PRR Project

Summary

Rationale for the ICS-ULisboa Strategic Planning : A key emerging theme in comparative politics research is the quality of democracy.  Research on the quality of democracy is closely related to comparative politics, as it involves comparing and assessing the functioning of democratic systems across different countries and regions. Quality of democracy refers to the extent to which democratic principles and values are upheld in a political system. Comparative politics, as a sub-discipline of political science, provides the framework and methodologies to analyze and compare various aspects of political systems, including those related to the quality of democracy. Comparative politics studies of quality of democracy compare the political institutions, electoral systems, rule of law, political attitudes and behaviour across countries. This allows researchers to identify common patterns, variations, and factors that influence the quality of democracy. The quality of democracy can be gauged through indicators to measure different aspects of the functioning of a political system. Indicators such as political participation, civil liberties, electoral integrity, perceived levels of corruption and state capacity are often used quantitatively to assess the relative quality of democracies. Research often includes the study of institutional structures such as the judiciary, the role of political parties or the media and their role in contributing to good governance. Researchers on the quality of democracy often are involved in contributing to policy papers on aimed at improving democratic practices.The recruited PhD Researcher will be a major step forward in the consolidation and expansion of this key area at ICS-ULisboa – the Quality of Democracies in young and difficult democracies, thus instrumental in bolstering ICS-ULisboa’s profile as a Portuguese and European pioneering centre in fundamental research on this major topic of social science research. Required Scientific Profile : In addition to a demonstrated interest in the topic, the PhD researcher to be recruited should have: a) a PhD in Political Science; b) a relevant CV in the field of Comparative Politics, with particular emphasis on internationalization (e.g. international collaborations, a repertoire of publications in top quality journals and or book publications, participation in research networks, experience in project-based research and outreach activities); c) solid methodological training, in both quantitative and qualitative methods, with possible experience of participatory methodologies, involving contributions from multiple stakeholders; d) proven experience in initiating innovative, cutting-edge, research strands and topics;  proven experience in coordinating and teaching post-graduate courses; e) a track record in highly competitive funding, both at an international and national levels; f) experience in coordinating teams, and research units; and g) preferable experience in the outline and co-development of recommendations to decision-makers in both private and public sectors. Tasks to be assigned : The Assistant Researcher to be recruited will carry out activities in the field of comparative politics. These activities include a) designing research projects for national and international calls; b) coordinating research teams and leading the implementation of projects in research and scientific and technological development; c) conducting training activities in scientific research methods and development in this field; d) supervising master’s and PhD students; e) proposing outreach interventions based on results obtained in a research project conducted in this scientific domain; f) contributing to academic management at the ICS-ULisboa.This Researcher will develop activities contributing to several TLs, but especially within the Citizenship Thematic Line , where currently there are several ongoing projects, including ERC, Horizon Europe and FCT projects, an infrastructure driver (PASSDA) that serves the whole ICS-ULisboa, a host of data collection initiatives for major international networks, a Doctorate in Comparative Politics, and Outreach Activities on the topic of Quality of Democracyincluding a virtual training school for professional groups wishing to intervene in the national policy process. ???????