Scholarship

Fully Funded PhD in Gender, Peace and Security at the Swedish Defence University 2027 | Salary, Research Funding and International Applicants Welcome

Organisation · Africa

At a glance

Type: Scholarship
Organisation: Organisation
Location: Africa
Work mode: On-site
Deadline: Rolling / not stated
Posted: 15 Jun 2026

About this scholarship

Are you passionate about gender studies, security, peacebuilding, conflict studies, military institutions, and feminist approaches to international security? The Swedish Defence University (SEDU) is inviting applications for a fully funded PhD position in War Studies with a specialization in Gender, Peace and Security. This prestigious doctoral opportunity provides successful candidates with full funding, a competitive monthly salary, research support funding, and the opportunity to conduct cutting-edge research at one of Europe’s leading institutions in defence, security, and conflict studies. The position is based in Stockholm, Sweden, and is expected to commence in January 2027. Application Deadline: 24 August 2026 <h2>About the Swedish Defence University</h2> The Swedish Defence University is an internationally recognized institution specializing in: <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Defence Studies</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Security Studies</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Crisis Management</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">International Security</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">War Studies</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Political Science</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Military Science</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Leadership and Command Studies</li> </ul> The university serves as Sweden’s premier institution for military and civilian education and research relating to defence, security, conflict, and crisis management. Through its interdisciplinary academic environment, military professionals, policymakers, researchers, and students collaborate to address some of the most pressing security challenges facing societies today. <h2>About the Department of War Studies</h2> The Department of War Studies is one of the university’s largest academic departments, with approximately: <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">160 staff members</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">1,000 students and trainees</li> </ul> The department conducts internationally recognized research examining: <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">War and armed conflict</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Military organizations</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Defence policy</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Security challenges</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Crisis management</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Military capability development</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Ethics and warfare</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Gender and security</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Peace and conflict dynamics</li> </ul> War Studies at the Swedish Defence University combines theoretical knowledge with practical applications relevant to contemporary security environments. <h2>PhD Specialization: Gender, Peace and Security</h2> The Department of War Studies is currently recruiting a doctoral candidate specializing in Gender, Peace and Security. The position focuses on research within the field of feminist security studies and offers considerable flexibility for candidates to develop innovative and impactful research projects. Potential research themes may include: <h3>Gender and Military Organizations</h3> Research may examine: <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Gender integration in military institutions</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Diversity and inclusion within armed forces</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Leadership and gender dynamics</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Gendered experiences within military structures</li> </ul> <h3>Gender and War Preparedness</h3> Possible research areas include: <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Gender dimensions of national defence preparedness</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Civil preparedness and resilience</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Security planning and gender inclusion</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Community resilience during crises and conflict</li> </ul> <h3>Gender and Warfare</h3> Candidates may explore: <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Gendered impacts of war</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Military operations and gender perspectives</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Women’s participation in armed conflict</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Gender and military strategy</li> </ul> <h3>Gender and Peace Processes</h3> Research topics may include: <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Women’s participation in peace negotiations</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Gender-inclusive peacebuilding</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Peace agreements and gender outcomes</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Post-conflict recovery and reconciliation</li> </ul> <h3>Feminist Security Studies</h3> Applicants may investigate broader questions such as: <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Gender norms and security governance</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Feminist approaches to defence policy</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Gendered understandings of security</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Critical security studies perspectives</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">The relationship between power, conflict, and gender</li> </ul> <h2>What the PhD Programme Includes</h2> The doctoral programme consists of: <h3>Four Years of Fully Funded Doctoral Study</h3> The programme comprises: <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">240 ECTS credits in total</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">180 ECTS dedicated to doctoral thesis research</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">60 ECTS of doctoral-level coursework</li> </ul> <h3>Research Supervision</h3> Successful candidates will receive: <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Dedicated academic supervision</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Access to experienced researchers</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Research mentoring</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Academic development support</li> </ul> <h3>Teaching Opportunities</h3> PhD candidates may also participate in: <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Teaching activities</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Academic administration</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Departmental support activities</li> </ul> These duties may account for up to 20% of working time and can extend employment to a maximum of five years. <h2>Financial Benefits</h2> One of the strongest features of this opportunity is its generous funding package. <h3>Monthly Salary</h3> Civilian doctoral students receive: Starting salary: SEK 32,600 per month The salary increases throughout the doctoral programme according to the university’s salary scale. <h3>Annual Research Funding</h3> Doctoral candidates receive additional support for: <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Research