Research Fellows Mauritshuis. Revisiting Dutch Brazil and Johan Maurits

Update 18 April 2020: Due to the Coronovirus crisis, the deadline for applications has been postponed until May 31, 2020. Selection of candidates will take place in June 2020.

The Gieskes-Strijbis Fund is funding four one-year research Fellowships at the Royal Picture Gallery Mauritshuis on the Research Project Revisiting Dutch Brazil and Johan Maurits. We offer early career scholars the opportunity to conduct innovative historical research on themes related to Dutch Brazil, the tenure of Johan Maurits van Nassau-Siegen and the early history of Dutch slave trade and enslavement.

Candidates are invited to submit research proposals that link to these themes, describing research questions, sources and methodologies. The Fellowships are intended for early career scholars seeking to develop their expertise in the period and topic. We expect Fellows to work towards a peer-reviewed publication in an international journal. The Mauritshuis will provide access to the museum, the museum library, as well as membership to the Royal Library in The Hague. Residence is not required, but we do expect Fellows to attend two expert meetings during the course of their project and to present their results at a symposium to be organized in the last quarter of 2021.

The deadline for applications is 31 May 2020. Candidates will be selected for an interview by an international academic Advisory Board and the Head of the Research Project. Fellows will be appointed by the museum.

Eligibility

• The Fellowships are open to early career scholars of postdoc-comparable level.
• Fellowships are open to candidates of all nationalities. Candidates are themselves responsible for obtaining visa and other permits to visit or work in the Netherlands.
• Residency is not required, but we do expect Fellows to present their work at two expert meetings and a final symposium.
• Candidates should have proven research capabilities, academic credentials and excellent command of English, and the ability to use the sources necessary for their proposed research – seventeenth century paleography in either Dutch or Portuguese, or both.
• The Fellowship cannot be held in conjunction with any other substantial maintenance grant or tenured position.

Requirements for application

• Motivation letter (max. 1 page)
• Research proposal (max. 1000 words)
• CV (max. 3 pages)
• Proof of writing (article, chapter of thesis)
• Letter of recommendation (to be emailed directly, separately from the file)

What we offer

• Fellowship stipends are awarded to support a Fellow’s study and research during the tenure of appointment. Stipends are € 30.000, payable in 12-monthly installments.
• Access to the museum, the museum library, and facilities.
• Access to an internationally oriented academic network.
• Membership of the Royal Library will be paid for by the project
• Opportunity to conduct innovative research as part of an international team.
• Fellows will be supported in their research by the Head of the Research Project, members of the Advisory Board and museum staff.

Application and procedure

Complete applications and separate letters of recommendation can be submitted by email to Erik Odegard, Head of the Research Project: e.odegard@mauritshuis.nl.

For questions regarding the procedure or the possibility to discuss research plans, please contact the Head of the Research Project at e.odegard@mauritshuis.nl. The closing date for all applications is 31 May 2020 at 23:59 (CET), but candidates are encouraged to apply at their earliest convenience. No applications will be accepted after the deadline. All applications must be submitted through email and in English.

Selection for interviews will be made by the head of the research project and an international advisory committee in June 2020.

The Mauritshuis is committed to diversity and equity. We therefore encourage all potential candidates to apply.

Topics

Applicants are encouraged to write their own proposals based on their specific expertise. To give an idea of the diversity of topics in which we are interested, applicants can use the following list of possible topics as inspiration:

• The colonial economy
• The archaeology of slavery
• Dutch Brazil and court cultures
• The South Atlantic System
• Dutch Brazil and Angola
• Governance in Dutch Brazil
• Dutch-indigenous relations
• Resistance to slavery
• Enslaved lifeways