The University of Sussex invites applications for two fully funded PhD studentships in Politics as part of NEWREPUBLIC, a prestigious European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant project examining the ideas that animate anti-autocratic movements in Africa and beyond. These 3.5-year full-time doctoral awards, beginning in September 2026, offer an exceptional opportunity for outstanding early-career scholars to undertake original research within a dynamic, collaborative, and internationally engaged research team. What the Studentships Offer Each studentship provides a comprehensive funding package, including: Full tuition fees (UK or international; funding available for up to one international student) A tax-free living stipend aligned with UKRI rates (currently £20,780 per year and rising annually) A generous research budget, sufficient to support at least six months of fieldwork Conference travel funding Travel support and participation in NEWREPUBLIC academic workshops and practitioner-facing dissemination events These awards are designed to enable doctoral researchers to focus fully on high-quality, field-based, and theoretically informed research. About the University of Sussex NEWREPUBLIC Project NEWREPUBLIC is an ERC-funded project led by Dr. Dan Paget, supported by a team of five researchers. The project asks a fundamental and underexplored question: What ideas animate anti-autocratic movements in Africa? While such movements have played decisive roles in contemporary African politics, their ideological foundations, conceptual vocabularies, and political imaginaries remain insufficiently theorised. NEWREPUBLIC seeks to address this gap by generating rigorous, interpretive research with clear relevance to both academic and practitioner audiences. A foundational claim of the project is that many anti-autocratic movements articulate “people power” philosophies, placing power, domination, and popular agency at the centre of democratic struggle. Through comparative and interpretive research, NEWREPUBLIC aims to: Extend these claims by examining whether and how similar philosophies appear across other African movements Enrich them by analysing complementary ideas, practices, and intellectual traditions Complicate them by identifying contradictions, tensions, and countervailing political imaginaries University of Sussex Doctoral Research Focus Successful candidates will design and conduct an independent PhD project aligned with one or more of the project’s core goals. They will be supervised by a team including Dr. Dan Paget, Dr. Hannah Richter, and/or Professor Paul Taggart. Indicative research questions may include: How do anti-autocratic movements in Africa critique autocracy and conceptualise democracy? How are political ideas expressed and enacted through movement practices, performances, and organisational forms? How do movements draw on political theory, historical texts, street discourse, digital cultures, or other intellectual traditions? How do movements imagine and operationalise relationships with allies, rival movements, and transnational actors? Research will centre on the interpretation of meaning embedded in texts, practices, symbols, and discourse. Candidates may adopt a range of qualitative methodologies, including elite and non-elite interviews, ethnography, netnography, discourse analysis, textual analysis, or visual analysis. Contribution to the Research Team In addition to their doctoral research, PhD students will contribute to collective project activities, including: Rule-bound content analysis of movement speeches Organisation and delivery of academic workshops involving scholars and activists Organisation and delivery of practitioner-focused policy seminars Broader intellectual and dissemination activities associated with NEWREPUBLIC Why Study at Sussex? The University of Sussex hosts a highly ranked, research-intensive Politics Department with internationally recognised strengths in political ideology, autocratisation, state capture, and democratic struggle. Sussex is home to: The Centre for the Study of Corruption (CSC) The Institute of Development Studies (IDS), consistently ranked first globally in development studies The School for the Progressive Futures Doctoral researchers benefit from comprehensive training and professional development through the Sussex Researcher School, supporting over 1,300 postgraduate researchers. Sussex’s 150-acre campus lies near Brighton, one of the UK’s most vibrant and liveable cities, regularly ranked highly for quality of life, creativity, and inclusivity. Eligibility and Selection Criteria Applicants must be able to begin full-time PhD study in September 2026 and reside in the UK during the programme (excluding fieldwork). Candidates already enrolled in a PhD are not eligible. Essential criteria include: Excellent academic record (Master’s degree completed or near completion) Strong expertise in African politics or a specific African region A well-aligned, original research proposal Proficiency (minimum B2 level) in an African language other than English Desirable criteria include: Experience with discourse or ideology analysis Background in political theory or philosophy Field research experience in Africa Engagement with democracy movements, NGOs, or civic actors Experience in public or policy-facing communication Languages spoken in Cameroon, Uganda, Angola, and Mozambique, including French and Portuguese, are particularly advantageous. Application Process and Deadline Applications must be submitted via the University of Sussex Postgraduate Application System by 6 March 2026 at 23:45 (GMT). Applicants should select PhD in Politics (September 2026 entry) and indicate consideration for the PhD Studentship in the Ideas of Anti-Autocratic Movements in Africa. LEARN MORE Shortlisting, interviews, and final decisions will take place between March and April 2026. For more opportunities such as these please follow us on Facebook, Instagram , WhatsApp, Twitter, LinkedIn and Telegram Disclaimer: Global South Opportunities (GSO) is not the seeking organization. For any inquiries, please contact the responsible organization directly. Please do not send your applications to GSO, as we are unable to process them. Due to the high volume of emails we receive daily, we may not be able to respond to all inquiries. Thank you for your understanding.