Vacature: PhD candidate “The Rise and Decline of Patrimonial Capitalism in The Netherlands, 1780-1920” (Deadline 15 juni)

PhD candidate “The Rise and Decline of Patrimonial Capitalism in The Netherlands, 1780-1920” (1.0 FTE)

Functie
The Department of History and Art History seeks to appoint a PhD students for the project “Investment behaviour, political change and economic growth in the Netherlands, 1780-1920”, funded by means of an NWO Free Competition grant awarded to Prof. Dr. Oscar Gelderblom, 

The PhD candidate will be working on the following project: “The Rise and Decline of Patrimonial Capitalism in The Netherlands, 1780-1920”. The position may include a 0,1-0,2 FTE teaching load.

This PhD project maps the size and composition of the Dutch political elite’s portfolios over time. Using data from probate inventories and data on asset returns garnered from family archives, the candidate will construct a model investment portfolio for 20-year periods from 1780 to 1920 to serve as a gauge for individual investor behaviour at these various moments in time. She/he will then exploit the automated linkage with biographical data to link investment choices with personal characteristics, including family ties, residence, profession, and the nature of the political activities carried out throughout their lives. As a third step, the PhD candidate will complement data from existing studies on Dutch national wealth with additional research in the Memories to benchmark the political elite’s investment against that of the top 0.1 per cent of the wealth distribution.

Profiel
A successful PhD candidate should preferably have:

• a (research) Master degree in History, Economics, or another relevant discipline, and a demonstrable affinity with the scope of the project;
• an outstanding record of undergraduate and Master’s degree work;
• excellent command of English, both written and orally;
• experience with statistical analysis of historical data and/or archival research;
• strong writing skills;
• capacity to work both as a creative and independent researcher and as part of a team;

Aanbod
The positions can be offered for 1.0 FTE, start date from 1 September 2017 onwards. The appointment is for an initial period of 18 months which, after a positive assessment of progress made, will be extended by another 30 months (4 years in total). The gross salary ranges between €2,191 in the first year, ending at €2,801 in the fourth year (Collective Employment Agreement for Dutch Universities) gross per month for a full-time employment. 

Salaries are supplemented with a holiday bonus of 8 % and a year-end bonus of 8.3 % per year. We offer a pension scheme, collective insurance schemes and flexible employment conditions (multiple choice model). More information is available at: working at Utrecht University.

Over de organisatie
A better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in their leading research and inspiring teaching. At Utrecht University, the various disciplines collaborate intensively on major societal themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Sustainability. 

The Faculty of Humanities has around 6,000 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 teaching 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. Enthusiastic and committed faculty members and excellent amenities in the historical city center of Utrecht, where the Faculty is housed, contribute to an inspiring working environment.

Aanvullende informatie
A brief summary of the VICI project is available on the NWO website  

Enquiries can be made to Oscar Gelderblom, o.gelderblom@uu.nl. An extended research description is available upon request.

Solliciteren
Written applications should address each of the criteria mentioned under qualifications, and include the following documents:

• cover letter;
• curriculum vitae;
• research design proposal (max. 600 words);
• copy of relevant diplomas and grades;
• copy of a recent academic publication (max. 30 pages) or a recent paper or thesis;
• names and contact details of two referees.

Please state the sub project for which you are applying in the subject line of your cover letter and note that incomplete applications cannot be included in the subsequent selection procedure. 

Candidates who make the shortlist will be invited for an interview. These may be conducted in person in Utrecht or via Skype. 

Interviews are scheduled to take place in the week of 3 July 2017.

Reageren uiterlijk
15/06/2017

More information and application: www.uu.nl