Information on the School/Research Group
This project is aligned with the Atomic Anxiety in the New Nuclear Age project which is funded by Dr Rhys Crilley’s UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship. The project is based in the International Relations (IR) subject group at the University of Glasgow. IR research focuses on pressing global themes of security, crises, and equality, embracing interdisciplinarity and methodological pluralism. The subject group analyses how security and justice intersect across various contexts, from migration and military crises to urban policing dynamics.
Supervisory Team
Principal Supervisor: Dr Rhys Crilley
Project details
According to the Secretary General of the United Nations, the world has entered ‘a time of nuclear danger not seen since the height of the Cold War’. This dangerous ‘new nuclear age’ is the result of arms control treaties collapsing, rising tensions between nuclear weapon states, and increasing threats to use nuclear weapons. At the same time, all of the nuclear weapon states are modernising or increasing their nuclear arsenals.
In this context of heightened atomic anxiety, the Atomic Anxiety in the New Nuclear Age project – funded by Dr Rhys Crilley’s UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship - investigates how the legitimacy of nuclear weapons is communicated, constructed, and contested, and then examines how nuclear arms control and disarmament efforts can be improved based on these insights.
Dr Rhys Crilley is seeking a candidate to study for a PhD as part of the Atomic Anxiety in the New Nuclear Age project.
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 www.atomicanxiety.com 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.
- Applicants can study part-time or full-time.
Please note that all applicants must also meet the entry requirements for the Politics PhD.
Application process
Applicants must apply via the Scholarships Application Portal (please see Scholarships Application Portal - Applicant Guide for more information). The funding opportunity is under 'College of Social Sciences Postgraduate Research Funding > COSS-25-013 - this application will be live by 25 April'),uploading the following documentation:
- LKAS PhD Studentship Atomic Anxiety Application Form(in Word format)
- Academic transcripts (All relevant Undergraduate and Master’s level degree transcripts (and translations, if not originally in English) – provisional transcripts are sufficient if you are yet to complete your degree).
- Contact details for two referees (where possible your referees should include an academic familiar with your work (within the last 5 years). Both referees can be academics but you may include a work referee, especially if you have been out of academia for more than 5 years). Please note, a CoSS PGR Funding Reference template will be sent to your referees for completion)*.
- Curriculum Vitae (CV) (academic where applicable)
- A writing sample (Masters thesis / draft paper / any relevant publications)
*Please note that when you enter your referees contact details on the Scholarships Application Portal and send the reference request, your referees are expected to provide their references by the closing date of the Scholarship (below). It is strongly recommended you complete this as soon as possible, as late or incomplete applications will not be considered.
Closing Date: 16 May 2025
Selection process
Applications will be assessed by the project team. Shortlisted applicants may be requested to attend an Interview.
All scholarship awards are subject to candidates successfully securing admission to a PhD programme in the School of Social and Political Sciences. Successful applicants will be invited to apply for admission to the relevant PhD programme after they are selected for funding.
Key contact
Dr Rhys Crilley
