Doctoral Student – OPUS-29 "Success and Failure in Cybercrime Investigations"

Requirements

• Master's degree or equivalent in law, criminology, sociology, or a related field;
• competence in qualitative, quantitative, or mixed social research methods; experience in empirical case file research will be an asset;
• English language proficiency at a minimum of B2 level;
• readiness to work with criminal case files, procedural documents, and sensitive materials;
• meticulousness, good work organisation, and readiness to adhere to confidentiality and data protection principles;
• working knowledge of cybercrime issues and criminal procedure, or readiness to quickly acquire knowledge in this area;
• high communication and interpersonal skills.

Description of Tasks

The recruitment concerns a competition for a position in the NCN research project ("Success and Failure in Cybercrime Investigations: Criminological and Procedural Factors", 2025/57/B/HS5/02035), the aim of which is to determine which procedural, behavioural, and contextual factors influence the outcome of so-called cybercrime cases (both technical and non-technical forms of cybercrime). The research is empirical and based on the analysis of legally concluded criminal case files. After the competition is finalised, the selected candidate may be included in an application for extraordinary admission to the Doctoral School of Social Sciences at the University of Warsaw in the discipline of legal sciences.

The doctoral student's tasks will include, in particular, participation in the coding of criminal case files, preparation and organisation of the dataset, quantitative analysis and interpretation of results, and preparation of publications and other project outcomes.

• participation in the piloting of the research tool and refinement of coding instructions;
• systematic analysis and coding of criminal case files;
• organisation, quality control, and preparation of the dataset for analysis;
• participation in quantitative and qualitative analysis of results;
• participation in project team meetings and in the preparation of publications, conference presentations, and other project outcomes;
• other auxiliary tasks agreed upon with the project leader.

Terms of Employment

The position provides for a doctoral scholarship financed from project funds for 36 months, i.e.:

• PLN 4,586.56 gross/month for the first 24 months (before increase / until mid-term evaluation);
• PLN 5,546.54 gross/month for the subsequent 12 months (after increase / after positive mid-term evaluation).

Formal Information

The indicated amounts exceed the minimum funding required for extraordinary admission to the Doctoral School of Social Sciences at the University of Warsaw.

The payment of the scholarship will be possible after meeting the formal requirements following a positive outcome of the project competition and the conclusion of the appropriate scholarship agreement.

Planned commencement date for project tasks: 1 October 2026.

Additional Information

The qualification procedure is two-stage. In the first stage, the committee conducts a formal and substantive evaluation of the documents. Candidates who meet the formal requirements and achieve the highest scores in the document evaluation – no more than 6 individuals – will be invited to the second stage, which is the interview.

The application should include an attachment in PDF format comprising in a single, common file:

• Curriculum Vitae, including in particular information on academic activity, research interests, and scientific achievements;
• Cover letter containing a description of research interests and justification for interest in participating in the project;
• A brief description of the planned research topic or an initial concept for a doctoral project related to the project's subject matter (maximum 700 words, in Polish);
• A scan of the diploma of completion of a long-cycle master's degree programme or a second-cycle degree programme, or an equivalent document obtained pursuant to separate regulations; a certificate of obtaining a master's degree is acceptable;
• A document confirming English language proficiency at a minimum B2 level;
• A declaration of not holding a doctoral degree and of readiness to undertake education at the UW Doctoral School of Social Sciences in the discipline of legal sciences, should the candidate be selected in the competition.

Interview

The interview will be conducted in Polish. The interview may include a part conducted in English. The interview will particularly focus on motivation, knowledge of the project's issues, methodological competencies, and readiness and preparation for performing tasks within the project.

Recruitment Schedule

• Registration of candidates for the project competition: from 1 July 2026 to 14 August 2026, 23:59;
• Qualification procedure in the project: 1–4 September 2026 (document evaluation and interview; the exact date of the interview will be communicated to invited candidates);
• Announcement of project competition results / ranking list: by 5 September 2026;
• Preparation of documents for the selected candidate for the application for admission beyond the limit: 7 September 2026;
• Further admission procedure to the UW Doctoral School of Social Sciences: after the competition resolution, according to the recognition procedure and deadlines indicated by the Doctoral School;
• Planned commencement date for project tasks: 1 October 2026.

Evaluation Criteria

The scholarship committee will evaluate applications in accordance with the regulations for granting NCN scientific scholarships in research projects, taking into account the following criteria:

• Candidate's academic achievements, including publications in renowned publishing houses or scientific journals — 50% of the final score;
• Achievements resulting from conducting scientific research, scholarships, awards, scientific experience gained in Poland or abroad, scientific workshops and training, and participation in research projects — 20% of the final score;
• Competence for performing tasks within the project — 30% of the final score.