We offer 4 fully-funded doctoral research positions (75%, TV-L E13, 3 years with the possibility of continuation funding).

The causes and consequences of regional disparities are subject to a lively debate both in academia and in public. The overarching goal of our graduate program in “Regional Disparities and Economics Policy” is to provide an outstanding education for doctoral students in its research area while at the same time contributing to frontier research in its field. Combining the expertise of scholars from different backgrounds (e.g. labor, public, macro, gender, health and regional economics) and thus different methodological skills, institutional knowledge, and data access, our program promises internationally visible scientific output and an excellent academic training environment for PhD candidates.

The Research Training Group (RTG 2484) “Regional Disparities and Economic Policy” is funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and run jointly by the University of Duisburg-Essen, the Ruhr-University of Bochum and the Technical University Dortmund. We welcome applications by PhD candidates interested in our research area. 

Application deadline: September 5, 2023.

What we offer:

• A tailor-made qualification program, enabling high-quality PhD dissertations in three years, including targeted course-work, funding for (international) research stays, conference and summer school participation, as well as an excellent supervision environment and job market support.

• A unique research environment and infrastructure in the dynamic Ruhr Valley Region in Germany, with ten principal investigators at four economics departments, an extensive network of local and international expertise that is regularly tied into the qualification and research program.

• We are dedicated to the promotion of equal opportunity and diversity and therefore encourage applications from females, minority groups, parents, and people with different national backgrounds.

• The program is entirely in English and we support accepted international students in obtaining visa, housing, etc.

What we expect from successful candidates:

• A research oriented master’s degree by October 2023 in Economics or a related field. A strong background in Economics at the advanced Master’s level is desired, but can to some extent be compensated by a strong background in Mathematics or Statistics.

• Advanced skills in econometrics as well as experience in programming and in dealing with large data sets is advantageous.

• A strong passion for research and a willingness to engage in one or more sub-fields within economics, including labor, public, macro, gender, or health economics, with the purpose of capturing and analyzing regional disparities in the selected field.

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Application Manual: 

1.Application form

2. Motivation letter (not exceeding two pages)

3.Academic CV

4.Master degree transcripts (make sure these are recent copies. If the Master or Bachelor transcript is not in English or German, you may provide an unofficial translation along with the scan of the original. An official translation is needed in case of acceptance.)

5.Bachelor degree transcripts (An official translation may be needed in case of acceptance)

6.German High School Diploma (Abitur), if applicable.

7.GRE / GMAT (a scanned version of the score report is sufficient. We do not have an institutional code for direct receipt). GRE/GMAT results are not strictly necessary but highly recommended for applicants who do not possess the German “Abitur”.

8.TOEFL /IELTS (a scanned version of the score report is sufficient). A test of English proficiency is required only if (a) you are not a native speaker and (b) the language of instruction of your Master’s program was not English and (c) you do not possess a German Abitur.

9. Any additional supporting material you deem relevant for your application.

The application deadline is September 5, 2023. Please send all documents in a single “pdf” file. You can find the  detailed application requirements and manual in the following APPLICATION FORM. There is no application fee.

In addition to this form and merged documents specified therein, a complete application requires two letters of recommendation from university professors / instructors, to be sent directly to us by these referees, using the following form: RECOMMENDATION FORM.

If you have any questions regarding the application process, please direct them to Cagla Diner at cagla.diner-eken@uni-due.de

We are looking forward to your applications!