The Soon-Young Kim Award in the History of East Asian Science and Technology at the Needham Research Institute
The Soon-Young Kim Award in the History of East
Asian Science and Technology
The
Trustees of the Needham Research Institute invite applications from suitably
qualified candidates for a Soon-Young Kim Award in the History of East Asian
Science and Technology. The Award will be tenable from October 2014.
The Award
may be held in either of two modes:
(a) A
one-year post-doctoral research fellowship.
(b) The first year of a studentship to
support research for the degree of PhD in the University of Cambridge, with the
potential for renewal year by year thereafter.
Applicants must specify clearly under which
mode they wish to hold the Award when making their application. Applications
should be made by email, using the application form available here.
Closing
date is January 31st 2014.
Priority in
making awards will be given to applicants who propose to carry out research in
the following areas, which are given in order of priority:
(1) The
history of science and technology in modern Korea
(2) The
history of science and technology in modern Japan
(3) The
history of science and technology in modern China, or the history of modern
medicine in any of the above three countries.
The word
‘modern’ here designates the period after 1850, and ‘science’ is taken to
include mathematics, whether pure or applied. Strong preference will be given
to projects centering on the 20th century or later.
Post-doctoral
research fellowship mode:
If the
Award is to be held under this mode, the applicant must hold the degree of PhD
in a relevant area of research. The award will consist of a stipend to
meet the expenses of living in Cambridge, where the Award holder will be
expected to reside during tenure of the award. The Award holder will be
given office space in the Needham Research Institute, and will be expected to
participate fully in the academic life of the Institute.
Candidates
should send the completed application form with a full curriculum vitae, a
detailed research proposal, and the name of two academic referees who are
prepared to report in confidence on the candidate's work.
PhD
studentship mode:
The purpose
of the Studentship is to support students who have been admitted to work for a
PhD degree in the University of Cambridge in the areas of study specified
above. In the case of a student admitted directly to work for the PhD degree,
the award shall be for three years at maximum. In appropriate cases, where the
student is initially admitted to work for an MPhil preparatory to beginning
work for a PhD, the Trustees may be prepared to consider making the award for
up to four years at maximum. In all cases the continuation of the award
from year to year will be conditional on the student making satisfactory
progress in the view of the Trustees. The successful candidate will be given
working space in the Needham Research Institute (www.nri.org.uk), which has unparalleled research
facilities in the fields of the history of science, technology and medicine in
East Asia. The Studentship is associated with Darwin College, and the
successful award holder will normally be admitted to full membership of the
College for the tenure of the Studentship.
The amount
of the Studentship will consist of payment of university fees and college dues
for the candidate, plus an amount for living expenses. Where appropriate,
fees will be paid at the rate for non-EU students.
It is
expected that candidates will apply for admission to a department of the
University that can provide the specialist supervision and disciplinary training
appropriate to the particular topic chosen. Suitable departments might include
the Department of History and Philosophy of Science (http://www.hps.cam.ac.uk/), or the
Department of East Asian Studies (http://www.ames.cam.ac.uk/deas/).
Candidates are encouraged to make informal enquiries of the relevant department
at an early stage before making a formal application, in order to see whether
their choice is appropriate. Candidates thinking of applying to a
department other than the two named here should first contact the Needham
Research Institute to discuss their plans.
Any holder
of a Studentship who wishes to make a substantive change in the topic of his or
her research after taking up the Studentship must first obtain the agreement of
the Trustees, failing which the Studentship may be withdrawn.
Applications
for this award will be treated separately from applications for admission to
the University of Cambridge. Candidates should therefore:
(a) Apply
as soon as possible for admission to the University of Cambridge in the normal
way. For guidance, see the University website at
Please
address all queries about the University admission process to the appropriate
part of the University, not to the Needham Research Institute. Candidates may
however mention in their application that they are applying for this
Studentship. Candidates should normally give Darwin College as their first
choice of college. Candidates should note carefully the University's demanding
requirements in regard to English language ability: for instance, in IELTS
applicants must have a band score of 7.0, with not less than 7.0 in speaking,
listening and writing, and 6.5 in reading.
(b) Apply
simultaneously to the Needham Research Institute for the Studentship.
Candidates should send the completed application form with a full curriculum
vitae, a detailed research proposal, and the name of two academic referees who
are prepared to report in confidence on the candidate's work. In most
cases the best thing will be for the candidate to send the Needham Research
Institute a hard printed copy of their University application, together with
any further material necessary to give a clear impression of the research they
intend to carry out. Candidates should ensure that they produce evidence that
they possess the language skills required for the purpose of their research.
(c) The
University offers other financial support for PhD applicants: candidates must
also
apply for
any such schemes for which they are eligible at the same time as applying for
this Studentship, and inform the Trustees of these applications and of their
result.
All
applications will be carefully considered. No announcement or
notification of award of the Studentship will be made before University
admission procedures have been completed and candidates have been told whether
they have been given a place at Cambridge. The Trustees reserve the right
to make no award if in their opinion no suitable candidate of sufficient merit
applies.
All enquiries and applications should be
addressed to:
The Institute Administrator
The Needham Research Institute
8 Sylvester Road
Cambridge CB3 9AF
UK
email: admin@nri.org.uk