Applications are invited for a postdoctoral bursary from candidates in any area of the Arts and Humanities. In partnership with the newly-established Scottish Arts and Humanities Alliance (SAHA), the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities at the University of Edinburgh is offering a Postdoctoral Fellowship for 2021-22 of up to 10 months, accompanied by a bursary of £1,300 per month. Proposals should address the arts and humanities research dimensions of at least one of SAHA’s areas of strategic priority within a Scottish context:
- Advocacy for the arts and humanities
- Climate change
- Education policy
- Post COVID-19 society
The overall aim of this Fellowship is to exemplify, in a Scottish context, the value of arts and humanities scholarship.
The Scottish Arts and Humanities Alliance (SAHA) is a joint initiative of ten Scottish Higher Education institutions, the Royal Society of Edinburgh, and the Scottish Graduate School for Arts & Humanities. It was established to give a public and collective voice to the Arts and Humanities in the context of Higher Education and will also make connections as appropriate with work at a UK level to promote the value of SHAPE (social sciences, humanities and the arts for people, the economy / the environment).
IASH provides an enviable location in one of the world’s most intellectually inspiring cities, together with a dynamic network of international connections. Home to the Scottish Enlightenment, Edinburgh has a rich cultural heritage of scholarship and creativity that continues to the present day. In this haven of libraries and archives, galleries and music venues – all set amid iconic architecture – IASH takes the humanities beyond campus to engage the public and work with organisations in a variety of different sectors. The Institute welcomes visiting researchers from across the world. Since 1970, over 1,300 Fellows have stepped through our doors. Up to 30 researchers are in residence at any one time in our amazing – and eclectic – nineteenth-century building just on the edge of the University’s central campus, boasting views of the Meadows. From upwards of 65 countries, IASH Fellows form a global community of alumnae/i, and many career-long connections begin at the Institute.
What does the SAHA Postdoctoral Fellowship offer?
IASH hosts a lively scholarly community of visiting fellows. It is a supportive environment for postdoctoral researchers, while also offering networking opportunities with successful mid-career and eminent senior scholars. The Institute occupies a historic building with private courtyard and leafy views – perfect for uninterrupted thinking, reading and writing. Yet there is also plenty of opportunity to socialise and share ideas.
In short, the 2021-2022 SAHA Postdoctoral Fellowship provides:
- Research visit at the University of Edinburgh for three to ten months
- Bursary* of up to a maximum of £13,000
- Dedicated office space, University e-mail and library access
- A University mentor from an area relevant to the Fellow’s research interests
- Weekly Fellows’ activities to build community
- Collegial work-in-progress seminar series for testing new ideas
- Calendar of engaging events at the Institute and College
- Opportunities to participate in and design funded workshops, colloquia, etc. at the Institute
*) The bursary may be used to top up an existing postdoctoral Fellowship (e.g. 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 individually arranging their own concurrent teaching, though the Institute expects that a maximum commitment of 0.4 of a full time position (2 days per week) will be dedicated to work other than the Postdoctoral Fellow’s individual research project.
Who can apply?
We warmly welcome applications from both within and beyond the University of Edinburgh. Applicants must have been awarded a doctorate at the time of application, and normally within the last three years (i.e. you should have graduated between 2018 and 2021, although earlier graduates may be eligible if they have taken significant career breaks since completing their doctorate; if you have not yet graduated, you must be able to produce a transcript, testamur, or a letter of completion/eligibility to graduate as part of your application; you do not need to have actually graduated at the time you apply).
You should not have held a permanent position at a university, or a previous Fellowship at IASH. Those who have held temporary and/or short-term appointments are eligible to apply.
If you have taken parental leave or other time away from academia, this will not count towards the three-year limit, but we ask that you provide brief details of why and for how long you were not working.
Application procedure
The closing date
The closing date for the receipt of applications is 28 May 2021. Applications received after that date will not be considered. Decisions will be communicated in July 2021. Please ensure that you supply a valid email address so that you can be contacted quickly after decisions are made.
The application
Please complete the online application form here. You will be asked to upload a CV and project proposal before submitting the form.
Any additional supporting documents connected with an application (such as references) should be emailed to iash@ed.ac.uk.
References
- In addition to the application form, a minimum of two and a maximum of three confidential references are required.
- 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 viva (defence) and final examination of the candidate’s PhD thesis.
- Applicants should ask their referees to email their reference to the Director at iash@ed.ac.uk by 28 May 2021. If references are not received by this date, your application cannot be considered.
Notes
- Research outputs typically include monographs, book chapters and/or peer-reviewed journal articles. Outputs can also take the form of public engagement events, Knowledge Exchange workshops, creative interventions such as performances and exhibitions, etc. Proposals must also highlight how their research will contribute to one or more of SAHA’s areas of strategic priority (climate change; education policy; post COVID-19 society) and the wider theme of advocacy for the arts and humanities in Scotland, perhaps in the form of position papers, policy recommendations, reports for a general audience, literature reviews, etc.
- 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 must give evidence of any contact they have made with researchers at the University of Edinburgh, are required to make such contact before submitting their applications, and those who can evidence the relevance of their proposed project to the University of Edinburgh research community will be regarded favourably. Particular weight will be placed on the quality and timeliness of the project proposed, and we encourage innovative and interdisciplinary topics and approaches.
- For information about the scope of work undertaken at the University of Edinburgh, see Edinburgh Research Explorer, or browse through the staff pages of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.
- 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 IASH by the closing date. Candidates may like to submit a copy of any one article or publication that is thought to be especially relevant to the research proposal and Fellowship submission
- Fellows must make the Institute their main place of work for the duration of the Fellowship. It is expected that Fellows will be in residence throughout the tenure of their Fellowship (COVID restrictions permitting) and will contribute fully to the life of the Institute during that time. Fellows give at least one seminar presentation during their tenure, and submit a report on their research at the end of their Fellowship. No regular teaching is required.
- Applicants looking for suitable accommodation in Edinburgh may find these links useful.
- 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 Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, applicants are encouraged to apply for periods that will include at least part of one of the semesters. The Fellowship can begin any time from 1 August 2021, and should be completed by 30 September 2022.