Post-Doctoral Research Assistants in History
Faculty of Arts, Design and Social Sciences 

Northumbria University seeks to appoint TWO Post-Doctoral Research Assistants in History, for three years fixed term, from 1 September 2021.  These opportunities arise through the successful award of a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship to Dr Felicia Gottmann, entitled ‘Migration, Adaptation, Innovation: A Comparative Global History, 1500-1800’. 

Working under the leadership of Dr Gottmann, the appointees will develop a major research agenda drawing together global, technological, and social history. The project team will work together to advance fresh understandings of what makes for successful immigration, technological innovation, and knowledge transfer in the early modern world. 

With a doctorate and appropriate historical expertise in EITHER the study of East Asia OR the Islamic World, the appointees will contribute to this major reappraisal of the role of migration in global technological change. They will have a willingness to work across disciplines with a focus on material cultures and history of science and the capacity to identify and develop new source bases from working with archives and museums in their respective regions.

ONE of the PDRAs (PDRA 1: ‘Islamic World’) should have specialist historical and linguistic skills appropriate for the study of the Islamic World in the period 1500-1800, with reading ability in at least one of the following: Arabic OR Ottoman Turkish OR Persian OR South Asian languages. 

ONE of the PDRAs (PDRA 2: ‘Sinosphere’) should have specialist historical and linguistic skills appropriate for the study of East Asia in the period 1500-1800, with at least one of the following: proficiency in reading classical and modern Chinese OR Japanese OR Korean OR South-East Asian languages. 

Candidates should identify clearly on their application which of these two positions they are applying for. 

The Humanities Department brings together 80 academic staff and 800 students in English Literature, Creative Writing, English Language, American Studies, History and Music. As Post-Doctoral Research Assistants in the Department, the appointees will join a thriving research environment. Beyond Dr Gottmann’s research team, the Department currently hosts a dozen other early-career researchers funded through charities, research councils or Northumbria’s own ‘Vice-Chancellor’s Research Fellows’ scheme. Research mentoring and peer support is available for all, and the interdisciplinary research culture of the Department is nurtured through our vibrant Institute for the Humanities, in which the team working with Dr Gottmann will play a full part. 

A full pack of information about the project, along with further particulars and person specification is available.  To receive these, and for an informal discussion about the posts, please contact Professor Charlotte Alston, Director of Research in History: charlotte.alston@northumbria.ac.uk. 

To apply for this vacancy please click 'Apply Now', and submit a Covering Letter and your CV, including a full list of publications. Please also include an electronic sample of written work: for example, introduction and sample chapters of a monograph; a journal article; or a chapter from an edited collection. 

Northumbria University takes pride in, and values, the quality and diversity of our staff. We welcome applications from all members of the community. The University holds an Athena SWAN Bronze award in recognition of our commitment to improving employment practices for the advancement of gender equality and is a member of the Euraxess network, which delivers information and support to professional researchers.

Please note this vacancy will close on 21/01/2021