Job: CSH Fellow in Philosophy of Science at University of Bern
The Center for Space and Habitability
(CSH) at the University of Bern, Switzerland, invites applications
for CSH Fellows. CSH Fellows are expected to be independent
postdoctoral researchers, who will carry out their own
early-career research program that is broadly consistent with CSH
interests. In addition to research, we expect each CSH Fellow to
take on leadership roles in the intellectual life of the CSH,
including leading coffee/lunch discussions, journal clubs,
inviting and hosting seminar/colloquium speakers, etc. Each
prospective candidate will submit a research proposal with a
maximum length of 5 pages. The candidate will use a maximum of 3
pages to explain her/his existing expertise and projects performed
either during the Ph.D or last postdoctoral position. The rest of
the proposal (minimum 2 pages) should describe the future research
to be pursued at the CSH, including the key scientific questions
addressed and the anticipated impact. Each candidate should name
the CSH researcher(s) he/she anticipates interacting with on a
regular basis. Please consult the CSH website for more details.
For this position, we are interested in
applicants with expertise in philosophy of science. The
successful applicant will carry out research on philosophical
issues related to key topics of the CSH (e.g., origins of life,
search for life, microbiology, planetary science), and lead an
interdisciplinary program designed to explore the exchange of
ideas between philosophers and scientists. He/she will divide
his/her time equally between the CSH and the Institute for
Philosophy.
Each CSH Fellowship is held for 2+1
years at the University of Bern and comes with an annual 5000 CHF
research budget. The annual salary is between 85,000 and 95,000
CHF, depending on experience (years after Ph.D) and is set by a
predetermined matrix from the University and Canton of Bern.
Child allowance and maternity/paternity leave are offered.
Additional application materials include a 2-page CV, a list of
publications (no page limit) and a cover letter (1 page) listing
the names of 3 referees/references. The entire application should
be submitted as a SINGLE PDF FILE to CSH Director Kevin Heng
(kevin.heng ‘at’ csh.unibe.ch). It is the responsibility of the
applicant to ensure that three letters of recommendation are sent
directly to CSH Secretary Danielle Zemp (danielle.zemp ‘at’
csh.unibe.ch) by the application deadline of 1st November 2017.
Shortlisted candidates will be informed
by 1st December 2017, and will be invited to the annual CSH
Symposium on 11th January 2018 in Bern, Switzerland, for talks and
interviews. We expect to extend formal offers by 15th January
2018.