The Department for Migration and Globalisation at the University for Continuing Education Krems is inviting interested recent graduates in a social science discipline to apply for a short-term research fellowship between mid-June 2026 and mid-September 2026 in preparation of a PhD research proposal for the DOC funding scheme of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (deadline: 15 September 2026).
Thematic focus
The successful visiting fellow will be supported in developing a proposal for a PhD project focusing on informal work1, with a geographical focus on Europe. A focus on Austria or inclusion of Austria in a comparative design is encouraged, but not required.
Prospective PhD candidates are expected to develop an innovative and theory-led angle, for example by embedding their empirical projects in broader discussions on the transformations of work, involving, inter alia the proliferation of non-standard forms of work, the increasing role of platform work, algorithmic management, or the gig economy. Dynamics of informal work in regard to specific groups (such as young persons seeking to enter the labour market, or conversely, older workers, or migrants and refugees) could also be explored. New forms of transnational forms of informal or semi-formal work arrangements (e.g. “digital nomads” or other remote forms of work implicating more than one country and those countries’ policies on taxation, welfare regulations, and labour protections could also be explored. PhD projects may also focus on regulatory dimensions of (un)derdeclared work, specific types of policy interventions, institutional frameworks, specific actors or other relevant policy dimensions. We particularly welcome proposals exploring the intersection of migration, welfare and labour regimes in the case of refugees, persons under subsidiary protection and/or Ukrainians under temporary protection and their role in the production of informal and unregulated work arrangements.
Methods selected by applicants should be appropriate for addressing the research problem. Mixed method approaches are explicitly welcomed. Candidates will in principle have access to research data generated by the REFAIR project (see below) – subject to specific arrangements necessary to provide access.
PhD requirements and embedding in the REFAIR project
PhD dissertations in the PhD program in Migration Studies at the University for Continuing Education Krems follow a paper based model. While presenting a coherent overall framework and overarching research question, full PhD proposals are encouraged to already sketch out ideas for three papers coming out of the dissertation that may also reflect the organisation of the PhD projects and different work packages.
If the funding proposal is successful, the candidate will be admitted to the PhD program in migration studies at the University for Continuing Education Krems in the Winter term 2027/28, and will receive a fixed term employment contract for three years, prospectively starting in October 2027.
The work of the PhD candidate would be embedded in the REFAIR project (Regulating the Grey Zone: Fairness, Informality, and the Boundaries of Work, 2026-2030), a new project funded under the EU’s Horizon Europe research program examining un(der)declared work through the lens of the concept of fairness. The PhD project is expected to be loosely aligned with the focus and framing of the REFAIR project.
Conditions of the fellowship
Under the supervision of Assoc.-Prof. Albert Kraler the visiting research fellow will prepare a sound PhD research proposal by the end of August 2026 for an internal review by the PhD Hearing Committee composed of selected faculty members and a final proposal by 15 September 2026 (call deadline).
During the fellowship, the visiting fellow(s) will be working on the draft proposal, discuss progress with the principal supervisor, Albert Kraler, and receive guidance and feedback from other scholars at the department, including a seminar in which the visiting research fellow will present the initial concept.
The candidate will benefit from an international research environment, a familial atmosphere, and opportunities for intellectual exchange with other researchers as well as other PhD students. In addition, we will also facilitate exchange with other members of the REFAIR consortium. Note that only high-quality proposals will be supported for submission to the funding body.
The visiting research fellowship will largely be virtual, but may also involve a period of physical presence in Krems, either in the first half of July or end of August/early September. Physical presence will be supported by the department by an amount of up to EUR 2000.
Your profile
Applicants for this fellowship are expected to have received a very good master’s degree in a social science discipline, have a proven interest in migration studies, and specifically in issues related to informal and precarious work, have experience working with quantitative and/or qualitative methods and very good oral and written communication skills in English (minimum C1 ). Proficiency in German is desired but not required.
We are looking for candidates who are able to work independently but also enjoy collaborating in an interdisciplinary and diverse team. In addition to these criteria, applicants need to fulfil the selection criteria of the DOC-funding scheme.2
Recent Master's degree
- the Master’s degree must be completed
- the Master’s degree must have been completed no more than two years before (cut-off date = date of Master’s degree certificate; reference date is July 1st of the year of submission, i.e. only candidates who completed their Masters after (including) 1st of July 2024 are eligible)
Excellence
Two out of the three following excellence criteria need to be met by candidates:
- Proof of at least one scientific contribution that has already been published or accepted for publication3
- Academic mobility4
- Scientific engagement5
We value diversity and welcome all applications – regardless of gender, nationality, ethnicity, social origin, religion/belief, disability, age and sexual orientation and identity. Applicants with a migration and displacement background are strongly encouraged to apply.
How to apply
Full applications for this research fellowship include a complete CV, a motivation letter, a short preliminary research proposal of about 2000 to 2500 words outlining initial research ideas (in English), and one writing sample (English or German).
The initial outline for a PhD proposal should contain a description of the research objectives (including a description of the research problem), should outline the research gaps and the specific research questions the proposal addresses, and describe the methods and overall approach used to address the research questions. A tentative timeline could also be annexed, but is not obligatory.
Please send your application by email to phd-migration@donau-uni.ac.at until 15 June 2026.
For further questions regarding the fellowship, please contact Sabina Ertl (Sabina.Ertl@donau-uni.ac.at).
We are looking forward to your application!
1) Informal work here is understood as “working arrangements that are de facto or de jure not subject to national labor legislation, income taxation or entitlement to social protection or certain other employment benefits” (OECD and International Labour Organization. 2019. Tackling Vulnerability in the Informal Economy. Development Centre Studies. OECD. https://doi.org/10.1787/939b7bcd-en). It includes, but goes beyond undeclared work (defined as partial or full non-payment of taxes or social security contributions for remunerated economic work).
2) Taken from https://stipendien.oeaw.ac.at/en/fellowships/doc, but reproduced (in partially abbreviated form) here for ease of reference.
3) Examples of a scientific contribution include original article/paper, book chapter, proceedings, workshop report, poster, review, preprint.
4) Examples of academic mobility include research or study visits to other universities or research institutions (domestic or abroad), international cooperation or co-authorships, bachelor's or master's degree abroad, active participation in international conferences, workshops or summer schools, subject-related internships.
5) Examples of scientific engagement include participation in research projects or third-party funding applications, teaching, organization of scientific events, activities in professional societies, science communication and outreach (e.g. public lectures, popular science contributions, Long Night of Research).
