The Lise Meitner Research Group “Decay, Loss and Conservation in Art History” led by Francesca Borgo at the Bibliotheca Hertziana – Max Planck Institute for Art History in Rome seeks to appoint a:
Predoctoral Fellow (M/F/D)
The deadline for application is May 31 2023, 12 pm CEST. Interviews will be held virtually in June 2023. Candidates should propose a funding period of desired length within the academic year 2023/2024. Motivations for the length of period proposed should be made clear in the cover letter.
The Predoctoral Fellow will conduct their own research within the framework of the Research Group. Excellence in research, commitment to pursue new insights through original scholarship, and willingness to become part of a group of young, international scholars are essential. Fellows will actively participate in the Group’s activities and are invited to contribute to its publication output while benefitting from editorial and image licensing support. They will be responsible for planning and organizing seminars, workshops, visits, and fieldtrips in collaboration with other team members and under the supervision of the Group Leader. Candidates must be conversant in English and familiar with Italian and/or German.
This position is intended for a PhD student enrolled at any university worldwide who is in the finishing stages of their dissertation. In addition to clarifying how residence in Rome benefits their PhD research, candidates should include in their cover letter a statement of how their work advances the goals of the research group. Candidates should also seek the approval of their doctoral advisor. Candidates are expected to review the Research Group’s research agenda, past initiatives and event series, as well as the broader structure of the Bibliotheca Hertziana into which the Research Group fits. We welcome applications from doctoral students in every field within the history of art, technical art history, conservation history, and museum studies, with preference given to projects spanning traditional disciplinary boundaries. The selection committee aims to assess the ability of candidates to contribute in a collegial way to the intellectual life of the Research Group.
This is a residential fellowship. By the start of the appointment, candidates are expected to have taken up residence in Rome. The fellowship may not be held concurrently with another major fellowship award; applicants must disclose any supplementary funding and may not take on other obligations during their fellowship period.
The Max Planck Society offers a fixed-term contract of employment. Stipend and benefits are determined according to the German Civil Service Collective Agreement (65% TVöD Bund E 13) or equivalent, depending on individual personal circumstances. Fellows enjoy all the privileges of the Institute, including library access seven days a week, a research budget, and their own carrel or desk.
We encourage women and individuals from communities that are underrepresented in academia to apply. The Max Planck Society is committed to fostering equal opportunities and diversity and welcomes applicants from all parts of society, regardless of gender, ethnicity, disabilities, or sexual orientation.
To apply the candidate must upload the following documents as separate PDF files to the application portal:
- Cover letter that clearly states the candidate’s contribution to the Research Group’s objectives
- Description of proposed research project (max. 1000 words), accompanied by a bibliography
- Curriculum vitae with list of publications (including those forthcoming, under revision, submitted, or in preparation)
- One reference letter
- Output proposal (max. 500 words). This could be a site visit, a collaboration with a local collection, a research seminar, a publishable piece of writing, or a contribution to a national or international conference. The proposal should detail specific names and locations and specify how the output aligns with the Research Group’s themes.
