The project “A small but fertile field: strengthening Southeast European Studies in Regensburg” (seeFField) was launched in July 2022 with the goal of strengthening Southeast European Studies in Regensburg. Within this framework, the University of Regensburg (UR) collaborates with the Leibniz Institute for East and Southeast European Studies (IOS), and partners in the region and beyond. Regensburg’s cluster of research and teaching activities in Southeast European Studies is at the leading edge of Area Studies in Germany. The seeFField project is supported by the Volkswagen Foundation as part of the programme "Weltwissen – Strukturelle Stärkung Kleiner Fächer" ("Global Knowledge - Structural Strengthening of Small Disciplines").

Located at the intersection of competing spheres of influence, Southeast Europe has multiple ‘exits’ or ‘inroads’ into alternative spaces of identification and allegiance. Our current research stresses these transnational entanglements: the region offers an excellent example of the various global and transregional connections that may compete with (or threaten) the declared European affiliation. Hence, we understand an ‘area’ not as a geographical container but as a nodal point of trans-local connections which can be traced from concrete sites to spaces ‘elsewhere’ through multiple patterns and scales of connectivity. Therefore, we follow a multi-scalar and multidisciplinary approach with a strong emphasis on empirical research in analysing different social, cultural, historical, and linguistic developments in the region and synergies between them.

We are pleased to announce a call for applications for our 2025 pre-doctoral fellowship to start on 1 April 2025, with a maximum duration of 6 months. It is expected that within this funding period, and under the guidance of an academic supervisor, the pre-doc fellow will develop and design a doctoral research project that closely fits the seeFField profile (please visit: https://seeffield.app.uni-regensburg.de/), in preparation for an application for (external) funding. The key research disciplines are history, social anthropology, and linguistics. The recipient of the pre-doctoral fellowship will receive a monthly allowance of 1.500,00 EUR.

The pre-doctoral fellow will be invited to participate in all seeFField activities and those of our partner institutions in Regensburg. The academic supervisor will usually be recruited from the seeFField Steering Board. The fellow will have access to the excellent library resources available in Regensburg. We explicitly encourage applications from candidates in Southeastern Europe. Our programmes are in English, knowledge of German is an advantage.

Requirements

- The applicant has successfully completed a postgraduate degree with excellent results (MA, Magister, German Diploma, State Examination, or equivalent degree) in, or related to, one of the abovementioned fields.
- When the MA degree (or equivalent) has yet to be formally awarded, the minimum requirement is that the MA thesis has been submitted.
- An original (preliminary) idea or proposal for an independent research project within a field of interest to the project (3-4 pages).
- Affinity with interdisciplinary research and openness to entanglements, transnational approaches and spatial perspectives.
- Good knowledge of the language(s) relevant to the proposed research project.

Application

Please submit your complete application in one PDF file (5 MB max.) to predoc.see@ur.de stating in the subject line: “Application Predoctoral fellowship 2025”. The PDF file should contain:
- A cover letter explaining your motivation to apply (max. 1 page).
- A preliminary outline of a doctoral research topic (3-4 pages, which includes a research question, a statement on the topic’s relevance, your own suitability, as well as a short bibliography).
- A brief work plan and schedule for the 6-month-scholarship period (max. 1 page).
- An indication of the discipline(s) and preferred supervisor.
- A Curriculum Vitae.
- Scans of all relevant higher education degree certificates.
- An abstract of the MA thesis (or equivalent) of not more than 300 words.
- In case the MA degree has not yet been awarded, a (tentative) assessment of the MA thesis’ quality by the thesis supervisor.
- A list of publications and presentations (if available / applicable).
- The names and contact details of two university lecturers or professors who are willing to provide a reference.

The deadline for applications is 15 December 2024.