PhD student in Leadership and Command & Control in Stockholm or Karlstad

The Swedish Defence University is located in Stockholm and Karlstad. Read more at www.fhs.se.

The Swedish Defence University hereby announces a position as a PhD student in Leadership and Command & Control, based at the Department of Leadership and Command & Control (ILL) in Stockholm or in Karlstad.

Area of research

Leadership and Command & Control includes research focusing on a number of aspects of leadership and command & control in defence, crisis management and security sectors. The research focus of the position is rather open and the applicant has the opportunity to independently come up with a research plan that fits within the subject.  

For this position a number of research themes has been specified that represent current research and available supervisors at the department. Applicants are invited to write their research plan so that it falls within one of the themes. A description of the research themes, as well as a contact person for each theme, is published here: Thematic areas in the PhD call 2024.

 The specified themes are:

1. Staffing
2. Situational/operational picture and situational awareness
3. Systems for leading
4. Governance and Leadership Challenges in Times of Climate Change and Disasters
5. Leadership during demanding conditions
6. Leadership and context: the impact of the environment
7. The Military officer of tomorrow
8. Professional Ethics with a Focus on Ethical Leadership

In addition to these specified themes, it is also possible to write your research plan within an open theme (no. 9).

Tasks

The holder of a doctoral student position should primarily devote himself or herself to his/her own doctoral education. The doctoral education in Leadership and Command & Control consists of a course component of 75 credits and a dissertation component of 165 credits, a total of 240 credits.

Departmental duties such as teaching and administrative tasks (normally 20 % of a full time employment) may also be included.

Qualifications

Entry requirements for doctoral programmes (third-cycle) require both general and specific eligibility.

The general entry requirements for doctoral programmes (third-cycle) are a Master’s degree (secondcycle), completed courses equivalent to at least 240 ECTS credits, of which at least 60 ECTS credits must be at the postgraduate level (second-cycle), or otherwise acquired equivalent knowledge in Sweden or abroad.

The specific entry requirements for admission to doctoral studies in Leadership and Command & Control, at least 30 higher education credits must be within the main area of Leadership and Command & Control for defense, crisis management, and security (at advanced level) or other assessed relevant education. Futhermore, an approved master’s thesis (degree project) in Leadership and Command & Control or equivalent, of at least 15 credits at advanced level is required.

Assessment criteria

Selection among applicants who meet the entry requirements will be made with regard to their ability to benefit from the doctoral program and will be based on the following assessment criteria: 

• The scientific quality of previous work and the project plan, in regard to independence, methodological clarity and theoretical awareness, analytical ability, critical approach and the ability to communicate clearly. 
• The quality and relevance of previous post graduate education (second cycle), the relevance of the thesis subject, as well as other qualifications relevant for the position. 

The selection is based on a balanced assessment of the above. As basis for the assessment of the scientific quality of previous work, one or more independently authored academic theses or equivalent are required, in Swedish, English, Danish or Norwegian, or in translation to either of these languages. 

To have completed a professional military education is a merit.

Application

Applications are submitted via the Swedish Defence University's recruitment system by clicking on the link ‘Log in and apply for the job’ on the advertisement page. Read more about the admission process here.

Mark your application with reference number Ö 384/2024.

The application must contain:

• Resume (CV) with two references.
• Letter of motivation for the applied position.
• Brief draft of a research plan (max. 6 pages, including references, 12 pt, Times New Roman, single line spacing) with intended focus on dissertation projects where the chosen research theme should be made clear.
• Diplomas and register extracts from previous studies at undergraduate and advanced level at university or college. These must demonstrate eligibility to apply for the doctoral student position. If a degree has been taken at a foreign university, the content and scope of the attained degree must be clearly stated.
• Copy of awarded degree(s).
• Publications (including popular science) and other work the applicant wishes to refer to. Indicate which publication/written work is the main cited work. Label the file with the cited work "Cited work".
• Certificates or other documents the applicant considers to be a merit for the applied position

Completed applications must be received by the Swedish Defence University no later than midnight CET/CEST (Central European Time/Central European Summer Time) on the last application day.

Only complete applications will be considered. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the application is complete and in accordance with what is stated in the advert. Applications must be submitted in English, Swedish, Danish or Norwegian. Documents submitted in other languages must be accompanied by an authorised translation.

The applicant may be invited for interviews in the autumn of 2024, with the aim of making decisions on employment and admission to the doctoral programme well before the spring semester of 2025.

About the position

The position as a doctoral student is full-time. The employment is fixed-term and regulated according to the Higher Education Ordinance, Chapter 5. The doctoral position is located at the Department of Leadership and Command & Control in Stockholm or in Karlstad, starting January 2025. 

A doctoral education is thus equivalent to 240 credits, i.e. four years. With 20 % departmental duties included, the total time for a doctoral student employment is five years. 

Civilian doctoral students are paid according to a locally agreed salary scale, where the starting salary is currently SEK 30 500/month. According to special regulations in the local collective agreement, professional officers are paid the same basic salary as they have in the Swedish Armed Forces or at the Swedish Defence University.
The doctoral student's salary then increases in accordance with the Swedish Defence University's
doctoral ladder.

In addition to the salary, the doctoral student can allocate a sum for travel, literature and other expenses relevant to the programme. This sum amounts to a maximum of SEK 30,000 per year.

The Swedish Defence University strives for equality and diversity in all professional groups. We
welcome applicants from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. For us, it goes
without saying that we have an inclusive working environment and that our employees can combine work with active parenthood.

Employment at the school may involve a security clearance according to the Security Protection Act (2018:55).

The employment may also involve wartime placement. If you are already placed in a wartime position in your current employment at an authority and your expertise is needed in the school's wartime organization, negotiations will take place between the relevant authority and the school regarding your placement.

We welcome applications from both Swedish and international candidates.

Information

Further information about the employment is provided by

• Head of the department Erik Berntson, erik.berntson@fhs.se
• Director of studies Maria Fors Brandebo, maria.forsbrandebo@fhs.se

Welcome with your application no later than the 15th of September 2024.