and Culture

The Laboratory for the Experimental Research of Religion at Masaryk University is looking to recruit a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Cognition and Culture. The successful candidate will be employed to work under the supervision of Dr. Dimitris Xygalatas (Director) on experimental studies of religion. The post involves carrying out behavioural experimental research in the LEVYNA lab facilities and in naturalistic settings.

Responsibilities include contributing to the training and mentoring of graduate researchers from the humanities who work in experimental methods, providing help with research design and data analysis, and publishing peer-reviewed articles.

Candidates are expected to hold a PhD in Psychology, Cognitive Science, or any related discipline with a focus on behavioural research (e.g. Behavioural Economics, Behavioural Ecology, Behavioral Neuroscience, etc). The successful candidate will be required to have experience in running empirical studies and good knowledge of statistics and quantitative data analyses (SPSS or other statistical packages). Prior theoretical and empirical knowledge in the area of the scientific study of religion is desirable but not necessary.

The position will be located at the LEVYNA Laboratory for the Experimental Research of Religion, in Brno, Czech Republic, an interdisciplinary institute dedicated to the use of experimental methods in researching religious belief and behaviour. LEVYNA is hosted by the Department for the Study of Religion at Masaryk University, and is a senior partner of the Cultural Evolution of Religion Research Consortium (CERC). The centre has excellent connections with all major Cognitive Science of Religion centres.

The post is a full-time position starting September 2013. The appointment will be made for one year, renewable contingent upon external funding.

The deadline for applications is June 19, 2013.
For information on how to apply, please contact the programme manager Kristyna Brožková: brozkovak@phil.muni.cz

Posted on by Beth News, Uncategorized

Postdoctoral Fellowship Opportunity at the University of Göttingen

A new research network at the University of Göttingen has postdoctoral fellowship opportunities in secularism and new religiosities:

The two positions, to begin in October 2013, will be offered as two-year fixed-term contracts on a full-time basis (currently 39,8 hours per week) and will be remunerated at the TV-L E13 level (in accordance with the German public sector pay scale).The pilot project “Secularism and New Religiosities” examines new forms of religiosity that emerge under various regional or national regimes of secularism, and how these are shaped in transnational arenas of cultural, political and legal interaction […] Within this wider context, we invite post-doctoral research proposals that theoretically and empirically analyze new religiosities in comparative perspective; cross-religious as well as cross-regional comparisons are welcome. While the overall project’s main focus is on South Asia, East Asia, and Europe, proposals may broaden the comparative scope by including other regions.Successful applicants must have a PhD in a relevant field, such as history, anthropology, sociology, political science, religious studies, or area studies. Researchers will be based at the University of Göttingen, but will be permitted to conduct fully-funded field research for part of the two-year period, upon consultation with the principal investigators.

Posted on by katieaston News, Uncategorized

Fellowship: Shelby Cullom Davis Center for Historical Studies “Belief and Unbelief”

New Topic for 2012-14: Belief and Unbelief
During the academic years 2012/13 and 2013/14, the Shelby Cullom Davis Center for Historical Studies will focus on belief and unbelief and how they have interacted in history. How has the line been drawn between religion and other forms of deeply held conviction: secularism, secular religions, political theologies, and the like? At issue are not just questions of demarcation and definition but processes: secularization, proselytizing, conversion. How does belief manifest itself in lived experience, in ritual, observance, and daily-life practices? How have people and cultures moved across the borderline between belief and unbelief? How has belief itself become a subject of study, whether from a secular or theological point of view? As always, we hope to address these questions from a wide variety of periods and places, from prehistory to the present and from all parts of the world.

Follow up:
apply for a fellowship.
see information regarding fellowships.
request general program information.
written requests should be addressed to: The Manager, Shelby Cullom Davis Center for Historical Studies,
Department of History,
129 Dickinson Hall,
Princeton University,
Princeton, NJ 08544-1017, U.S.A.

Posted on by katieaston News, Uncategorized

News: Three Doctoral Fellowships in non-religiosity open for applications

ENP_PhD

Three Doctoral Research Fellows (E13 TV-G-U, 75% part-time) are sought by the Emmy Noether “Diversity of Non-Religiosity” Research Group at Goethe-University Frankfurt  based at the Institut für Ethnologie (Social Anthropology, Faculty of Philosophy und History). The start date is 01.11.2012 and the positions are limited to a period of three years.

The Doctoral Fellows will develop their research projects under the supervision of the Principal Investigator. Their main task will be to complete individual research projects in collaboration with the other participants. They will have an independent budget for research and travel expenses. The Research Group further offers interdisciplinary and international collaborations and comprehensive supervision by the Principle Investigator who is also teaching and conducting research on this topic.

The Research Group is organized around the assumption that a comprehensive understanding of the role of religion(s) within contemporary societies has to take the “diversity of non-religiosity” into consideration. The aim of the Doctoral Fellowships is to conduct empirical research on non-religious individuals, groups or phenomena – preferably in different countries. For example topics may include but are not limited to indifference towards religion(s), worldviews alternative to religion(s), or criticism of religion(s) made in relation to atheist, humanist or skepticist thought or identity. The specific object of inquiry, methodology and theoretical approach will depend on the Doctoral Fellows’ training, interest, and research focus. Curiosity about the research topic, intellectual creativity, and an enjoyment of academic collaboration are crucial for the success of the project.

All applicants must hold a master’s degree (M.A.) or an equivalent qualification in anthropology, religious studies, sociology, or a related discipline. The University is an equal opportunities employer and supports women’s career development. Applications from women are thus explicitly welcome. Disabled applicants will be considered preferentially in case of equivalent qualifications.

Please send the electronic version of your application (including cover letter, Curriculum Vitae, university transcript/degree, two letters of recommendation, and a synopsis of the intended research project of approx. 5000 words) to: quack@em.uni-frankfurt.de by 31.07.2012. Please do not hesitate to contact Johannes Quack for further information concerning the research project and the application process.