Vacature: PhD Candidate in Medieval History

The Amsterdam School of Historical Studies (ASH) of the Faculty of Humanities currently has a vacant PhD position as part of the NWO-funded project Imagining a territory. Constructions and representations of late medieval Brabant, led by dr. Mario Damen. ASH is one of the six research schools of the Amsterdam Institute for Humanities Research (AIHR). Established in 2014, ASH represents and fosters the study of the human past from Antiquity to the present day. It brings together more than 200 academics, who participate in ca. 25 research groups.

Project description
This NWO funded project analyses how the interaction between prince, nobles and urban elites influenced the construction, perception, and representation of a territory. The test case will be the late medieval Duchy of Brabant, which still has historical and territorial significance for many people in present-day Belgium and the Netherlands. To underscore the fluidity and multiplicity of the concept of territory, this project sets out to disentangle the divergent, though sometimes overlapping, conceptions of what exactly Brabant was (or should be) in the eyes of different political actors, in this time before the availability of reliable scale maps. To answer the main research question the project takes a twofold approach. In the subproject The multiplicity of territory in late medieval Brabant the PhD candidate will define ducal, noble, and urban conceptions of Brabant mainly through administrative sources, particularly those of the fourteenth century that reflect a turning point in the capturing of territory. In a second subproject entitled Representations of territory in late medieval Brabant a postdoctoral researcher is appointed.

Tasks:

• completion and defence of a PhD thesis within four years;
• presentations of intermediate research results at workshops and conferences;
• conducting research in archival and library collections;
• submitting research results for publication in international peer-reviewed academic journals (either individually or co-authored);
• writing contributions to a project blog;
• teaching undergraduate courses in the third and fourth year of appointment;
• actively participating in project discussions and working as a peer reviewer for the team;
• participating in PhD training courses at the Netherlands Research School for Medieval Studies (Onderzoekschool Mediëvistiek).

Requirements
The successful applicant must have:

• a completed Research Master’s degree (MA or MPhil) in History or Medieval Studies;
• high level of active and passive command of Dutch and English and a passive command of French and Latin;
• demonstrable interest in the history of the late Middle Ages;
• demonstrable command of paleographical skills;
• experience in working with primary (archival) sources from the late Middle Ages;
• willingness to utilize theoretical and comparative frameworks;
• willingness to communicate academic research to non-academic audiences;
• ability to work both independently and as part of a research team.

Further Information

For further information contact:

• Dr. M.J.M. Damen
  T: +31(0)20 525 8896

Appointment
The PhD candidate will be appointed for 0.8 FTE (30.4 hours per week) for a period of 48 months at the Department of History, European Studies & Religious Studies of the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Amsterdam. Initially a contract will be given for 12 months, with an extension for the following 36 months on the basis of a positive evaluation. The intended starting date of the contract is 1 March 2017. The gross monthly salary (on full-time basis) will be €2,191 during the first year to €2,801 during the fourth year, in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities.

Job Application
Applications should include the following information, in one pdf file (not zipped):

• a letter of motivation (at most 1 page) explaining why you are interested in this position;
• a curriculum vitae (including a url for download of master thesis);
• a list of all graduate courses taken, with a transcript of grades;
• the names and contact details of two references who may be approached by the selection committee;
• shortlisted candidates will be required to provide a copy of their MA thesis or another relevant writing sample.

Please submit your complete application no later than 20 December 2016 to solliciteren2016-FGW@uva.nl. Only complete applications submitted to this email address will be considered. Interviews will take place in early January. Please state vacancy number 16-563 in the subject line of your application. 

For more information and application see uva.nl.