The SAXO Institute, Faculty of Humanities, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, invites applications for a 2-year postdoctoral position in history. The successful candidate will be appointed to the newly established ERC project TIMBER, funded by the European Research Commission and based at the SAXO Institute, and will be expected to begin by 1st April 2017 or as soon as possible thereafter.
The project
TIMBER is a recently started ERC funded project entitled Northern Europe's timber resource - chronology, origin and exploitation. In this project timber in Northern Europe will be studied, to attain a precise chronology for trade of timber over a long time period (c. 1100 to 1700). Using material and textual evidence the aim is to map the trade in this construction material and to show the regional and temporal fluctuations in timber exploitation and availability. Using a multi-disciplinary approach (archaeological analysis, archival research and a range of archaeological sciences) on a variety of specific case studies the team will work together to analyse the sources and destinations of traded timber through time.
Qualification requirements
In order to be considered for the position applicants must have research qualifications at least corresponding to what can be achieved as part of a successfully completed PhD within a relevant field.
The appointee will be part of a cross-disciplinary team with emphasis on researching written non-published evidence for the exploitation of timber in the past.
The postdoc in history (environmental/economic history) will particularly focus on examining merchant and custom records for timber cargos, sales and prices, with a view to quantifying the volume of trade in timber in the region through time with a focus on the Baltic Sea region. The appointee should particularly endeavor to define the source of timber stock, and how this fluctuates over time. Study of specific cases of traded timber from the mid-14th to mid-17th centuries will form the starting point for the archival research. Archives that might be consulted include Archiwum Państwowe w Gdańsku, Geheimes Preußisches Staatsarchiv – Preußischer Kulturbesitz, Berlin (Staatsarchiv Königsberg, Hauptabteilung XX), Tallinna Linnaarchiiv, Archiv der Hansestadt Lübeck, Riksarkivet Stockholm. What was the proportion of large construction timber to smaller timber and wood products like planking, clapboards and wainscots, and which wood species dominate? Do these sources tell us in detail exactly where the timber was harvested, and where was its final destination? How did the timber source areas and timber products change over time, during the period under study? Is there any discourse in the records for timber shortage in any of the localities or regions and can a chronology for these eventual shortages be extracted? The postdoc will work closely with the other postdoc appointees in the team and with the PI, so that the information gathered in all the project disciplines will be incorporated into a wider analysis referring to the main project research questions.
Furthermore, emphasis will be placed on the following:
Research qualifications, which will be assessed in relation to the period of active research, the degree of originality, and academic output.
The applicant’s scientific record, academic breadth and depth, rigour, thoroughness and accuracy, as well as academic relevance in relation to the job description.
Documented administrative qualifications, if any
Participation in networks – national and international
Previous experience with interdisciplinary collaboration and research
Good interpersonal skills
Excellent skills in English, written and spoken; knowledge of medieval Lower German as the main language of the sources, command of other Nordic languages would also be an advantage.
The successful candidate is expected to
work in close cooperation with the other team members.
present papers at conferences, workshops and public meetings, and represent the research group either with other members of the group or alone.
publish in journals or conference proceedings (individual and/or co-authored).
participate in workshops organised by the ERC project.
be present, part of the team and partake in the activities of the TIMBER team on a daily basis.
The European Research Council (ERC) is a European funding initiative, designed to support the best scientists, engineers and scholars in Europe. Its mandate is to encourage the highest quality research in Europe, selected by peer review evaluation, through competitive funding and to support investigator-initiated frontier research across all fields of research, on the basis of scientific excellence.
For further details about the qualification requirements for postdocs, please refer to the job structure for academic staff: http://ufm.dk/en/legislation/prevailing-laws-and-regulations/education/education-institutions
For further information about the position, please contact the Principle Investigator of the project TIMBER, Associate Professor Aoife Daly: (aoife.daly@hum.ku.dk)
Application
The application must be submitted online in Adobe PDF or Word format.
Please note that each field in the application form may only contain a single file of max. 20Mb.
The application must be written in English and include the following enclosures:
Application letter/cover letter
Curriculum vitae (with applicant’s e-mail address & telephone number)
Documentation of qualifications (examination certificates/PhD diploma, etc.).
Complete and numbered list of publications. The enclosed publications must be marked with *.
Research plan, including a short description of previous research and a plan for the coming years that includes an account of how the applicant will contribute to the deliverables in the project description.
Project proposal and research dissemination, if any
Publications. Applicants may choose a maximum of three publications for assessment. Publication dates must be clearly marked on the publication list. The publications selected must be uploaded as attachments and listed from 1 to 3
Should any material submitted consist of work with named co-authors, or work that is otherwise the result of collective academic endeavours, the extent of the applicant’s contribution to the work must be clearly stipulated. The Faculty may ask for a signed statement from the co-authors stipulating the extent and nature of each individual’s contribution.
Only material in Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, English and German can be expected to be assessed.
All material will be shredded at the end of the appointment procedure.
Appointment procedure
After the application deadline, the Head of Department selects applicants for assessment on the advice of the Appointment Committee. All applicants are then immediately notified whether their application has been accepted for assessment. The Dean subsequently appoints an expert assessment committee tasked with carrying out an assessment of the selected applicants for the specific post. Selected applicants are notified of the composition of the committee. Applicants are ultimately offered the opportunity of commenting on the part of the assessment relating to themselves before the appointment is finalized.
Applicants will be continuously informed about the progress of the procedure by e-mail.
Further information about the application procedure is available from HR and Personnel Mette Christensen, e-mail: VIPadmin@hum.ku.dk
Salary and conditions of employment
Terms of appointment and salary will be in accordance with an agreement between the Ministry of Finance and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC). The salary range starts at DKK 32,000 (EUR 3,667) + a 17,1 % contribution to the pension scheme. It is possible to negotiate salary supplements on an annual basis.
The Danish Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC) have further agreed on a protocol that makes it possible for international researchers employed by the University to achieve a pension exemption, whereby the pension contribution will be paid out as salary. For more information about the different pension schemes, please see http://ism.ku.dk/onarrival/pension/
A special tax scheme is offered to researchers recruited abroad, http://ism.ku.dk/onarrival/
If you consider applying from abroad, you may find useful information on how it is to work in Denmark and at UCPH.
See: http://ism.ku.dk, http://www.nyidanmark.dk/en-us/frontpage.htm and https://www.workindenmark.dk/
UCPH wishes to encourage everyone interested in this post to apply, regardless of personal background.
The closing date for applications is 23.59 CET, 14th November 2016.
Applications or supplementary material received thereafter will not be considered.