Graduate School for Social Research

17/07/2026

The Institute of Philosophy and Sociology of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IFiS PAN) announces a call for applications for one PhD scholarship in the project “Glass Bees: Knowing, Valuing and Engaging with Soil in the Age of Digital Agriculture” (grant no. 2025/59/D/HS6/00364), led by Dr Celina Strzelecka, IFiS PAN.

The project, funded by the National Science Centre, Poland, under the SONATA 21 programme, investigates how the digital transformation of agriculture is reshaping relationships between humans, soil, and technology. While sensors, artificial intelligence, digital platforms, and predictive algorithms are increasingly used in agriculture, little is known about how these technologies transform the ways in which soil is understood, valued, and cared for. The project addresses this gap by examining how digital agriculture reconfigures the ethical, epistemic, and temporal dimensions of human–soil relations in contemporary Poland.

The scholarship is awarded for four years, including 36 months of funding from the project budget. Its amount is determined in accordance with the provisions of the Polish Law on Higher Education and Science. The current doctoral scholarship amounts to PLN 3,571 gross per month before the mid-term evaluation and PLN 5,501 gross per month after successful completion of the mid-term evaluation. The successful candidate will be admitted to the Sociology doctoral program at the Graduate School for Social Research (GSSR).

Applications must be submitted by 31 August 2026. Interviews will take place between 16 and 18 September 2026.

For more information, click the link!

The Institute of Philosophy and Sociology of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IFiS PAN) announces a call for applications for one PhD scholarship in

08/07/2026

The Institute of Philosophy and Sociology of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IFiS PAN) announces a competition for one PhD scholarship in the project “The Epistemic Dimension of Clerical Child Sexual Abuse” (grant no. 2025/59/B/HS2/00826), led by dr hab. Dorota Hall, prof. IFiS PAN. The project is financed by the National Science Centre, Poland, under the OPUS 30 competition, with a projected start in October 2026.

The project applies the epistemic injustice framework to the production and circulation of knowledge about clerical child sexual abuse within the Roman Catholic Church in Poland and Scotland. The PhD student will conduct field research in two to three local communities in Poland, under the Principal Investigator’s supervision, and will be registered as a PhD student in sociology at the Graduate School for Social Research (GSSR).

Applications must be submitted by August 31, 2026. Interviews will take place between 14 and 18 September 2026.

For details, please click the link

The Institute of Philosophy and Sociology of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IFiS PAN) announces a competition for one PhD scholarship in the project "The

06/07/2026

GSSR Ph.D. Students Co-Created the First Edition of GENDERLab!

The first edition of GENDERLab – a six-month research project development program organized by the Gender Sociology Section of the Polish Sociological Association – has come to a close!

The program combined regular online meetings with a several-day seminar and workshop retreat at the Polish Academy of Sciences’ Dom Pracy Twórczej in Jurata. Its goal was to create a space for in-depth work on research projects: from initial concepts, through data analysis and the development of theoretical frameworks, to the preparation of publications and grant proposals.

Two PhD Candidates from GSSR were involved in the creation and implementation of the program:

Wiktoria Morawska – co-coordinator of GENDERLab,

Alex Filipiak

We congratulate the participants on the completion of the program’s first edition and are delighted by the active participation of our doctoral students in initiatives that strengthen scientific collaboration and advance research in the field of gender sociology.

For more information, see the post by the Gender Sociology Section of the Polish Sociological Association (PTS): https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1NygexqpXZ/

01/07/2026

The next edition of the course “Critical Epistemologies, Intersectionality, and Gender Equality in Doctoral and Postdoctoral Research” is coming this fall!

The first edition was taught by Magdalena Grabowska, Wiktoria Morawska, Dorota Hall, and Kuba Malec. The starting point was feminist epistemologies, but we also explored the requirements placed on scientific research today in the context of intersectionality and equality: especially in programs like Horizon Europe and the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grants. We discussed how critical epistemologies, an intersectional perspective, and gender equality can strengthen social research and meet these requirements. 📚 The program included sessions on feminist epistemologies, epistemic injustice, intersectionality in qualitative and quantitative research, activist research, ethics, researcher positionality, how to incorporate a gender perspective into research projects and grant applications, and the ethical implications of research within the broader political and social landscape.

☑️ NEXT EDITION OF THE COURSE: 2026/27

We invite you to join us for the next edition of the course in the 2026/27 academic year! The program has been expanded to include both new practical elements and new theoretical themes. 📝 We invite both those who attended the seminar in 2025/26 and new participants to join us. The course is open to researchers at all career stages: doctoral candidates and those with a PhD🎓

From the beginning of the course, participants will discuss theoretical texts, but above all, they will develop their own research project on a working poster, which will serve as a "working tool" throughout the semester and form the basis of the final presentation. The goal is to systematically work on the development of one’s own research project: a doctoral dissertation, a postdoctoral project, and/or a grant application in progress (particularly European grants, but also applications for other calls for proposals, including those from the National Science Center). In addition, workshops are planned on preparing grant proposals in accordance with the European Commission’s requirements, using SGBA+ tools, and analyzing actual, highly rated grant proposals that take into account various dimensions of research on gender, inequalities, and sexuality.

