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Post Specification (032222)

Post Title: 2 x Research Fellows

(ERC Post-Doctoral Researchers)

Post Status: 3 Year Fixed Term Contract, Full-Time

Research Group

/Department/School:

GEOFIN (ERC Project 683197) within the

Finance, Economy & Society (FES) Research Group,

Department of Geography,

Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin

Location: Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin

College Green, Dublin 2, Ireland

Reports to: Principal Investigator

Salary:

Appointments will be made on the IUA post-

doctoral research salary scale Level 2, on a point in

line with government pay policy

(http://www.iua.ie/research-

innovation/researcher-salary-scales/)

Salaries will be between €35,488 - €40,003 per

annum.

Closing Date and Time: 12 Noon (Irish Standard Mean Time) on Wednesday

26th April 2017

Please note: this post is tenable from the 1st July, 2017 (or soon after). The

successful candidate should be in place no later than 15th September 2017.

Western Banks in Eastern Europe:

New Geographies of Financialisation

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Post Summary

ERC-funded research project GEOFIN (Western Banks in Eastern Europe: New

Geographies of Financialisation) based in the Department of Geography, Trinity

College Dublin, is seeking to appoint two Research Fellows (ERC Post-Doctoral

Researchers) for 3-years Full-Time Contract. The key aim of the project is to examine

how states, banks and households in post-socialist contexts of East-Central Europe

have been financialised and to consider what implications this has for the societies in

question and for Europe as a whole. Post-Doctoral Researcher 1 (PD1) will focus on

financialisation of states, while Post-Doctoral Researcher 2 (PD2) will investigate

financialisation of banks. The successful applicants will be core members of the

GEOFIN team - which will also include the Principal Investigator (Dr Martin Sokol,

Associate Professor in Geography), Post-Doctoral Researcher 3 (financialisation of

households), two Research Assistants based in East-Central Europe (household case

studies), Post-Doctoral Researcher 4 (financial futures); a PhD student (sub-national

banking strategies) and a Research Project Officer. PD1 (States) and PD2 (Banks) will

be expected to collaborate closely with each other and with Post-Doctoral

Researcher 3 (Households), under the leadership of the Principal Investigator. The

successful candidates will be hosted in the Department of Geography, School of

Natural Sciences, on the main Trinity Campus and will become members of the

emerging Finance, Economy & Society (FES) Research Group directed by Dr Martin

Sokol.

Informal enquiries concerning the post should be addressed to Dr Martin Sokol:

sokolm@tcd.ie

GEOFIN Project Summary

GEOFIN (Western Banks in Eastern Europe: New Geographies of Financialisation)

is a €1.8M five year project funded by the European Research Council (ERC) under

the Consolidator Grant call. Financialisation, or the growing power of finance over

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societies and economies is increasingly recognised as the key feature of

contemporary capitalism. However, significant gaps in our understanding of this

process remain. Indeed, despite growing recognition that financialisation is an

inherently spatial process, a geographically-informed view of financialisation remains

underdeveloped. In addition, and related to this, the extent and the ways in which

post-socialist ‘transition’ societies in East-Central Europe have been financialised

remains under-researched and under-theorised. Yet, the examination of former

state-socialist societies (built on the very opposite economic logic to that of

financialisation) provides an unmatched opportunity to learn about financialisation

itself, how it ‘penetrates’ societies and with what social and spatial implications.

East-Central Europe in this sense constitutes a unique terrain for frontier research.

GEOFIN will address the above shortcomings by producing empirical and theoretical

insights to develop a geographically-informed view of financialisation. The objective

is to examine how states, banks and households in post-socialist contexts have been

financialised and to consider what implications this has for the societies in question

and for Europe as a whole. The project will pilot a novel approach based on the

concept of ‘financial chains’ which are understood both as channels of value transfer

and as social relations that shape socio-economic processes and attendant economic

geographies. A set of interlocking case studies will be mobilised to reveal the

different ways in which banks, states and households across post-socialist East-

Central Europe* are interconnected by financial chains with each other and with a

wider political economy. GEOFIN will fundamentally advance our understanding of

new geographies of financialisation, opening up new horizons in studies of finance

and its future role in the society.

