Predoctoral Fellowship: History of Cosmology, MPIWG

The Max Planck Institute for the History of Science in Berlin, Department I (Prof. Jürgen Renn), announces a three-year predoctoral position starting at the earliest in January 2017 (with the possibility of extension).

Outstanding junior scholars are invited to apply. The position is awarded as part of the research project CRC 980 “Episteme in Bewegung (Episteme in Motion),” Sub-project B6 “Formation of Cosmological Knowledge in the Pre-Modern Era: Transmission and Change in Diachronic and Transcultural Perspectives” (http://www.sfb-episteme.de/en/teilprojekte/zeigen/B06/index.html). The predoctoral fellow is also expected to participate in at least one other research project of the Institute.

Research projects should concern the medieval and early modern history of astronomy, including its cultural and social embedment (see http://www.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/en/research/projects/dept1_720omodeo-cosmology). We encourage interdisciplinary projects, especially in the fields of the history of science, cultural and intellectual history, philosophy and literature.

Preference will be given to candidates with a Masters degree in the history of science, history, history of philosophy or classical philology, and with basic knowledge of the history of astronomy. The candidate should have experience in working with primary sources. Good knowledge of Latin and/or other languages relevant to the history of early science is desirable.

The Max Planck Institute for the History of Science is an international and interdisciplinary research institute (http://www.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/en/index.html). The interview language is English or German. Candidates are expected to present their own work and discuss that of others fluently in English. Applications, however, may be submitted in German, English, French, Spanish or Italian.

All application materials (including a CV, a letter of motivation, a copy of the applicant’s MA certificate or verification that the applicant’s thesis has already been submitted, a digital copy of the applicant’s MA thesis in the form of a PDF, and proof of language abilities, if available) should be submitted online at:

https://s-lotus.gwdg.de/mpg/mbwg/predoc_01_2017.nsf/application, by November 7, 2016. Only applications submitted in this way will be considered.

The position will be endowed as a predoctoral fellow employment rated 50% TVöD E13 in the German system. We look forward to receiving applications from scholars of all nationalities. The Max Planck Society is dedicated to increasing the amount of employed women in the science and therefore strongly welcomes applications from women. Furthermore, it is committed to promoting more handicapped individuals and thus also strongly encourages them to apply.