How To Apply for 2021 Laskaridis Ph.D. Fellowship in Modern Greek Studies

The Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation invites applications for one PhD fellowship in the field of Modern Greek studies. The selected applicant will pursue his/her doctoral research in English in the Faculty of Humanities, under the supervision of the Marilena Laskaridis Chair of Modern Greek Studies at the University of Amsterdam.

The fellowship is for a period of 3 years (starting date: September 2021 – December 2021). The fellowship is granted on a competitive basis and by application.

The call for applications is open to research projects in the humanities or at the intersection of the humanities and social sciences that engage with aspects of Modern Greek culture, with a preference for proposals that involve any of the following areas, themes or points of focus:

• The shifting position of contemporary Greece and its culture(s) in Europe, the Mediterranean or the Global South; particularly, 20th- and 21st century Greek literature and culture in transnational, comparative contexts and/or as part of wider theoretical and sociopolitical debates (e.g., on crisis, populism, nationalism, ecocriticism, biopolitics, globalization, mobility, translation, decolonization).
• Innovative interdisciplinary projects engaging aspects of Greek culture by combining theoretical approaches and methodologies from the humanities and social sciences.
• The cultural imprint and legacies of recent and ongoing crises in Greece and alternative narratives of the present and the future (including utopian/dystopian imaginaries in literature and art, the role of social movements, subcultures, countercultures, counterpublics etc.)
• New literature(s) in Greece, with emphasis on accented, hyphenated, multilingual, exilic, diasporic, migrant, LGBTQ+ voices; new approaches to 20th- and 21st-century Greek literature.

Stipend

• The fellowship offers a stipend of €1,200 per month (with a total of €43,200 for the period of three years) by the Laskaridis Foundation with the purpose of covering accommodation, research-related travel, and other living expenses during the period of the doctoral research. The candidate’s progress is evaluated at the end of each year by the supervisors and research school: upon a positive evaluation, the fellowship is renewed for the next year.

Eligibility

To be considered eligible for this fellowship, the following criteria apply:

• A Master’s (or equivalent) degree with distinction in a field relevant to the proposed PhD project. The Master’s degree should be granted with a GPA of at least 8/10 (for Greek and Dutch universities) or the equivalent thereof for other universities.
• Candidates may apply if they have not yet completed their Master’s degree only if they provide a signed letter from their MA thesis supervisor or their university’s administration stating that they will graduate before September 1, 2021.
• Excellent command of English.
• Excellent research skills.
• Full application documents submitted by the provided deadline (April 15, 2021), including a research proposal within one of the fields or themes listed.
• Applicants cannot already be enrolled or employed as Ph.D. candidates at the University of Amsterdam or elsewhere.

Selection Criteria

Complete applications that meet all the formal criteria will be reviewed by an interdisciplinary scientific committee comprising members from the Foundation, the University of Amsterdam, and another, external university.

Applications will be evaluated based on:

• The scientific quality and innovative character of the proposed research project
• The quality of the applicant’s CV and academic record
• Motivation for wishing to conduct the proposed project at the University of Amsterdam and match of the project with listed topics and fields in the context of the Marilena Laskaridis Chair.

How To Apply

Applicants are requested to submit the following documents by 15 April 2021:

• A research proposal of max. 1500 words (excluding bibliography) with the following sections:
  • summary of the proposed project
  • outline of the main issue/problem/question and the project’s objectives
  • methodology
  • objects of research
  • time-frame for the proposed project.
• A motivation letter (max. 300 words) laying out the reasons for wishing to conduct Ph.D. research and for pursuing this project at the University of Amsterdam.
• A Curriculum Vitae that lists (at least) the following information:
  • Full address and contact details
  • Previous education
  • Professional information (previous university or relevant employment, if applicable)
  • Grants/honors
  • Conference presentations and publications, if applicable
  • Language proficiency
• Copies of Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees and academic transcripts. At this stage, a certified document is not yet necessary. If these documents are originally in Greek they need not be translated into English. In case the Master’s degree has not yet been completed by the application deadline, the applicant is required to submit a copy of the academic transcripts and a signed letter from their MA thesis
  supervisor or their university’s administration stating that they will graduate before September 1, 2021.
• Copy of certificate of proficiency in English. The following tests and certificates are accepted (NB: IELTS and TOEFL results should not be older than 2 years from the date of submission):
  • Cambridge CPE (Certificate of Proficiency in English)
  • Cambridge CAE (Certificate of Advanced English): minimum score 190
  • IELTS Academic: minimum scores: 7 overall, minimum 6.5 on each sub-score
  • TOEFL iBT: minimum overall score: 95

For more information, visit Laskaridis Ph.D. Fellowship

Application Deadline: April 15, 2021