*For the purposes of the project, East-Central Europe includes ‘new’ EU member

states of ‘Central Europe’ (Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia); the ‘Baltics’

(Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia) and ‘South-East Europe’ (Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia).

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Standard duties and Responsibilities of the Post

Post-Doctoral Researcher 1 (PD1 - financialisation of states):

PD1 (States) will examine the ways in which post-socialist states in East-Central

Europe have been inserted into the circuits of Western finance, what role state-

socialist legacies played in the process and what implications this has for

financialisation. The focus will be both on sovereign debt and household debt. The

duties will include: (1) analysis of existing secondary data (e.g. economic and

financial indicators; public debt figures; sovereign credit scorings; government bonds

yields; household debt levels, etc.) for all East-Central European countries –

compared with each other and their Western counterparts; (2) documentary

analysis of relevant ‘internal’ (domestic) and ‘external’ (EU) policy, regulatory,

institutional and financial frameworks for a narrower selection of 5-6 states; and (3)

in-depth case studies of three states, involving face-to-face semi-structured

interviews with government officials; national agencies responsible for managing

public debt; central banks; financial analysts; academics and local experts. In

addition, further interviews will be undertaken with relevant European and

international institutions (e.g. European Commission, ECB, EBRD, IMF, WB, OECD);

bond market players and international investors. It is expected that PD1 (States) will

contribute to the design of a detailed methodology for this segment of research, as

well as overall theoretical development of the project.

Post-Doctoral Researcher 2 (PD2 - financialisation of banks):

PD2 (Banks) will examine the ways in which Western banking groups managed to

‘penetrate’ post-socialist East-Central Europe, how this financial expansion differed

from other contexts and how this is linked to wider processes of financialisation in

Europe. The focus will be on retail banks (lending to households via consumer credit

and mortgages), but investments banks (lending to states and real estate) will be

considered too. The duties will include: (1) analysis of existing secondary data

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pertaining to relevant Western banking groups; (2) documentary analysis of relevant

policy, regulatory and institutional frameworks and market pressures

guiding/affecting their operation; (3) close examination of strategies and structures

of 10 major banking groups; and (4) in-depth case studies of the five largest banking

groups and their financial flows. This will be complemented by (5) an analysis of a

selection of sub-national banking geographies in three countries. Tasks 4 and 5 will

involve face-to-face semi-structured interviews with bank officials (both current and

former; at parent banks in Western Europe and their East-European subsidiaries)

and a range of stakeholders including: industry insiders, EU banking

supervisory/regulatory bodies, ECB, IMF, Vienna Initiative, industry analysts, and

industry bodies (e.g. European Banking Federation). It is expected that PD2 (Banks)

will contribute to the design of a detailed methodology for this segment of research,

as well as overall theoretical development of the project.

Both Post-Doctoral Researchers (PD1 and PD2) will contribute to the project’s

dissemination plan (via solo and co-authored publications) which includes 15 articles

in leading international academic journals; 1 research monograph book; Working

Papers; international conference papers; and blogs. Both researchers are expected

to help co-organise GEOFIN events which will include research meetings, workshops,

seminars and meetings with the members of GEOFIN’s Academic Advisory Panel

(involving top academics in the field of financialisation) and Stakeholder Advisory

Panel (involving experts from ECB, national central banks, EBRD, European

Investment Bank and other financial institutions). Both researchers are expected to

disseminate their research through, and play an active role in, the Global Network on

Financial Geography (FinGeo); to contribute to GEOFIN’s website and project’s social

media dissemination channels; and to participate in the GEOFIN’s final-year project

conference. Both researchers must be prepared to travel extensively during their

field research (interviews) and to attend international conferences.

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Funding Information

GEOFIN project (2016-2021) is funded by the European Research Council

(ERC) Consolidator Grant under the Horizon 2020 (H2020-EU.1.1 – Excellent

Science) Programme (Project ID: 683197).

Both positions are offered as Full-Time 3-year Contracts.