The program will also include new topics, such as the genealogies of the concept of “gender,” the place of Central and Eastern Europe in debates on equality, local hierarchies and intersectionality, and non-academic epistemologies. The schedule also includes meetings with invited experts, including representatives of the National Contact Point for EU Research Programs and the Research Support Department at the Institute of IFiS PAN, as well as feminist researchers from other institutions. 🌍

If you want to develop your research or grant project focusing on gender and intersectionality, or to properly fill out the sections on gender equality in your application, join us this fall!

26/06/2026

We congratulate Dr. Jacek Mazurczak on successfully defending his doctoral dissertation with distinction at the Graduate School for Social Research, Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, Polish Academy of Sciences.

His dissertation, “The Radicalisation: A Test of Durkheimian Theories of Social Regulation and Social Integration,” was supervised by Prof. Kazimierz M. Słomczyński.

In his dissertation, Dr. Mazurczak developed an original Durkheimian framework for explaining cross-national variation in radicalization. Combining classical sociological theory with comparative quantitative analyzes of European societies, he examined radicalization across different stages of its development—from the justification of political violence, through protest mobilization, to violent extremism. His research demonstrates how social regulation and social integration shape the escalation of grievances into political violence.

During his doctoral studies, he was awarded the GSSR International Scholarship Award (NAWA GISA), under which he collaborated with the Center for Research on Extremism (C-REX), University of Oslo. He also contributed to the European Social Survey (ESS), taught laboratory classes in quantitative research methods at both GSSR and Civitas University, cooperated with law enforcement agencies as an expert on hate crime and violent extremism, and served as a member of the Team for Counteracting Hate Speech and Hate Crimes established by the Prosecutor General of Poland.

Dr. Mazurczak plans to continue developing research on radicalisation, political violence, and the application of classical sociological theory to contemporary social problems.

22/06/2026

🚀 Thinking about a PhD?

GSSR admissions for the Academic Year 2026/2027 are now open — and we are looking for motivated candidates ready to develop ambitious research projects in an international academic environment.

You can apply to PhD programs in:

🧠 Psychology
🏛️ Political Science
📚 Sociology at IFiS PAN

GSSR welcomes qualified candidates regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, religion, age, or country of origin.

🎓 All successful PhD applicants receive doctoral scholarships under the 2018 Polish Law on Higher Education and Science. Additional research stipends and funding are also available on a competitive basis.

For 2026/2027, places outside externally funded grants are available as follows:

✨ Psychology: 1 place
✨ Political Science: 1 place
✨ IFiS PAN: 3 places

Start here:
https://www.gssr.edu.pl/admissions/

16/06/2026

📣 GSSR admissions for the Academic Year 2026/2027 are open!

Are you ready to begin your PhD journey? We invite qualified candidates to apply to our PhD programs in Psychology, Political Science, and Sociology at IFiS PAN.

🌍 GSSR is open to qualified candidates irrespective of gender, race, ethnicity, religion, age, or country of origin.

🎓 All successful PhD applicants receive doctoral scholarships in accordance with the 2018 Polish Law on Higher Education and Science. Additional research stipends and funding are available on a competitive basis.

For the Academic Year 2026/2027:
🧠 Psychology can admit 1 student outside externally funded grants;
🏛️ Political Science can admit 1 student outside externally funded grants;
📚 IFiS PAN can admit 3 students outside externally funded grants.

🔗 More information and application details:
https://www.gssr.edu.pl/admissions/

14/06/2026

We are delighted that scholars from GSSR's constituent institutes have secured prestigious NCN grants!

**OPUS**
Dariusz Brzeziński
Luisa Brotto
Dorota Hall
Kazimierz M. Slomczynski

**SONATA**
Alicja Ewa Bielak
Anna Magdalena Chrzanowska
Celina Strzelecka

These awards recognize innovative research across the social sciences and humanities and further strengthen the research environment available to GSSR doctoral students.

Congratulations, and we wish you every success in your projects!

14/06/2026

Reminder: GSSR is open for applications to the 2026/2027 academic year!

GSSR is open to qualified candidates irrespective of your gender, race, ethnicity, religion, age, or country of origin.

All successful PhD applicants receive doctoral scholarships in accordance with the 2018 Polish Law of Science and Higher Education. Additional research stipends and funding are available on a competitive basis.

In the Academic Year 2026/2027:
– the PhD program in Psychology can admit 1 student outside externally funded grants;
– the PhD program in Political Science can admit 1 student outside externally funded grants;
– IFiS can admit 3 students outside externally funded grants.

For details, please see the GSSR website: https://www.gssr.edu.pl/admissions/