CALL FOR PARTICIPANTS
Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences (QMSS)
A European Science Foundation Scientific Programme (2003 – 2007)

Applications are invited for places on five workshop/seminars, supported by
the Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences programme of the European
Science Foundation. These integrated workshops and seminars will provide
opportunities for junior researchers to undertake high-level training in the
latest developments in quantitative methods. They will also enable junior
and senior researchers to interact and share ideas and expertise based upon
recent research.

These five workshop/seminars will take place between June and September 2005
on the following topics:

• Social Network Analysis;

• Methods for Public Policy Evaluation in the Social Sciences;

• Measurement, Data Collection and Data Quality;

• Structural Equation Modelling in Cross-National Comparative Research;

• Simulation Methods for Longitudinal Analysis.


Each event will consist of a one-week workshop providing high-level
training, led by two leading researchers in the field, followed by a two day
seminar at which additional senior researchers will present and discuss
research at the cutting edge of the field.

Applications to participate in these events are invited from well-qualified
junior scholars, who are researching quantitative methods or using
quantitative methods in research in the social sciences and who are seeking
to extend and broaden their skills.

Thirty junior scholars will be selected to participate in each
workshop/seminar. Selection will be primarily on the basis of merit, subject
to consideration of balance with respect to country, discipline and between
those with primarily substantive interests in the social sciences and those
with primarily methodological interests.

Accommodation and meal costs at the workshop/seminars will be covered. Only
in exceptional cases of hardship, will contributions be made to travel costs.

Junior researchers who participate in one of the workshop/seminars will also
have the opportunity to apply for funds to support preparation of a paper
and participation in the end of programme conference.

Eligibility: Applicants should either be registered for doctoral work in a
relevant field of study and have demonstrated the ability to undertake
research of a high quality, or have completed doctoral work within the past
2 years. Applicants should be from one of the nineteen participating
European countries (listed on the web-site below).

Application Procedure: Applications should consist of a short CV, a covering
letter of no more than 500 words in English together with a recommendation
letter by a PhD supervisor or other established scholar. The covering letter
should include an explanation of how the applicant’s research plans relate
to the QMSS programme and, specifically, to any of the workshops. It should
also indicate which workshops the applicant would be interested to attend,
if a place could be offered, and rank these workshops in order of
preference. It is expected that no applicant will be permitted to
participate in more than one workshop (in a given year).

Applications should be sent by e-mail by 8 April 2005 to the Programme
Coordinator, Mrs. Julia D’Arrigo, at [log in to unmask] All applicants
will be informed about the outcome through e-mail by mid May 2005.

Further information about the programme is available via the ESF website at
http://www.esf.org/qmss or the QMSS website at http://www.s3ri.soton.ac.uk/qmss.