The positions will be filled on the Irish Universities Association’s (IUA)

Researcher Salary Guidelines (2016) Salary Scales – Level 2 – Post-Doctoral

Researcher – €35,488 - €40,003 (ca. £31,000 - £35,000; US$ 37,800 –

US$42,600).

It is expected that the appointments will be made at Point 1 (€35,488

increasing to €37,750), Point 2 (€36,013 increasing to €38,860) or Point 3

(€37,750 increasing to €40,003) of the salary scale – depending on the

research experience of successful candidates

Person Specification

Post-Doctoral Researcher 1 (PD1 - financialisation of states):

Qualifications (Essential)

The successful candidate will hold a PhD in political economy, economic

geography, financial geography, human geography, political science or a

related area.

Knowledge, Skills & Experience (Essential):

Excellent knowledge of financialisation literature in geography and/or social

sciences more generally

Excellent research skills relevant to the post

Experience in conducting interviews with government officials, public bodies

and/or international organisations

Ability to analyse and interpret secondary data (e.g. basic economic

indicators)

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Ability to perform documentary analysis (e.g. policy or regulatory documents)

Experience in presenting research findings at (international) conferences

Potential of developing a track record of publishing in leading international

peer-reviewed journals

Excellent communication skills

Excellent command of the English language (in both written and oral form)

Ability to work both independently and in a team

Ability to think independently and to overcome difficulties in research

process

Willingness to acquire new skills as required for the implementation of the

project

Knowledge, Skills & Experience (Desirable):

Track record in publishing in leading international peer-reviewed journals

and/or books

Experience in analysing quantitative data

Experience in GIS or other mapping software

Experience in managing websites and/or social media

Experience in organising research seminars, workshops and/or other events

Knowledge of other European languages pertinent to the project – especially

those used in relevant European organisations (e.g. French, German) or any

Eastern European languages

Knowledge of relevant international, European or national regulatory

frameworks and/or institutional landscapes

Knowledge of post-socialist transformations in East-Central Europe

Pre-existing contacts in Western or East-Central Europe pertinent to the

project

Experience in attracting and securing research funding

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Post-Doctoral Researcher 2 (PD2 - financialisation of banks):

Qualifications (Essential)

The successful candidate will hold a PhD in political economy, economic

geography, financial geography, finance, business & management studies or a

related area.

Knowledge, Skills & Experience (Essential):

Excellent knowledge of financialisation literature in geography and/or social

sciences more generally

Excellent research skills relevant to the post

Experience in conducting interviews with senior corporate representatives

(such as retail and/or investment banks) and/or international organisations

(e.g. international financial institutions)

Ability to analyse and interpret secondary data (e.g. financial indicators,

lending data)

Ability to perform documentary analysis (e.g. corporate strategy documents,

annual reports etc.)

Experience in presenting research findings at (international) conferences

Potential of developing a track record of publishing in leading international

peer-reviewed journals

Excellent communication skills

Excellent command of the English language (in both written and oral form)

Ability to work both independently and in a team

Ability to think independently and to overcome difficulties in research

process

Willingness to acquire new skills as required for the implementation of the

project

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Knowledge, Skills & Experience (Desirable):

Track record in publishing in leading international peer-reviewed journals

and/or books

Experience in analysing quantitative data

Experience in GIS or other mapping software

Experience in managing websites and/or social media

Experience in organising research seminars, workshops and/or other events

Knowledge of other European languages pertinent to the project – e.g.

German, French, Italian etc. (parent banks) or Eastern European languages

(subsidiaries)

Knowledge of Western Banking Groups (or their East European subsidiaries)

Knowledge of post-socialist transformations in East-Central Europe

Pre-existing contacts in Western or East-Central Europe pertinent to the

project

Experience in attracting and securing research funding

Further Information for Candidates / URL Links:

GEOFIN project (EU CORDIS website)

http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/205323_en.html

GEOFIN project https://www.tcd.ie/Geography/research/gof/GEOFIN.php

GEOFIN project on Research Gate

https://www.researchgate.net/project/GEOFIN-Western-Banks-in-Eastern-Europe-New-Geographies-of-Financialisation

