Atomic Anxiety in the New Nuclear Age

The Atomic Anxiety in the New Nuclear Age team is now recruiting a candidate to study for a PhD in International Relations at the University of Glasgow.

The successful candidate will have a clear research proposal and application that focuses on analysing one or more research areas associated with the project, including but not limited to:

• Contemporary nuclear arms control and disarmament efforts
• Contemporary challenges to nuclear arms control and disarmament
• The politics of the ‘new/third nuclear age’
• Nuclear diplomacy
• The Non-Proliferation Treaty and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons
• The everyday politics of nuclear weapons
• Popular culture and nuclear weapons, arms control, and disarmament
• The media and nuclear politics
• Social media and nuclear politics
• Emerging technologies and nuclear politics
• The global south and nuclear politics
• Affected communities and nuclear politics
• Critical nuclear studies
• Emotions and nuclear politics
• Intersectionality and nuclear politics (including gender, race, class, etc)
• The links between nuclear politics and other crises (climate change, authoritarianism, etc)
• Deterrence, arms control and disarmament
• New/understudied actors in nuclear politics
• Theories of change and nuclear disarmament

Applicants are encouraged to consult the project website (well done, you’re already here!) and to develop their own research puzzle, questions, theories, methodology, methods, and data sources in line with the projects broad aim of understanding how contemporary nuclear arms control and disarmament efforts can be improved.

Eligibility

Applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria:

• Applicants will have a strong Master’s degree (or overseas equivalent) in a related field such as International Relations, Peace Studies, Security Studies, or Politcal Science
• Applicants will have a demonstratable interest in nuclear politics, arms control, and disarmament.

Please note that all applicants must also meet the entry requirements for the Politics PhD. 

Funding

The scholarship is available as a full-time +3 (3 year) PhD programme only. The programme will commence in October 2025. The funding includes:

• An annual stipend at the UKRI rate
• Fees at the standard Home or International rate
• Students can also draw on a Research Training Support Grant, usually up to a maximum of £940 per year

Application process

Please see the full scholarship advertisement here for details on how to apply.

Closing Date: 16 May 2025