Postdoctoral Bursaries 2009-10

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Newby Trust Postdoctoral Bursary 2009-10

Applications are invited for postdoctoral bursaries from candidates in any area of the Humanities and Social Sciences, whose work falls within the scope of one of the Institute for Advanced Studies' current Research Themes or across disciplinary boundaries in the Humanities.

The bursaries are tenable for Fellowships of three to nine months, in the period 1 September 2009 - 31 August 2010. Awards will be up to a maximum of £10,000. The bursary may be used to top up an existing postdoctoral Fellowship (eg British Academy), or as a contribution towards living expenses. Applicants are asked to indicate other sources of support for which they have applied and the expected date of outcome. No teaching is required, but successful applicants may be able to supplement the bursary by contributing, by arrangement with the appropriate Head of subject area, to undergraduate teaching programmes. Office accommodation and research facilities are provided by the Institute in a newly refurbished postdoctoral suite which can accommodate up to six Postdoctoral Fellows at any one time. All Fellows of the Institute are expected to take part in the Institute's research programme and to offer a paper in one of the research seminars during their Fellowship. There are opportunities to participate in and to design seminars, workshops, colloquia etc at the Institute, and to collaborate with colleagues working in similar areas of research. The Institute's arrangements particularly encourage interdisciplinary collaboration.

We warmly welcome applications from both within and beyond the University of Edinburgh. Applicants must have been awarded a doctorate, normally within the last three years, and should not have held a permanent position at a university, or a previous Fellowship at the Institute for Advanced Studies. Those who have held temporary and / or short term appointments are eligible to apply.


Application Details

The closing date for the receipt of applications is 10 July 2009. Applications received after that date will not be considered. Decisions will be communicated in early August. Please ensure that you supply a valid email address so that you can be contacted quickly after decisions are made.

The completed application form can be sent as an email attachment to iash@ed.ac.uk or by post (by airmail from outside the UK) to:

The Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities
The University of Edinburgh
Hope Park Square
Edinburgh EH8 9NW
Scotland, UK


References: Applicants should ask two or more referees to write, in confidence, directly to the Institute Director at the address above or by email to iash@ed.ac.uk by 10 July 2009. Referees should comment on the nature and quality of the research proposal, as well as on the qualifications of the applicant. One referee should certify the successful completion and viva (defence) of the candidate's PhD thesis.


Notes:

1. Consideration will be given to the academic record and the publications of all applicants and their capacity to disseminate their views among a community of like-minded people. Candidates should give evidence of any contact they have made with researchers at the University of Edinburgh, and are encouraged to make such contact before submitting their applications.

2. Applicants should be able to provide, or ask their referees to provide, evidence of a successful outcome to a PhD viva at the time of applying.

3. Only fully completed formal applications will be considered. It is the responsibility of each applicant to ensure that all documentation is complete, and that referees submit their reports to Edinburgh by the closing date. Candidates may like to submit a copy of any one article or publication that is thought to be specially relevant to the research proposal and Fellowship submission. It must be emphasised, however, that no such submitted publication will be returned to the candidate.

4. The Institute was established in 1970 by the Faculty of Arts to promote enquiry of the highest standards in the Humanities, broadly conceived. Inter-departmental and inter-disciplinary study is encouraged. All applications should state clearly the relationship of the proposed scheme of work to one or more of the current Research Themes of the Institute and/or specify the interdisciplinary nature of the project proposed.

5. Fellows hold one or two seminars during their tenure, and submit a report on their research at the end of their Fellowship. No regular teaching is required, although opportunities may be available, by agreement with Heads of subject. It is expected that Fellows will be in residence throughout the tenure of their Fellowship and will contribute fully to the life of the Institute during that time. The Institute will be pleased to help with finding suitable accommodation in Edinburgh.

6. The Institute is near the University Library and within easy reach of the National Library of Scotland, the Central City Library, the National Galleries and Museums, the Library of the Society of Antiquaries in Scotland, the library of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, and the National Archives of Scotland.

7. The dates of the University of Edinburgh semesters for 2009-10 are as follows:

Semester 1: 22 September - 18 December 2009
Semester 2: 11 January - 26 March 2010

In order to take full advantage of the seminars and lectures which take place during the semesters and to meet with staff in the College of Humanities and Social Science, applicants are encouraged to apply for periods that will include at least part of one of the semesters.


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