DCU Anti-Bullying Centre
DCU Institute of Education
Religious Identity, Bullying, and Wellbeing in Schools
Multi-disciplinary PhD (3 years, full-time)
DCU Anti-Bullying Centre
DCU Anti-Bullying Centre (ABC) is a university designated research centre located in DCU Institute of Education with members drawn from across the university. In line with DCU’s Strategy, the core mission of DCU Anti-Bullying Centre is to be a future focused and globally connected European centre of excellence for research and education on bullying and digital safety.
Through scholarly outputs, education, and societal engagement, the Centre significantly contributes to DCUs research reputation and impact, while enhancing local and international engagement. The Centre comprises approximately 50 members who are engaged in research and education related to bullying and digital safety. The Centre hosts the UNESCO Chair on Bullying and Cyberbullying and the International Journal of Bullying Prevention. From 2018 to 2022 the Centre published over 200 Scopus ranked papers, achieving a current combined Field Weighted Citation Index of 2.4.
Members of the Centre are drawn from all five faculties of the university and are united by our purpose and the mutual support from our global community to achieve our aims. We take pride in our ethical way of working and the positive social impact our research has on tackling bullying and promoting digital safety. We believe our spirit will flourish because we are ethical, ambitious, collaborative, compassionate and committed to tackling bullying and digital safety for wellbeing in society.
Background
This PhD is linked to the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) Action project entitled Religious Identity, Bullying and Wellbeing at School: A Transnational Collaboration (ORBIT) based in DCU Anti-Bullying Centre and led by Professor James O’Higgins Norman and Dr Amalee Meehan. ORBIT delves into the correlation between religious identity, bullying, and wellbeing, and the implications for students, school communities, and European societies. The project provides a conduit for researchers, policy makers, and educators to consider the relationship between religious identity, wellbeing and inclusion, and how religious identity contributes to the wellbeing of individuals, family, communities and societies.
The Role
We are looking for an excellent PhD applicant willing to work in this area from a multidisciplinary and/or comparative perspective.
The selected candidate will:
- Receive an annual non-taxable stipendium of €22,000 full-time (a part-time pro rata rate will apply).
- Receive EU full-time or part-time fees covered (per annum €4095 full-time; €2942 part-time).
- Be a member of ORBIT, the European COST Action project on Religious Identity, Bullying, and Wellbeing in Schools
- Travel and Subsistence to attend ORBIT international meetings twice per year.
- Benefit as a member of DCU Anti-Bullying Centre from working within a rich research environment.
The applicant will be supervised by Dr. Amalee Meehan (School of Human Development & DCU Anti-Bullying Centre) and Prof James O’Higgins Norman, UNESCO Chair in Bullying and Cyberbullying and Director of DCU Anti-Bullying Centre. The selected candidate will be based in DCU Anti-Bullying Centre which is located on DCU’s All Hallows Campus. (Part-time PhD students will not be required to be physically present but will be required to give 8 hours per week to support the ORBIT project in the Centre). In addition the selected candidate will be required to work on their PhD and to contribute to selected research and teaching activities in the context of DCU Anti-Bullying Centre’s contributions to the Faculty and the wider university.
The PhD candidate’s specific duties will include:
- Undertake research leading to a PhD.
- Produce academic papers and reports throughout the course of the PhD.
- Identify and make funding applications for further research on related topics.
- Attend meetings and collaborate with colleagues in the Centre and the ORBIT project.
- Teaching (Full-time PhD only)
Requirements
The ideal candidate will:
- Be interested in/and or have an awareness of the intersection between religious identity, bullying, wellbeing, and schooling.
- Have a background in post-primary education.
- Have experience writing reports, academic papers, proposals.
The successful applicant will meet the eligibility requirements of Postgraduate Research students at IoE, Dublin City University as follows:
- PhD:Candidates holding an appropriate Master’s degree (eg. sociology, religious education, theology, or a related discipline) obtained by research may apply for direct entry to the PhD register to conduct research in a cognate area.
- PhD-track:Candidates with a taught Master’s degree in an appropriate discipline with first or second-class honours, and candidates with a primary degree in an appropriate discipline with first or second-class honours, grade one, may apply and be considered for entry to the PhD-track register with a view to proceeding towards a PhD. Such candidates will undergo a confirmation procedure, as outlined in the Academic Regulations, before being admitted to the PhD register.
Postgraduate Research Study at DCU institute of Education
Committed to academic excellence and innovation, DCU Institute of Education provides a transformative student experience through its PhD Research Programmes. As a centre of excellence in post-graduate research, the IoE hosts internationally recognised experts in its research centres across all sectors of education, from early childhood right up to and including further and higher education. It has an ambitious programme of education research and provides a research environment that is student-centred and inclusive.
Belonging to an academic community is central to any research student’s experience here. Working with, and learning from, global leaders in education research, ensures our students participate in an active academic community. We are committed to a culture of career readiness, providing an education that will equip our research graduates to develop valuable transferable skills. In a world of new opportunities, today’s research graduates need to be adaptable, flexible and innovative. We are confident our research graduates will flourish in the challenging and complex contexts of 21st century societies.
Conditions of the Institute of Education Anti-Bullying Centre ORBIT PhD Studentship
Applicants should have a specialised interest in an area of education and have developed a research proposal that will lead to a research degree of PhD. The successful candidate will be required to register for a part-time or full-time research degree (PhD) at DCU Institute of Education.. The successful candidate will be allocated a supervisory panel for the duration of their studies including an Independent Panel member.
To Apply:
Please email the following documents to Angela Kinahan, Centre Administrator, DCU Anti-Bullying Centre angela.kinahan@dcu.ie.
- Cover letter (indicating if you are interested in part-time or full-time)
- Full Curriculum Vitae
- Copy of transcripts of qualifications
- Research proposal – please use Institute of Education Research Proposal Form which is available to download here
- Please put ABC ORBIT PhD Scholarship in the subject bar of all email communications.
Closing date for receipt of application documentation is 5pm on Friday 23rd August 2024
All shortlisted applicants will be interviewed. Interviews will take place week commencing 2nd September 2024
Informal Enquiries regarding the focus of this PhD scholarship can be made to Dr. Amalee Meehan amalee.meehan@dcu.ie or Prof. James O’Higgins Norman james.ohigginsnorman@dcu.ie
Enquiries regarding the process of completing a PhD at DCU can be made to Dr. Maura Coulter maura.coulter@dcu.ie
NOTE: Qualifications/eligibility may not be verified by Dublin City University until the final stage of the process. Therefore, those candidates who do not possess the eligibility requirements, and proceed with their application, are putting themselves to unnecessary effort/expense and will not be offered a position from this campaign. An invitation to interview or any element of the selection process is not acceptance of eligibility.
This role is part funded by DCU Office of the Vice President for Research, the Government of Ireland, and COST – Cooperation in Science and Technology and is subject to continued funding over the term of the scholarship.
