Job description
Funded by means of an NWO Free competition grant awarded to Prof. dr. Beatrice de Graaf, Dr. Mathieu Segers and Prof. dr. Peter Ben Smits the Department of History and Art History and the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies seek to appoint two PhD students and a postdoctoral researcher (advertised separately) for the project 'Blueprints of Hope. Designing Post-War Europe; Ideas, Emotions, Networks and Negotiations (1930–1963)'. The PhD candidates will be working on the following two sub projects:
- PhD project 1: Spiritual Blueprints of Europe (Department of Philosophy and Religious studies);
- PhD project 2: Economic Blueprints for Europe (Department of History and Art History).
PhD candidates are expected to contribute 10% of their appointment to teaching.
Qualifications
A successful PhD candidate should preferably have:
- a (research) master degree in history, religious studies or other relevant discipline and a demonstrable affinity with the scope of the project;
- an outstanding record of undergraduate and master's degree work;
- excellent command of English, both written and orally. A passive knowledge of French, German (as well as other European languages), necessary for working with the archival sources is a strong asset;
- experience with archival research;
- strong writing skills;
- capacity to work both as a creative and independent researcher and as part of a team.
Offer
The positions can be offered for 1,0 FTE, start date from 1 September 2016 onwards. The appointment is for an initial period of 18 months which, after a satisfactory 15 months, will be extended by another 33 months (4 years in total), with a gross monthly salary on a fulltime basis starting at € 2,174 in the first year, ending at € 2,779 in the fourth year, consistent with the Collective Employment Agreement for Dutch Universities.
Utrecht University offers a pension scheme, a holiday allowance of 8% per year, an end-of-year bonus of 8,3% and flexible terms of employment. Conditions are set by the Collective Employment Agreement of the Dutch Universities. More information: working at Utrecht University.
About the organization
A better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in executing their leading research and inspiring teaching. At Utrecht University, the various disciplines collaborate intensively towards major societal themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Sustainability.
The Faculty of Humanities has around 7,000 students and 900 academic staff. It comprises four areas of knowledge: Philosophy and Religious Studies, History and Art History, Media and Culture Studies, and Languages, Literature and Communication. With its research and education in these fields, the Faculty aims to contribute to a better understanding of the Netherlands and Europe in a rapidly changing social and cultural context.
The enthusiastic and committed colleagues and the excellent amenities in the historical city centre of Utrecht, where the Faculty is housed, contribute to an inspiring work environment.
Additional information
A brief project summary is available on the NWO website.
Enquiries can be made to Susanne Keesman MA, s.j.keesman@uu.nl. An extended research description is available upon request.
Apply
Written applications should address each of the criteria mentioned under qualifications, and include the following documents:
- Cover letter;
- Curriculum vitae;
- Research design proposal (max. 600 words);
- Copy of relevant diplomas and grades;
- Copy of a recent academic publication (max. 30 pages) or a recent paper or thesis;
- Names and contact details of two referees.
Please state the sub project for which you are applying in the subject line of your cover letter and note that incomplete applications cannot be included in the subsequent selection procedure.
Candidates who make the shortlist will be invited for an interview. These may be conducted in person in Utrecht or via Skype. Interviews are scheduled to take place on 21 and 23 June 2016.