travel</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Academic conferences</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Literature purchases</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Research-related expenses</li> </ul> Funding available: Up to SEK 30,000 per year <h3>Additional Benefits</h3> Students also benefit from: <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Full employment status</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Professional development opportunities</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Access to university resources</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">International research networks</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Collaboration with leading scholars</li> </ul> <h2>Eligibility Requirements</h2> Applicants must meet both general and specific doctoral admission requirements. <h3>General Requirements</h3> Applicants must possess one of the following: <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">A Master’s degree</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Equivalent qualifications obtained in Sweden or abroad</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">At least 240 ECTS credits, including 60 ECTS credits at postgraduate level</li> </ul> <h3>Specific Academic Requirements</h3> Applicants must have: <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">At least 90 ECTS credits in social sciences or equivalent</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">At least 30 ECTS credits in: <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2">War Studies</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2">International Relations</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2">Security Studies</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2">Peace and Conflict Studies</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2">Political Science</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2">Closely related fields</li> </ul> </li> </ul> <h3>Language Requirements</h3> Applicants must demonstrate: <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Excellent English writing skills</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Excellent English speaking skills</li> </ul> Applications may be submitted in: <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">English</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Swedish</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Danish</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Norwegian</li> </ul> <h2>Selection Criteria</h2> Applications will be evaluated based on: <h3>Academic Excellence</h3> Reviewers will assess: <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Previous academic performance</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Research achievements</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Quality of academic writing</li> </ul> <h3>Research Proposal Quality</h3> Strong proposals should demonstrate: <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Originality</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Theoretical awareness</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Methodological clarity</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Analytical depth</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Relevance to Gender, Peace and Security</li> </ul> <h3>Independent Research Capacity</h3> Candidates should show: <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Critical thinking skills</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Research independence</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Ability to develop scholarly arguments</li> </ul> <h3>Additional Merits</h3> The following may strengthen an application: <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Publications</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Research experience</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Professional experience</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Military education</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Security studies expertise</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Gender studies background</li> </ul> <h2>Why This PhD Opportunity Stands Out</h2> This position offers a rare opportunity to conduct advanced research at the intersection of: <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Gender Studies</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Security Studies</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Peacebuilding</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">International Relations</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Defence Policy</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Conflict Studies</li> </ul> Students will work within a highly respected academic environment while contributing research that can shape future understanding of security, defence, conflict, and peace processes. The university strongly values diversity and welcomes applicants from different cultural, ethnic, and national backgrounds. <h2>Application Deadline</h2> Deadline: 24 August 2026 Click <a href="https://www.fhs.se/en/swedish-defence-university/about-sedu/work-with-us/vacancies/ad.html?id=174&project=120&title=PhD%20students%20in%20War%20Studies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a> for more and to apply Applications must be submitted before midnight CET/CEST on the closing date. Successful candidates are expected to begin their doctoral studies in January 2027. For aspiring researchers interested in gender, conflict, peacebuilding, and security studies, this fully funded PhD position offers an exceptional opportunity to pursue impactful research while receiving a competitive salary and extensive research support. Click <a href="https://opportunitiesforyouth.org/?s=scholarship" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a> for more global scholarship opportunities   The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://opportunitiesforyouth.org/2026/06/15/fully-funded-phd-in-gender-peace-and-security-at-the-swedish-defence-university-2027-salary-research-funding-and-international-applicants-welcome/">Fully Funded PhD in Gender, Peace and Security at the Swedish Defence University 2027 | Salary, Research Funding and International Applicants Welcome</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://opportunitiesforyouth.org">Opportunities for Youth</a>.

How to apply

1 Read the full details above and confirm you meet the eligibility criteria.
2 Prepare your documents — an updated CV, and any cover letter, proposal or certificates required.
3 Click Apply on official site to complete your application on Organisation’s official page.
4 Submit as early as possible — many close once filled.

Apply on official site

Sourced from opps_for_youth. Always verify details on the official website. Opportunihub never charges you to apply.

Frequently asked questions

How do I apply for Fully Funded PhD in Gender, Peace and Security at the Swedish Defence University 2027 | Salary, Research Funding and International Applicants Welcome?

Review the full details and eligibility on this page, prepare your documents, then use the “Apply on official site” button to complete your application on Organisation’s official page.

Is this opportunity remote or location-based?

This opportunity is based in Africa. Check the official listing for any relocation or on-site requirements.

Is Fully Funded PhD in Gender, Peace and Security at the Swedish Defence University 2027 | Salary, Research Funding and International Applicants Welcome free to apply for?

Opportunihub lists this Scholarship for free. Legitimate Scholarships do not ask for payment to apply — never pay a fee to submit an application.