Two PhD candidates in Digital Humanities

The Faculty of Humanities provides education and conducts research with a strongly international profile in a large number of disciplines in the field of language and culture. Located in the heart of Amsterdam, the Faculty maintains close ties with many cultural institutes in the capital city. There are over 1,000 employees affiliated with the Faculty, which has about 8,000 students. To strengthen the research field of Digital Humanities, the Faculty of Humanities invites applications for

Two PhD candidates in Digital Humanities

starting on 1st September 2012

Applications are now invited from excellent candidates wishing to conduct research in this field. The PhD candidates will be part of one of the four research institutes of the faculty:

• ASCA (http://www.hum.uva.nl/asca)
  The Amsterdam School for Cultural Analysis (ASCA) is an interdisciplinary research institute that brings together scholars active in literature, philosophy, visual culture, religious studies, film and media studies, argumentation theory and science dynamics. Specialists in their own respective fields, ASCA’s members share a commitment to working within an interdisciplinary framework and to maintaining a close connection with contemporary cultural and political debates in society at large.
• ACLC (http://www.hum.uva.nl/aclc)
  The Amsterdam Center for Language and Communication focuses on the description and explanation of variation in language and language use. A key feature of the ACLC approach is that linguistic phenomena are studied from the widest possible variety of perspectives, both descriptive and theoretical, in order to ensure that the findings are not accidental, but are truly representative of the basic parameters that govern the organization of natural languages.
• ICH (http://www.hum.uva.nl/ich)
  The Institute for Culture and History focuses on the study of European culture from a historical perspective. A common element in the research conducted within the ICH is that texts and artefacts are studied not only in isolation, but also within the context of the historical structures and processes in which they were produced and in which they functioned. Conversely, these structures are used to explain the specific presentation of texts and artefacts.
• ILLC (http://www.illc.uva.nl/research)
  In the Institute for Logic, Language and Computation researchers from the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Humanities collaborate. Its central research area is the study of fundamental principles of encoding, transmission and comprehension of information. Research at ILLC is interdisciplinary, and aims at bringing together insights from various disciplines concerned with information and information processing, such as logic, mathematics, computer science, linguistics, cognitive science, artificial intelligence, musicology and philosophy.

Tasks

• Complete and defend a PhD thesis within the official appointment duration (see text below).
• Regularly present intermediate research results at international workshops and conferences, and publish them in proceedings and journals
• Collaborate with the researchers in other relevant parts of the research institutes of the Faculty of Humanities
• Participate in the organization of research activities and events within the research field of Digital Humanities, such as conferences, workshops and joint publications

Requirements

• A Master's degree with excellent grades in a relevant field
• Good academic writing and presentation skills
• Good social and organizational skills

Appointment

The PhD candidate at the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Amsterdam will be appointed for 4 years for 0,8 fte under the terms of employment currently valid for the Faculty. In the first instance, a contract will be given for 16 months, with an extension for the following 32 months on the basis of a positive evaluation

The salary for the position (on a full-time basis) will be € 2042 during the first year (gross per month) and will reach € 2612 during the fourth year, in accordance with the CAO for Dutch universities.

Application

Applications for the PhD position should include a letter of motivation, a CV, a list of grades obtained for your Bachelor and Master (or equivalent) programmes, as well as names and contact details of two academic referees. Please supply each document separately in .pdf format, giving the files self-explanatory names (e.g. CV NAME.pdf). Please also include a writing sample (such as your MSc thesis or a term paper), preferably a link to an online version. The letter of motivation (max. 2000 words) should outline what kind of research you wish to undertake and in which of the four research institutes of the Faculty you would feel most at home.

You are welcome to contact professor Rens Bod (l.w.m.bod at uva.nl), co-ordinator of Digital Humanities, to discuss your plans ahead of applying formally.

Completed applications should be submitted by 4 July 2012, 23.59 hrs. The address for applications is solliciteren2012-fgw at uva.nl. Please state the vacancy number W12-128 in the subject field. Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted.

Further information

Research at the Faculty of Humanities: http://www.hum.uva.nl/onderzoek
Working at the UvA: http://www.english.uva.nl/vacancies
For general information, you may also contact the Faculty's research office at onderzoek-fgw at uva.nl.