Recruitment 2022

Notice! This post is updated regularly.

General Information

The establishment of the Interdisciplinary Doctoral School at the University of Warsaw is a response to the challenges faced by academic researchers today. Those challenges consist in conducting innovative research crossing the boundaries between academic disciplines and fields. At the School, doctoral students prepare theses based on achievements in at least two freely elected fields of academic research, with the leading field indicated, or single-field projects without any leading discipline specified.

Under the IDS, there is also the Quantitative Psychology and Economics program, which was developed as part of the University’s Integrated Development Program, with financial support from the European Social Fund within PO WER, Action 3.5. The QPE program, co-created by three leading faculties of the University of Warsaw, includes classes in the field of economics, psychology and data science. Its purpose is to prepare participants to conduct analyzes of large data sets on choices and human behavior, with particular emphasis on irrationality and cognitive limitations. Graduates will be able to find employment primarily in scientific institutions and research departments of innovative corporations.

Limits:

IDS – 20
QPE program – 10

Recruitment schedule 

1. registration in the Internet Registration of Candidates, referred to as “IRK”, submitting an application to the IRK for admission to the Interdisciplinary Doctoral School: from 5th of May to 19th of June 2022;
2. recruitment procedure

• • I st stage of the recruitment procedure: 4 – 14 July, 2022,
  • announcement of result of the I st stage of recruitment : 14 July 2022,
  • publication of interview schedule (II stage) 14July 2022,
  • II nd stage of the recruitment procedure: 21 – 27 July 2022,
  • announcement of the ranking list: 31 July 2022,
  • accepting documents from qualified candidates: 1 August -19 September, 2022,
  • announcement of the list of accepted candidates: on 21 September 2022

Required documents

The candidate shall submit the application for admission to the School only in IRK [LINK – it will be open at later date]. It shall include:

• the application for admission to the School stating the discipline in which the candidate plans to pursue education or, if applying for admission to IDS – the disciplines and the leading scientific discipline (and if there is no leading discipline – disciplines);
• scan of a diploma of completion of the long-cycle Master’s degree programme or second-cycle programme or an equivalent diploma obtained under separate regulations or in the case of candidates pursuing education within the European Higher Education Area –a certificate of obtaining a Master’s degree or a declaration that the diploma or certificate of obtaining a Master’s degree shall be provided by the day determined in the recriutment schedule (the schedule will be probably available in March);
• CV or curriculum vitae containing information on the scientific activity, including the candidate’s scientific interests and achievements in the five calendar years preceding the submission of the application; subject to § 18, para. 5, on, for example: publications, research and organizational work in scientific circles, participation in scientific conferences, participation in research projects, awards and distinctions, research internships, training in research skills, activities popularising science,
  activity in representative bodies of scientific movement, average grade of studies, professional career, knowledge of foreign languages;
• scans of materials confirming the scientific activity indicated in the CV or curriculum vitae;
• statement of knowledge of English at least B2;
• a scan of the statement of the planned promoter on taking up supervision of the promoter and the number of doctoral students for whom he/she remains the designated promoter, according to the model as enclosed in appendix no. 4 to the Resolution, taking into account points 6 and 7; additionally, the candidate may enclose a scan of the opinion of the planned promoter and opinions of other academics on the candidate and his/her scientific activity or research project proposal
• a photograph showing the candidate’s face, allowing for his/her identificationa
• statement whether the candidate is or was a doctoral student or a participant of doctoral studies or has or had a doctoral dissertation or proceedings for awarding the degree of doctor, and if so, the title of the doctoral dissertation or research project prepared by the candidate, with the name of his/her scientific supervisor or promoter
• a declaration that he/she is familiar with the contents of the Resolution [LINK – in Polish] and the contents of art. 40 and art. 41 of the Code of Administrative Proceedings;
• description of the preliminary research project proposal cannot be longer than 14,000 characters with spaces; the limit does not include bibliography and graphs, maps, etc., which can be attached as an annex in the form of a PDF file
  • the description of the initial research project proposal must specify the disciplines covered by the PhD project with the indication of the leading discipline; the research project proposal may also concern a single-discipline but multidisciplinary project, provided that the disciplines covered are of an equivalent nature – in this case the candidate shall attach a justification for the submission of the application to the Interdisciplinary Doctoral School; the description of the initial research project proposal must include a separate explanation of what the interdisciplinarity or multidisciplinarity of the research project consists in
  • for QPE, the description of the initial research project proposal must be in English;
• in the case of QPE, additionally a Bachelor’s or Master’s thesis as a PDF file.