FES Research Group https://www.tcd.ie/Geography/research/gof/gof.php

PI (Martin Sokol) https://www.tcd.ie/Geography/staff/MartinSokol.php

TCD Geography https://www.tcd.ie/Geography/

Trinity College Dublin https://www.tcd.ie/

Human Resources https://www.tcd.ie/hr/

The Discipline / Department of Geography

The Department of Geography in Trinity is one of the leading Geography

departments in Ireland and Europe. It is the only Geography department in Ireland

that simultaneously holds two prestigious European Research Council (ERC) grants

(SHARECITY and GEOFIN). The Department has 13 full-time academic staff, 7

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postdoctoral and research staff and a vibrant Ph.D. body, in addition to support and

technical staff. Particular research strengths in human geography include urban and

economic geography, development geography and environmental governance. In QS

2015 Subject Rankings, Geography ranked in the top 100 in the world. The

Department is located within one of the architectural gems of the College, the

Museum Building, next door to the Old Library (Book of Kells). Post-doctoral

researchers will be based on the main Trinity Campus, which is situated in the

Dublin’s city centre.

For further information, visit: http://www.tcd.ie/Geography/

Museum Building – the home of TCD Geography

Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin

Founded in 1592, Trinity is at the nexus of tradition and innovation, offering

undergraduate and postgraduate programmes across 24 schools and three faculties:

arts, humanities, and social sciences; engineering, maths and science; and health

sciences. Spread across 47 acres in Dublin’s city centre, Trinity’s 17,000-strong

student body comes from all 32 counties of Ireland, and 16% of students come from

outside the country. Of those, 40% are from outside the European Union, making

Trinity’s campus cosmopolitan and bustling, with a focus on diversity.

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As Ireland’s leading university, the pursuit of academic excellence through research

and scholarship is at the heart of the Trinity education. Trinity is known for

intellectual rigour, excellence, interdisciplinarity, and research-led teaching. Home to

Nobel prize-winners such as scientist Ernest Walton and writer Samuel Beckett,

Trinity draws visitors from across the world to its historic campus each year,

including to the Book of Kells and Science Gallery which capture the university’s

connection to both old and new.

Trinity accounts for one-fifth of all spin-out companies from Irish higher education

institutions, helping to turn Ireland into an innovation-intensive, high-productivity

economy. That culture of innovation and entrepreneurship is a defining

characteristic of our campus as we help shape the next generation of job creators.

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Trinity has developed significant strength in a broad range of research areas,

including the 19 broadly based multi-disciplinary thematic research areas.

Ireland’s first purpose-built nanoscience research institute, CRANN, houses 150

scientists, technicians and graduate students in specialised laboratory facilities.

Meanwhile, the state-of-the-art Biomedical Sciences Institute is carrying out

breakthrough research in areas such as immunology,

cancer and medical devices.

The Old Library, which houses the Long Room, in

Trinity is the largest research library in Ireland, with a

collection of six million printed items, 500,000 maps,

80,000 electronic journals, and 350,000 electronic

books. Some of the world’s most famous scholars are

graduates of Trinity, including writer Jonathan Swift,

dramatist Oscar Wilde, philosopher George Berkeley,

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and political philosopher, and political theorist Edmund Burke. Three Trinity

graduates have become Presidents of Ireland - Douglas Hyde, Mary Robinson and

Mary McAleese.

Trinity is the highest ranked university in Ireland, and among the world’s leading

higher education institutions.

Trinity College Dublin World University Rankings

Overall

Trinity is Ireland’s No.1 University in the QS World University Ranking, THE

World University Ranking and the Academic Ranking of World Universities

(Shanghai).

Trinity is ranked 71st in the World and 21st in Europe in the 2013/2014 QS

World University Ranking across all indicators.

Internationalisation

Trinity is ranked 44th in the World in the Times Higher Education Top 100

Most International Universities.

Trinity is 46th in the World in the QS World University Ranking 2013/2014 in

terms of International Faculty.

