PhD Studentship | Social Statistics with focus on Digital and Computational Demography
We are pleased to invite applications to a 3.5-year University of Manchester doctoral studentship in Social Statistics. The studentship is jointly funded by the Social Statistics Department, University of Manchester, UK, and the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR), Germany, one of the world-leading research centres in population sciences.
In many countries, migration has become a key driver of population change. However, traditional data on migration often lack precision, are biased or are reported with large delays. Digital traces and big data often contain information on human mobility but new methods are required to use and integrate these new forms of data with data derived from traditional sources. This is an excellent opportunity for highly-motivated and qualified candidates to work with an international team on developing cutting-edge novel statistical and computational methods in estimating and forecasting human migration with the use of traditional and new forms of data, including for developing and low-income countries. Research outputs will also contribute to the Human Migration Database, currently developed by the MPIDR.
The successful applicant will spend the first 21 months at the Social Statistics Department, University of Manchester. They will be working in a vibrant community of PhD students in Social Statistics, Social Data Analytics and Biosocial Research. They will participate in research activities of the Department, such as seminars and research away-days, and will have an opportunity to teach as Graduate Teaching Assistants. The remainder of the 21 months of the studentship will be spent at the MPIDR in the Department of Digital and Computational Demography. The successful candidate is expected to enrol in the MPIDR IMPRS-PHDS programme.
It is expected that the PhD student will prepare a thesis as a collection of research articles according to the postgraduate research policies of the University of Manchester.
- Bachelor’s (Honours) degree in a cognate subject at 2:1 or above (or overseas equivalent); and
- Master’s degree in a relevant subject – with an overall average of 65% or above, a minimum mark of 65% in your dissertation and no mark below 55% (or overseas equivalent)
English Language
All applicants must provide evidence of English language proficiency:
- IELTS test minimum score – 7.0 overall, 7.0 in writing, 6.5 in other sections.
- TOEFL (internet based) test minimum score – 100 overall, 25 all sections.
- Pearson Test of English (PTE) UKVI/SELT or PTE Academic minimum score – 76 overall, 76 in writing, 70 in other sections.
- To demonstrate that you have taken an undergraduate or postgraduate degree in a majority English speaking nation within the last 5 years.
- Other tests may be considered.
The application deadline will be Midnight (GMT) on 23/02/25. Apply online for PhD Social Statistics at the University of Manchester. Find the full job description and registration form here.
Contact
For informal enquires please contact Arkadiusz Wiśniowski (a.wisniowski@manchester.ac.uk), Emilio Zagheni (zagheni@demogr.mpg.de) or Kingsley Purdam (Kingsley.Purdam@manchester.ac.uk). For enquiries about the application process, please contact the Humanities Doctoral Academy Admissions office (hums.doctoralacademy.admissions@manchester.ac.uk).
Funding Notes
During the period in Manchester, the studentship will cover tuition fees, an annual maintenance stipend £19,237 per annum for 2024/25) and will be able to claim certain expenses from the Research Training Support Grant.
During the period in Germany, the student will receive a gross salary of €37,909 per annum and financial support for travel, training and data acquisition.