Call for Applications

- 2 Doctoral Fellowships
- 2 Postdoctoral Fellowships
- 2–3 Senior Fellowships

Application Deadline: 15 January 2020

The Maimonides Centre for Advanced Studies (MCAS) at Universität Hamburg would like to invite researchers to apply for its junior and senior fellowship programme for the academic year 1 October 2020 to 30 September 2021.

The Maimonides Centre for Advanced Studies is a Humanities Research Institute at Universität Hamburg led by Prof. Dr. Giuseppe Veltri. It is funded by the German Research Foundation. MCAS’s central aim is to explore and research scepticism in Judaism in its dual manifestation both as a purely philosophical tradition and as a more general expression of sceptical strategies, concepts, and attitudes in the cultural field.

Topic: Sources of Knowledge (2020–21)
In the academic year 2020–21, research at MCAS will focus on the nature and scope of scepticism in Jewish contexts by problematising the reliability of the different alleged sources of knowledge. In traditional epistemology, the sceptical attack is usually directed towards reason or sense perception as avenues of knowledge. In the religious sphere, it can be directed at the reliability of revelation, prophecy, divination, or the authority of tradition, especially when they contradict human reason or everyday experience. The sceptical position is also relevant in cases of competing sources of knowledge (the paradigmatic case being reason versus revelation) or conflicting authorities, where sceptical arguments are used locally for the purpose of choosing one source over another.
The successful candidate’s project should resonate productively with the annual topic as described. Priority will be given to projects dealing with (early) modern times.

Junior Fellowships (PhD and Postdoc)
Junior fellowships are awarded to advanced PhD students and postdoctoral researchers (within four years of receipt of PhD) in Jewish studies, history, philosophy, Islamic studies, religious studies, or related fields in the humanities.
- Fellowship period: 12 months (1 October 2020 to 30 September 2021)

Senior Fellowships
Senior fellowships are intended for researchers in Jewish studies, history, philosophy, Islamic studies, religious studies, or related fields in the humanities who have held a PhD for at least four years at the time of application (Category I) and for those who have achieved a professorship or an equivalent academic position (Category II).
- Fellowship period: 3–5 months
- Commencement of fellowship period: 1 October 2020

Application Procedure
Applicants are requested to submit the following documents in one PDF file.
- A research proposal of two to three pages, including the project’s relationship to the annual topic, the status quaestionis of the chosen topic, the candidate’s prior research that is relevant to the proposed topic, a detailed programme of work with a timetable, and a description of the expected form of the outcome of the project
- A full CV and up-to-date publications list (max. 5 pages)
- A completed application form (see webpage)
- A transcript of records/master’s certificate (PhD fellowship) or PhD diploma (postdoctoral fellowship)

In addition, two letters of recommendation (junior fellows only; for the PhD fellowship, one of the letters must be written by the PhD supervisor) must be sent directly to MCAS by the referees.

Applications and recommendation letters may be submitted via e-mail until 15 January 2020 to maria.wazinski@uni-hamburg.de
Acceptance letters will be sent out in early spring 2020.

MCAS aims to increase the number of women in advanced academic positions and strongly encourages women to apply. Applications will be reviewed and evaluated by MCAS’s advisory board.