Our PhD Internship Programme gives registered doctoral students an opportunity to utilize the resources and facilities at UNU-WIDER for their PhD dissertation or thesis research, and to work with UNU-WIDER researchers in areas of mutual interest.
PhD interns typically spend three consecutive months at UNU-WIDER and are expected to return to their home institution afterwards. During their time in Helsinki, PhD interns prepare one or more research papers and present a seminar on their research findings. PhD interns may also have the opportunity to publish their research in the WIDER Working Paper Series. Read about previous intern experiences here.
Selection criteria
Applicants must be enrolled in a PhD programme and have shown ability to conduct research on developing economies. Candidates working in other social sciences may apply but should keep in mind that UNU-WIDER is an economics-focused institute. Candidates should be fluent in oral and written English and possess good quantitative and/or qualitative analytical skills. Applications from suitably qualified early-career, female, and developing country researchers are particularly encouraged. The programme is especially addressed at researchers at later stages of their PhD.
The PhD Internship Programme is highly competitive and only a limited number of interns can be accepted. In recent years, one percent of all applications were successful
Financial assistance
UNU-WIDER provides a travel grant to cover the costs of travel to and from the location of your PhD granting institution, medical insurance (for medical and hospital services resulting from sickness and accident during your stay at UNU-WIDER), and a monthly stipend of EUR 1,600 to cover living expenses in Helsinki during the period of their internship. The programme does not cover expenses related to dependents.
Application procedure
UNU-WIDER only receives online applications for the PhD Internship Programme twice each year. Deadlines for submission of applications are 31 March and 30 September 23:59 EEST each year. When applying in September, you would be visiting UNU-WIDER in the period February-June of the following year and when applying in March, you would be visiting UNU-WIDER in the period August-November of the same year.
Please note that the link to the online application form will only become active one month prior to the submission deadline (e.g., application procedures start on 1 March and 1 September of each year).
Selected applicants will be informed by email of the final decision within four weeks of the closing deadline. The selected applicants must confirm their decision to take up UNU-WIDER's offer two weeks after being contacted.
If you are interested in participating in this programme you should complete and submit the application form.
As part of your application, you will be asked to upload your curriculum vitae. Your PhD supervisor will need to provide UNU-WIDER with a letter of reference, which should be emailed (by your supervisor) to the following address: phdreference(at)wider.unu.edu. The reference letter will also be used to certify that you are enrolled in a PhD programme at your university.
Please note we do not receive applications by email or post.
Contact
If you have questions about the internship programme that are not answered on this page, or if you experience any problems with your online application, please first check our questions and answers page. If you are still experiencing problems please contact us at the following email address: interns1(at)wider.unu.edu
Please note that replies may take up to five working days.
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