Detailed information on the required documents is to be found in Resolution on the rules of recruitment for Doctoral Schools at the University of Warsaw [LINK – in Polish].

In case the diploma was issued in a language other than Polish or English, the candidate submits its certified translation. Additionally, the candidate shall be obliged to submit a translation of titles of scientific achievements. In justified instances, the Recruitment Coordinator or chairperson or the secretary of the selection team may request the candidate to submit a translation of other documents or materials included in the application within the time frame set.

In justified cases, the Head may make the entry of a candidate on the list of doctoral students conditional on the submission of a translation of a particular document, including a sworn translation, or the legalisation of a document (apostille) within a specified, appropriate time limit. The condition may also be stipulated in an administrative decision.

Form of the selection process and the number of points that can be obtained

Two-stage process:

• Stage I: evaluation of the research project and scientific activities of the candidate;
• Stage II: interview.

The interview shall comprise a presentation related to a research project, although the presentation shall not repeat the content of the project. Its purpose is presenting the research question, showing it in a broader context, etc., together with the evaluation of the candidate’s research suitability. In justified instances (e.g. where the candidate stays abroad), based on the written request of the candidate addressed to the Recruitment Coordinator, the interview may be carried out remotely, using generally available online tools.

Maximum number of points that can be obtained in the selection procedure – 100 points:

• Stage I – 40 points (the number of points needed to qualify to stage II – 20 points).
• Stage II – 60 points.

Evaluation criteria and method

Research project (maximum number of points – 30)

When evaluating the project, the following shall be taken into account:

• definition of the research problem, including objective, research questions, hypotheses (0-10 points);
• novelty and originality of the research project (0-5 points);
• methodology appropriate for the objective, application of the methodology going beyond the leading area of study (0-10 points);
• status of research and the bibliography relevant to achieving the research objective (0-5 points).

Scientific activity of the candidate (maximum number of points – 10)

Interview (maximum number of points – 60)

The following shall be taken into account when evaluating the interview:

• prestation of the scientific question related to the research project prepared by the candidate (0-30 points);
• discussion with the candidate pertaining to the justification of the selection of the research areas in the context of research problems and methods proposed, knowledge of the subject, substantive knowledge, linguistic correctness and the ability to use a scientific language (Polish and/or English) (0-30 points).

The interview shall be carried out in Polish or English – in accordance with the candidate’s preferences presented in IRK. If the Polish language is selected, the interview may include parts in English.

In recruitment to the QPE programme, the interview is conducted in English.

Condition of admission to the School

Obtaining at least 50 points in the whole selection process, including at least 20 points in I stage of the selection process and 30 in II stage.

Supervisors

It is worth starting the recruitment process to a Doctoral School at the University of Warsaw by finding a supervisor, who will be willing to provide care for the doctoral student  and perform scientific supervision over their research project. The name of the supervisor and the scan of their declaration about their willingness to be the candidate’s supervisor shall be submitted in IRK.

In order to find a supervisor, candidates for the Doctoral Schools are encouraged to search through the database of supervisors available  here. The database contains the list of University of Warsaw researchers, who are willing to perform the function of the dissertation supervisor.

The candidates are also encouraged to consult the websites of the University of Warsaw faculties and academic units for the information on academic teachers conducting their research.

Important links

• Internet Recruitment of Candidates – IRK.uw.edu.pl
• Announcement No. 66 of the Rector of the University of Warsaw dated 20. May 2021, on the uniform text of Resolution No. 17 of the Senate of the University of Warsaw of 20 January 2021 concerning the rules of admission to doctoral schools at the University of Warsaw – [LINK]
• Instructions of registering in the IRK system – [FILE]