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Project

For the research project "The Future of Fiscal Federalism in Germany and Europe", we are seeking applications for

Six doctoral stipends

for the academic year starting October 1, 2009 (each for a period of 3 years; 1100€/month).

The project on "The Future of Fiscal Federalism in Germany and Europe" provides a unique opportunity to help address issues such as the optimal design of the financial structure within a federal state (e.g., intergovernmental transfers, fiscal equalization schemes) and its impact on policy experimentation, inter-governmental competition (vertically and horizontally) and government accountability. Please find more information on the content of the project  ... more

The project will be made up of  a group of six doctoral students who are provided with a three-year stipend each, allowing them to achieve a PhD in Public Economics.
 

The successful candidates will be admitted to the Berlin Doctoral Program in Economics and Management Science (BDPEMS). Since 2003, this full-fledged course program provides world-class tuition based on an academic network which includes three university departments, a business school and two research institutions. The program, however, does not award a doctoral degree itself. The students receive a certificate about successful participation from the BDPEMS. The doctoral degree is awarded by the university of the student's supervisor according to the rules of that university.  Please, find more details about the course work of the doctoral program at the program's homepage Berlin Doctoral Program in Economics and Management Science (BDPEMS).

Following this comprehensive and solid one-year program, the doctoral students of the projecty will be integrated in one of the four participating research centres and work with four leading scholars of federalism research:

Prof. Dr. Kai A. Konrad at WZB Berlin and Free University of Berlin
Prof. Dr. Ronnie Schöb at Free University of Berlin
Prof. Dr. Lars Feld at ZEW/Heidelberg University and
Prof. Dr. Marcel Thum at Dresden University of Technology/ifo Dresden.

During the research phase in the second and third year, students devote their time primarily to their own research and the writing of research papers, which culminate in a dissertation. They participate in seminars according to the project on the "The Future of Fiscal Federalism in Germany and Europe". Moreover, extensive projected exchange visits between and beyond the cooperation partners provide the opportunity to develop a broad network and do research at an internationally competitive level.  
 

Application procedure

Candidates should have a master's degree or equivalent in economics, political science, mathematics or related fields. Exceptional education performance, high motivation and strong interest in the topic at hand are prerequisites. Fluency in English is a must.

We expressly invite female and international graduates to apply. All institutes involved are equal opportunity employers.

Applications should be received before March 31, 2009 at http://www.doctoralprogram.de. Note that the application procedure includes a joint application for the BDPEMS and the WZB-Federalism stipend program. Applicants who wish to be considered for a stipend within this federalism-project should explicitly address this in their motivation letter.
 

More information

Further information about the project and doctoral stipends can be found at http://www.doctoralprogram.de or via e-mail from Dr. Benny Geys at geys@wzb.eu.