Ireland- Ad Astra offers PhD Studentship in Classical Archaeology (UCD School of Classics)

The School of Classics at UCD is pleased to invite applications from outstanding candidates for an Ad Astra PhD studentship. The student will work under the supervision of Dr Conor Trainor, Ad Astra Fellow in the School of Classics. The scholarship is open to EU and non-EU candidates and consists of a full fee waiver, an annual stipend of €22,000, and an annual allowance of up to €4,000 for research costs. The scholarship may be held for up to four years full-time, subject to satisfactory performance. The successful applicant must meet the University’s standard PhD admission requirements and be accepted onto the School of Classics PhD programme in time to commence in September 2025.

Applications are invited for research on the following project:

This project will consist of a study of a select body of historical-period material from the site of Knossos, Crete. The successful candidate will have access to previously excavated, unpublished ceramic assemblages the Early Iron Age, Archaic, Classical and Hellenistic and early Roman historical periods. This material is currently stored at the Knossos Research Centre of the British School at Athens. The analysis and interpretation of this material will enhance our understanding of the urban core of Knossos across the historical period, will provide important chronological benchmarks for the archaeology of Crete, and will contribute to knowledge of social, economic and political developments on the island. Initial training in the relevant ceramic sequences at Knossos will be provided by Dr Trainor.

Duties of the position

• Completion and defence of a PhD thesis in Classics, adhering to UCD’s academic standards.
• Production of research outputs and participation in conferences related to the doctoral research.
• Collaboration with the supervisor, which may include joint research outputs.
• Active participation in seminars, workshops, and events relevant to the project within the School of Classics, across UCD, and more widely in the field.
• Completion of 30 ECTS within UCD’s structured PhD programme.
• Completion of UCD’s Research Integrity training.
• Involvement in teaching and tutor training activities, as appropriate.

Prospective applicants may contact Dr Trainor with project-related queries: conor.trainor1@ucd.ie. Other general questions about the application process and UCD may be directed to the Head of School, Dr Jo Day, Joanna.day@ucd.ie

Required selection criteria

• Strong academic record including a Master’s degree in Classics, Archaeology or a cognate field.
• A background in Classical archaeology or a related field of ancient history/material culture.
• Interest in urban development in the Mediterranean during the ancient historical period.
• Experience of archaeological fieldwork and finds processing.
• Experience undertaking and completing independent research.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with an ability to work as part of a team.
• Proof of English language proficiency, if English is not the applicant’s first language (this may not be necessary for applicants who already hold a degree from an English-speaking institution, or have lived/worked in an English-speaking country).
• Please note: the successful candidate must be able to commence their PhD studies no later than September 2025.

Desirable

• Experience working with legacy data.
• Experience working with museum/artefact collections.
• Some knowledge of modern Greek.
• Experience working with archaeological ceramics, ideally in Greece/Crete.

Benefits

The scholarship is open to EU and non-EU candidates and consists of a full fee waiver, an annual stipend of €22,000, and an annual allowance of up to €4,000 for research costs. The scholarship may be held for up to four years full-time, subject to satisfactory performance. The successful applicant must meet the University’s standard PhD admission requirements and be accepted onto the School of Classics PhD programme in time to commence in September 2025.

Organisation/Company – University College Dublin

Research Field –History » Archaeology; History » Ancient history

Researcher Profile – First Stage Researcher (R1)

Country – Ireland

Application Deadline – 7 Feb 2025 – 23:59 (Europe/Dublin)

More information: EURAXESS.