Research Performance

Trinity is ranked in the top 70 universities in the world in the Times Higher

Education Ranking of World Universities in terms of overall research and in

the top 75 universities in the world in terms of citations (research impact).

Trinity ranks in the top 1% of research institutions in the world in the

following 17 Essential Science Indicators fields (an increase of over 150%

from 2004): Physics, Chemistry, Engineering, Social Sciences (General),

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Immunology, Neurosciences, Nanosciences, Materials Science, Pharmacy and

Toxicology, Molecular Biology and Genetics, Biology and Biochemistry,

Microbiology, Plant and Animal Science, Clinical Medicine, Agriculture,

Psychiatry/Psychology, Environment/Ecology.

In the QS Faculty Rankings 2015*:

Trinity is ranked 63rd in the world in Arts and Humanities.

Trinity is ranked 69th in the world in Life Sciences and Medicine.

Trinity is ranked 89th in the in Social Sciences and Management.

In the QS Subject Rankings 2015**:

Trinity College Dublin features in the world's elite (Top 200) institutions in 25 of the

28 subjects in which it was evaluated by the QS World University Rankings by Subject

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2015. Of these, Trinity ranks in the top 100 in the world in 14 subjects and in the top

5 in the world in 5 subjects.

Top 50

Trinity is ranked 32nd in the world in English Language and Literature.

Trinity is ranked 33rd in the world in Politics and International Studies.

Trinity is ranked 39th in the world in History.

Trinity is ranked 48th in the world in Biological Sciences.

Trinity is ranked 49th in the world in Modern Languages.

Top 100

Trinity is in the top 100 in the world in Chemistry.

Trinity is in the top 100 in the world in Computer Science and Information

Systems.

Trinity is in the top 100 in the world in Education.

Trinity is in the top 100 in the world in Geography.

Trinity is in the top 100 in the world in Law.

Trinity is in the top 100 in the world in Medicine.

Trinity is in the top 100 in the world in Pharmacy and Pharmacology.

Trinity is in the top 100 in the world in Philosophy.

Trinity is in the top 100 in the world in Psychology.

Trinity subjects ranked in the world top 101-200 (QS Subject Ranking 2015)

Subject Trinity Rank

Accounting and Finance 101-150

Business and Management Studies 101-150

Economics and Econometrics 101-150

Linguistics 101-150

Physics and Astronomy 101-150

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Sociology 101-150

Engineering - Civil and Structural 151-200

Engineering – Electrical 151-200

Engineering – Mechanical 151-200

Environmental Sciences 151-200

Mathematics 151-200

* QS ‘Faculty’ Rankings 2015: www.topuniversities.com/faculty-rankings

** QS Subject Rankings 2015: www.topuniversities.com/subject-rankings

Pension Entitlements

This is a pensionable position and the provisions of the Public Service

Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2004 will apply in relation to

retirement age for pension purposes. Details of the relevant Pension Scheme will be

provided to the successful applicant.

Applicants should note that they will be required to complete a Pre-Employment

Declaration to confirm whether or not they have previously availed of an Irish Public

Service Scheme of incentivised early retirement or enhanced redundancy payment.

Applicants will also be required to declare any entitlements to a Public Service

pension benefit (in payment or preserved) from any other Irish Public Service

employment.

Applicants formerly employed by the Irish Public Service that may previously have

availed of an Irish Public Service Scheme of Incentivised early retirement or

enhanced redundancy payment should ensure that they are not precluded from re-

engagement in the Irish Public Service under the terms of such Schemes. Such

queries should be directed to an applicant’s former Irish Public Service Employer in

the first instance.

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Employment Permit Eligibility Criteria

Applications from non-EEA citizens are welcomed. However, eligibility is

determined under the relevant regulations of the Department of Jobs,

Enterprise and Innovation. Trinity, as an accredited research organisation,

can form Hosting Agreements with third country nationals (Non-EEA

nationals) for the purposes of conducting research in the University. Non-

EEA candidates should note that the onus is on them to secure a visa to travel

to Ireland prior to interview. Non-EEA candidates should also be aware that

even if successful at interview, an appointment to the post is contingent on

the securing of a Hosting Agreement or Employment Permit as appropriate.

