PhD-positie Middeleeuwse geschiedenis Universiteit Utrecht

1 PhD-position in Medieval History (1.0 fte)

Job description
As a PhD-student you will work within the NWO-funded project Mind over Matter. Debates about relics as sacred objects, c. 350-c. 1150 which investigates debates and disagreements about the role of relic cults in Christian devotion in the West from Late Antiquity until c. 1150. Contrary to what is often maintained, the role of relics in Christian religious life was not self-evident and unchallenged. This project examines the learned debates on the role of matter in Christian devotion (project 1) and analyses their relation to the practices of the saints’ cults themselves (projects 2 and 3).

You will be responsible for project 3, and focus on one particular saint’s cult, namely the cult of Willibrord, an Anglo-Saxon monk now famous as ‘the apostle of the Frisians’. You will use the wealth of sources, both textual and material, to investigate for this particular case-study the interaction between the practice of relic cults and learned debates on holy objects, in particular relics.

You will actively participate in the research team led by Dr. Janneke Raaijmakers. This means doing research together and sharing results, but also organizing an international conference and a national exhibition on relics and other religious onjects. The PhD-student is expected to offer assistance to both enterprises, and in particular to the development of a teaching package for both primary and secondary education on the cult of Willibrord in the Netherlands, together with the museum involved.

You will be based at Utrecht University, and be member of the department of medieval history led by prof. Mayke de Jong.

Qualifications
* A (research) master’s degree in history, or art history or another discipline of the humanities with a clear interest in medieval history and saints cults.
* Excellent knowledge of medieval Latin (required).
* An interest for relevant theory.
* An outstanding record of undergraduate and Master’s degree work.
* Capacity to work both as a creative and independent researcher and as part of a team.
* Ability to write and present research results in academic English.
* Organizational skills.
* Ability to make research results accessible to a broader audience

Offer
We offer a full-time PhD position (1,0 fte), beginning June 2014 at the earliest, consisting of an initial period of 18 months which, after a positive evaluation, will be extended by another 30 months (4 years in total), with a gross monthly fulltime salary starting at € 2,083,- in the first year, ending at € 2,664,- in the fourth year. The position includes a (maximum of) 20% teaching assignment at BA-level.

Utrecht University offers a pension scheme, a holiday allowance of 8% per year, an end-of-year bonus of 8.3% and flexible employment conditions. Conditions are based on the Collective Employment Agreement of the Dutch Universities. More information: terms of employment.

PhD-students, also referred to as doctoral candidates, usually take some introductory courses at the Onderzoeksschool Mediëvistiek, the National Research School for Medieval Studies history and the Utrecht Graduate School of Humanities.

About the organisation
Utrecht University has great ambitions for its teaching quality and study success rates. This also applies to its clear research profiles which are centred around four themes: Sustainability, Life Sciences, Youth & Identity, and Institutions. Utrecht University plays a prominent role in our society and contributes to finding the answers to topical and future societal issues.

The Faculty of Humanities has around 7,000 students and 900 staff members. It comprises four knowledge domains: 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 motivated colleagues and the excellent facilities in the historic town centre of Utrecht, where the Faculty is located, provide a stimulating professional atmosphere. Moreover, Utrecht University offers attractive terms of employment.

Additional information
For further information about this VIDI-project, see here.
Please write to j.e.raaijmakers@uu.nl for further enquiries about this job position.

Apply
Applicants should send a cover letter and a curriculum vitae, information about their undergraduate training, a transcript of academic results, an MA thesis (or written coursework if the MA thesis is not yet available, preferably in English), certified copies of relevant diplomas and the contact details of two referees (names, affiliations and phone numbers and email addresses).

Applicants are also required to submit a 600-word reflection on the project proposal in which the applicant presents his/her ideas about the project concerned. Please note that applications without this 600-word research proposal will not be included in the selection procedure.

The application deadline is 17/01/2014