Opportunities for Oxford PhD Students and Junior Researchers

The scheme is open to doctoral students and early career researchers from the Departments of Politics and International Relations, Social Policy and Intervention, Sociology, and the Oxford Centre for European History.

Doctoral students are invited to apply to OxPo to spend up to an academic year at Sciences Po in Paris. Please check visa requirements (see the OxPo exchange webpage for further links and information). Other student-related information can be found on the SciencesPo website.

Under this OxPo scheme, visiting doctoral students: 

• are affiliated to the Ecole de la Recherche and to one of the SciencesPo research centres or to one of the cross cutting programmes
• have access to the library and a shared working space in SciencesPo
• are invited to join doctoral and other academic seminars in the Ecole del la Recherche and in the various research centres
• can propose Working Papers, which will be posted online
• submit a short report of activities including a list of publications and forthcoming publications, seminar contributions, etc at: oxpo@politics.ox.ac.uk. Reports are examined by the Scientific Management Committee and edited versions of the reports can be posted to help future candidates plan their visit.

There is no specific funding for this scheme. OxPo offers some limited support for travel expenses (€1,200 divided between students). Students are advised to apply to their colleges and/or departments for extra funding.

"The OxPo exchange provided an outstanding opportunity for me to improve my DPhil thesis, to make new connections to experts in the field of education in France and to get to know the culture, tradition and language of France."

- Pia Blossfeld, OxPo visitor 2015

Criteria

OxPo Scientific Management Committee’s priorities:

1. Excellence of the candidate.

2. Fit between the project and the ability of the scholar to fulfil his/her project in either Oxford or Paris and to benefit from the academic environment to be joined. For instance stay in Oxford because of the resources and the prospect of working with other, identified if possible, scholars rather than a need to spend time exploring resources located in a different city.

3. Benefit for the OxPo network in building further institutional connections and new collaborations as well as benefit for the individual scholar's research/career.

4. People who have not taken part in the exchange before have priority, unless there are special circumstances such as the best opportunity to complete a project or the development of a new collaboration or programme.

Applications from PhD students and postdoctoral candidates

All applications for an exchange in the academic year 2024-25 must be written in English, submitted by 11 March 2024 and sent as one single Word document to oxpo@politics.ox.ac.uk.

Applications must include:

• one short CV (maximum length: two A4 pages)

• one letter of motivation (maximum length: two A4 pages), highlighting:

  • the research project or purpose of the application to the exchange scheme, i.e. how the exchange will further their research plans and, in the case of academics, future collaborations

  • the academics you intend to work with in Oxford or in Sciences Po

  • the Sciences Po Research Centre or the Oxford Department (DPIR, Sociology, SPI, OCEH) you feel you would best fit in

  • the planned dates of your stay (if you are applying from Oxford to Sciences Po or if you are a Sciences Po academic applying to Nuffield).

Applications from PhD students and postdoctoral candidates must also include:

• an application form

• a letter of recommendation from your PhD supervisor

• if you are applying for the postdoctoral fellowship and grant, please indicate the date of your PhD defence (as requested in the form). The PhD must be defended prior to going to Oxford.