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Vacancies | 17 fully funded PhD studentships in Sport Ethics and Integrity, to The Doctoral Training Network in Sport Ethics and Integrity (DAiSI). Apply no later than September 11, 2023

September 4, 2023

Did she get the job? (Shutterstock/Antonio Guillem)

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action (MSCA), Doctoral Training Network (DTN) and Sport Ethics and Integrity (DAiSI) invite applications for individual research projects for Doctoral Candidates (DCs).

Consortium Partners and Legend

KU Leuven (Consortium Lead), Leuven/Belgium (KUL); Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz/Germany (JGU); Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Oslo/Norway (NSSS); Swansea University, Swansea/Wales (SU); University of Lausanne, Lausanne/Switzerland (UNIL)

Associated Partners and Legend

Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU); Biathlon Integrity Unit (BIU); Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA); International Olympic Committee (IOC); Union of European Football Associations (UEFA); United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC); and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

The DoctorAl Training Network in Sport Ethics and Integrity (DAiSI) has established an interdisciplinary network of research institutions and non-governmental organisations in the field of sport ethics and integrity. It will produce a cohort of doctoral candidates (DCs) that are capable of understanding, developing, and critiquing the complex ethico-legal challenges in sporting contexts around the globe. The DAiSI Doctoral Training Network (DTN) will form a new generation of experts and sport officials equipped with the necessary theoretical and methodological skills to identify, prevent, and manage current and future threats to sport integrity in both sport ruling and sport-related government bodies. The DTN will contribute to the development of the European dimension of sport, taking into account the specific characteristics of sport and the importance of sport integrity. In so doing, it will directly respond to objective 3, 6 and 9 of the EU Work Plan, to: “Support a sustainable and evidence-based sport policy”; “Strengthen the international dimension of EU sport policy, especially through exchanges and collaboration with governments and stakeholders outside the EU,”; and to “Intensify the dialogue and cooperation at EU level with the sport movement and other relevant stakeholders…” (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:42020Y1204(01)&rid=1).

The research objectives of the EU-funded MSCA DAiSI DTN are to:

1. 1. Conceptualise sports integrity in a coherent and complex model, drawing from multiple disciplines and stakeholders’ standpoints, identifying and classifying specific threats to sport integrity to be adopted across the DN and establishing a “paradigm” for the field;
  2. Investigate 17 specific threats to sports integrity and their causes at macro (Organisational integrity: national and international), meso (Competition integrity), and individual (Personal integrity) level, laying the argumentative and evidentiary bases for public policy makers and sports organisations to deal more consistently and effectively with these and related threats;
  3. Develop, justify, and disseminate a holistic and strategic interdisciplinary methodology drawing together disciplinary traditions, theories, and research findings to form a paradigm for all future integrity research; and
  4. Develop evidence-based policy recommendations for governmental and sport ruling bodies governance development and reform, helping them deal more effectively with the scandals and other threats to the integrity and values of sport that undermine its societal function and legitimacy.

Each of the 17 research projects is an interdisciplinary combination of ethical, legal, and social dimensions. Joint degree PhDs will be awarded to the successful candidates by two of the consortium partners. Moreover, each project is characterised by joint supervision reflecting this philosophy and is supported by one or more prestigious sport or sport related institutions: Athletics Integrity Unit; Biathlon Integrity Unit; Federation of International Football Associations; International Olympic Committee, Union of European Football Associations; United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime; and the World Anti-Doping Agency.

Each of the DAiSI consortium partners will advertise their respective PhDs with further details on their university websites and EURAXES (https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/). Each partner will use the generous EU Researcher Allowances (living, mobility, and if applicable, family) to cover both the employee’s as the employer’s mandatory charges.

The deadline for applications will usually be 5pm CET 11 September 2023, but please check the different PhD projects for the respective deadlines and application windows because these can differ.

We anticipate that video interviews will be held for all candidates between 9-23 October, to facilitate a January 1, 2024 start.

Early applications are strongly encouraged. Applicants will normally hold a Bachelor and Master Degree (with distinction). Please also note the following information will apply to all DAiSI Doctoral awards:

- - The doctoral candidate does not yet have a PhD at the start of his/her assignment.
  - The doctoral candidate has not resided or carried out his/her main activity (e.g. work, studies) in the country of recruitment (see underneath) for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the start of his/her assignment.
  - The doctoral candidate is recruited for a maximum of 36 months.

All applicants must have a minimum 6.5 IELTS language competency or equivalent, or a Bachelor degree in the English language (full details: https://www.kuleuven.be/english/application/lang/lang-test). Provide details of this in your application.

If you intend to apply for more than 1 of the DAiSI PhDs, then you may indicate 1-3 PhDs that you are interested in, in ranked order, in your motivation letter by using the DC numbers mentioned underneath.

Initial contact may be made with the supervisors of the different projects.