Doctoral Candidate (Epidemics, Disease, State Formation in Africa)

ARC Grade: 40604 per annum

School of Social and Political Science / CAHSS

Full Time: 35 hours per week

Fixed term: for 36 months from September 2026

The Opportunity:

Your next step starts here. Be part of something bigger.

In Edinburgh you are in one of the worlds most attractive cities with active arts and social sectors while working in a University that has made significant contributions to society medicine physics and teaching for over four centuries.

We provide a working environment where academics can develop their careers and passion for their chosen subject area. We have a genuine focus on our students performance and wellbeing.

As a Doctoral Candidate youwill conduct a PhD-research project examining processes of state formation and how they have been shaped by epidemics and infectious diseases in Uganda. This will include undertaking empirical fieldwork in Uganda.

Youwill be registered as a PhD student in the School of Social and Political Science and will submit a PhD thesis at the end of the project. This is a double degreeawarded bytheUniversity of Edinburgh (UK) and Makerere University (Uganda).Tuition fees will be waived.

You will be part of the Health and Environment in Africa and Europe (HEALENAE)Doctoral Network funded bythe EU Research and Innovation Programme Horizon Europe under a grant by Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Networks (MSCA-DN).

You must meet requirements for admission as a PhD student at the University of Edinburgh and EU mobility requirements set byMarie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Networks (see full job description for details).

As part of the University you are a part of our community. We are looking for people with drive determination and a passion for what they do. We are a place where everyone is welcome and offer a range of policies and benefits designed to support you

A career with us has a range of other benefits that can be tailored to your lifestyle:

• Professional development and subject matter expertise
• Good salary/pay rates
• Excellent benefits and support

This post is full-time (35 hours per week) and will require regular attendance on-campus in post is fixed term from September 2026 for a period of 3 years.

View the full job description

How to apply

Applications must include the following documents in the required formats:

• Cover letter including a statement of motivation and research interests
• Curriculum Vitae
• Project description
• Copies of Batchelor and Masters degree certificates

See the full job description for detailed information on the required format of the supporting documentation.

Informal questions about this post can be directed to the Hiring Manger Dr Gerhard Anders Senior Lecturer via email at

External applicants please refer to the guidance in How to Join Us to support your application process.

Current employees please apply as an internal applicant through the People & Money Current Jobs app using your staff email address.

As a valued member of our team you can expect:

• A competitive salary.
• An exciting positive creative challenging and rewarding place to work.
• To be part of a diverse and vibrant international community.
• Comprehensive Staff Benefits including generous annual leave entitlement a defined benefits pension scheme a wide range of staff discounts family-friendly initiatives and flexible work options. Check out the full list on ourstaff benefits pageand use our reward calculator to discover the value of your pay and benefits.

Championing equality diversity and inclusion

The University of Edinburgh holds a Silver Athena SWAN award in recognition of our commitment to advance gender equality in higher education. We are members of the Race Equality Charter and we are also Stonewall Scotland Diversity Champions actively promoting LGBT equality.

Prior to any employment commencing with the University you will be required to evidence your right to work in the UK. Further information is available on ourright to work webpages

The University may be able to sponsor the employment of international workers in this role. This will depend on a number of factors specific to the successful applicant.

Key dates to note

The closing date for applications is 1 March 2026.

Unless stated otherwise the closing time for applications is 11:59pm UK time. If you are applying outside the UK the closing time on our adverts automatically adjusts to your browsers local time zone.

Interviews willtypically be held 2-3 weeks after the closing date.