See https://www.djei.ie/en/What-We-Do/Research-Innovation/Hosting-

Agreement-Scheme/

Equal Opportunities Policy

Trinity College is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to

employment policies, procedures and practices which do not discriminate on

grounds such as gender, civil status, family status, age, disability, race,

religious belief, sexual orientation or membership of the travelling

community.

On that basis we encourage and welcome talented people from all

backgrounds to join our staff community.

Trinity College’s Diversity Statement can be viewed in full at

https://www.tcd.ie/diversity-inclusion/diversity-statement/

Other Relevant Information

Successful candidates will become members of the Finance, Economy &

Society (FES) Research Group based in Trinity College Dublin (TCD) and

directed by Dr Sokol. GEOFIN team members will also be part the Global

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Network on Financial Geography (FinGeo) of which Dr Sokol is a founding

member and Secretary. FinGeo has well over 250 members worldwide.

GEOFIN researchers will therefore have unparalleled access to scholars in the

field and will benefit from activities carried out by the Network. The members

of the GEOFIN research team will also benefit from inter-disciplinary

interaction within TCD, especially with colleagues in the Business School and

Departments of Economics, Sociology and Politics, in addition to vibrant

research environment within Geography Department itself.

GEOFIN research team will be further supported by the host institution

through training – both in relation to research and professional development.

TCD has an excellent capacity to provide complementary skills training to the

team through the Centre for Academic Practice (CAPSL). CAPSL provides

courses on various aspects of professional development. In addition to this

TCD’s Centre for Women in Science and Engineering Research (WiSER) will

provide gender-sensitive research training to the team throughout the

duration of the project. WiSER was founded to address the under-

representation of women researchers in science and engineering disciplines at

Trinity College Dublin. It aims to increase retention of women by providing

direct support to female researchers and academics; to foster a sense of

community within the workplace, and to create a gender-balanced, and

ultimately more productive, working environment.

Relocation expenses

Modest relocation expenses for successful candidates can be claimed under

the discretion of Principal Investigator.

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Application Procedure

Stage 1 – Application to be emailed to: geofin@tcd.ie by the closing date

The application must consist of:

1. Cover letter (stating clearly which post(s) the applicant is applying for (PD1,

PD2 or both) and outlining how their knowledge, experience & skills match

those required for the particular post(s)).

2. Full CV, including a list of publications and contact details of 3 referees (one

of which should be your PhD supervisor).

3. Copies of two publications that best support the application (these can be

journal articles, book chapters, relevant PhD thesis chapters, or other scholarly

outputs in English; at least one of these should be solo-authored by the

applicant; ideally, at least one of these sample publications should be relevant

to the project research area).

Candidates must state clearly if they are applying for PD1 (States) or PD2

(Banks) or both.

For candidates applying for both positions – it is sufficient to submit one

application only, but they need to make sure that their application cover letter

fully addresses how they meet the criteria (knowledge, skills & experience) for

both posts. Such candidates may, if they wish, submit up to 4 publications for

consideration (2 publications for each post), but they must clearly identify

which publications support which post.

Incomplete applications will not be considered and may be rejected.

Candidates who do not want their referees being approached before an

interview, must indicate this clearly in their application.

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Candidates short-listed for Stage 2 - Interview will be notified within 3 weeks

of the closing date.

Stage 2 – Interview

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to undertake interview via telephone or

Skype to take place within 10 days of notification.

Stage 3 – Presentation

Selected candidates will be invited to Dublin to meet the Principal Investigator

and to give a presentation to members of Geography department about their

research. Reasonable travel and accommodation expenses will be reimbursed

at the discretion of the Principal Investigator.

Candidates should submit a cover letter together with a full curriculum vitae

(including the list of publications and contact details of 3 referees)

and two sample publications to:

Name: Dr Martin Sokol

Title: Associate Professor in Geography / PI - GEOFIN

Email Address: geofin@tcd.ie

Contact Telephone Number: +353-1-896 2355

Informal enquiries concerning the post should be addressed to Dr Martin Sokol at

sokolm@tcd.ie.