We are pleased to invite applications to a 3.5-year University of Manchester doctoral studentship in Social Statistics. The studentship is jointly funded by the Social Statistics Department, University of Manchester, UK, and the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR), Germany, one of the world-leading research centres in population sciences. In many countries, migration has become a key driver of population change. However, traditional data on migration often lack precision, are biased or are reported with large delays. Digital traces and big data often contain information on human mobility but new methods are required to use and integrate these new forms of data with data derived from traditional sources. This is an excellent opportunity for highly-motivated and qualified candidates to work with an international team on developing cutting-edge novel statistical and computational methods in estimating and forecasting human migration with the use of traditional and new forms of data, including for developing and low-income countries. Research outputs will also contribute to the Human Migration Database, currently developed by the MPIDR. The successful applicant will spend the first 21 months at the Social Statistics Department, University of Manchester. They will be working in a vibrant community of PhD students in Social Statistics, Social Data Analytics and Biosocial Research. They will participate in research activities of the Department, such as seminars and research away-days, and will have an opportunity to teach as Graduate Teaching Assistants. The remainder of the 21 months of the studentship will be spent at the MPIDR in the Department of Digital and Computational Demography. The successful candidate is expected to enrol in the MPIDR IMPRS-PHDS programme. It is expected that the PhD student will prepare a thesis as a collection of research articles according to the postgraduate research policies of the University of Manchester. Eligibility Academic - Bachelor's (Honours) degree in a cognate subject at 2:1 or above (or overseas equivalent); and - Master's degree in a relevant subject - with an overall average of 65% or above, a minimum mark of 65% in your dissertation and no mark below 55% (or overseas equivalent) English Language All applicants must provide evidence of English language proficiency: - IELTS test minimum score - 7.0 overall, 7.0 in writing, 6.5 in other sections. - TOEFL (internet based) test minimum score - 100 overall, 25 all sections. - Pearson Test of English (PTE) UKVI/SELT or PTE Academic minimum score - 76 overall, 76 in writing, 70 in other sections. - To demonstrate that you have taken an undergraduate or postgraduate degree in a majority English speaking nation within the last 5 years. - Other tests may be considered /. The application deadline will be Midnight (GMT) on 23/02/25. Apply online for PhD Social Statistics at the University of Manchester. Find the full job description and registration form here. Contact For informal enquires please contact Arkadiusz Wiśniowski (a.wisniowskimanchester.ac.uk), Emilio Zagheni (zaghenidemogr.mpg.de) or Kingsley Purdam (Kingsley.Purdammanchester.ac.uk). For enquiries about the application process, please contact the Humanities Doctoral Academy Admissions office (hums.doctoralacademy.admissionsmanchester.ac.uk). Funding Notes During the period in Manchester, the studentship will cover tuition fees, an annual maintenance stipend 19,237 per annum for 2024/25) and will be able to claim certain expenses from the Research Training Support Grant. During the period in Germany, the student will receive a gross salary of 37,909 per annum and financial support for travel, training and data acquisition. Equality, diversity and inclusion The MPIDR is an equal opportunities employer. Our work atmosphere includes respectful treatment of each other, with gender, nationality, religion, disability, age, cultural origin, and sexual identity playing no role. We aim to have an institutional culture that enables everyone to develop their individual skills and competencies. The Max Planck Society offers a broad range of measures to support the reconciliation of work and family. These are complemented by the MPIDRs own initiatives. The Society has been awarded the certificate Work and Family which is granted to institutions committed to establishing a family-friendly corporate culture by binding target agreements. The MPIDR collaborates with a network of local day-care centers that provides childcare places for the children of Institute staff. The Max Planck Society has contracts with a private family service company that offers services such as arranging child care on short notice in various cities in Germany for parents who attend conferences, care services for children of school age up to 14 years, and support for those caring for family members and relatives. The MPIDR also practices flexible working-time models, which include at least one home office day per week, and scheduling meetings only within core working hours. To help accompanying spouses and partners find appropriate work at their new location, the MPIDR works in close cooperation with Dual-Career Partners in regional networks. The MPIDR values diversity and is keen to employ individuals from minorities. We are committed to increasing the number of individuals with disabilities in our workforce and therefore encourage applications from such qualified individuals. Furthermore, we seek to increase the number of women in those areas where they are underrepresented and therefore explicitly encourage women to apply.