CFA: Summer Research Visitor Programme at the Global Priorities Institute, Oxford

The recently established Global Priorities Institute (GPI) at the University of Oxford invites applications for its Summer Research Visitor Programme, to take place during Trinity Term, 2019 (April 28th to June 22nd). 

We are looking for researchers to investigate theoretical issues that arise for actors who wish to use some amount of their scarce resources to do as much good as possible. The programme is intended for PhD students and early career researchers in philosophy, economics, and other relevant fields. Within philosophy, many of GPI's research questions fall under ethics, decision theory, and formal epistemology, but applicants whose work focuses on other areas of philosophy are also encouraged to apply.

About the programme:

Each visiting researcher will work on an individual project during his/her stay in Oxford. Project topics will have central importance to questions of how to do good effectively; they may be taken from the Institute's current research agenda (https://bit.ly/2s1aMec), although we are also open to other suggestions that are consistent with GPI’s core mission. Projects may be related to the researcher’s previous work (including PhD thesis), but need not be.

Visiting researchers will ‘own’ their own projects and will work largely independently, but will have regular opportunities to discuss their project with other researchers at the Institute. They will have the opportunity to present their work at our work-in-progress seminar, and will be invited to attend our weekly seminar series and other internal events.  

The Global Priorities Institute will cover the cost of travel to Oxford and accommodation for the duration of the programme. 

How to apply:  

Applications are considered as a gathered field twice a year. For summer 2019, the application deadlines are July 31st, 2018 (early round) and November 30th, 2018 (late round). Applicants are encouraged to apply in the early round if possible; spaces remaining for the late round may be more scarce.

To apply, please send the following materials to Hayden Wilkinson ([email protected]):

• A current curriculum vitae (maximum 4 pages).
• 2-3 academic reference letters, including one from your PhD supervisor.
• A short statement (up to 1 page) outlining your reasons for wishing to take part in this programme, and the nature of your interest in and experience of global priorities research and/or effective altruism.
• A research proposal (up to 1 page). This can be anything from a detailed suggestion for a particular project you would like to undertake, to a brief indication of which parts of GPI’s research agenda you would be most interested in working on.
  
  • If you do supply a relatively concrete proposal, please also indicate the extent to which you would be open to working on other projects if these are of greater interest to GPI.
  • You will not be penalised for supplying a less concrete research proposal. We appreciate that some applicants may have little existing background in GPI-related research, and are happy to work with successful applicants to develop more concrete ideas.
  • Applications will be judged primarily on the basis of (1) academic excellence and (2) potential for producing high-quality research on themes of interest to GPI. Regarding (1): Successful applicants will be working at or beyond the level of a strong graduate student in a top-ranked programme. Regarding (2): an aptitude for interdisciplinary work is an advantage, as are background knowledge of and interest in effective altruism.

Applicants will be notified of whether or not their application has been successful within one month of the relevant application deadline.  

For more information, visit https://globalprioritiesinstitute.org or view our research agenda at https://bit.ly/2s1aMec. Queries not addressed above or on GPI's website may also be directed to [email protected]