Job offer – an open competition for the research position in the ERC StG Project – Recycling the German Ghosts. Resettlement Cultures in Poland, Czechia and Slovakia after 1945 (SPECTRAL RECYCLING)
Research field
• Anthropology, cultural studies, history and related disciplines
Researcher profile
• First Stage Researcher (R1)
• Recognised Researcher (R2)
Application deadline
• 19.05.2022 23:00 – Europe/Brussels
Location
• Poland › Warsaw
Type of contract
• Temporary (5 years)
Job status
• Full-time
Hours per week
• 40
EU research framework programme
• H2022 / ERC
Reference number
• 101041946
Offer description
Information about the project: The main aim of the SpectralRecycling ERC project is to investigate the emergence of various resettlement cultures in post-displacement regions. It will explore the case of Slavic Central Europe, including Poland and Czechoslovakia (after 1993 Czechia and Slovakia), where after 1945 over 10 million Germans were expelled from and replaced by new settlers of various cultural backgrounds. The fundamental intuition underlying the project is a conviction that the expellees are in a way present through things encountered by the new settlers.
Job description: The selected candidate will work in the context of the 5-year ERC project Recycling the German Ghosts. Resettlement Cultures in Poland, Czechia and Slovakia after 1945 (Spectral Recycling). They will conduct extensive fieldwork, as well as archival study in Czechia, Slovakia and Germany to evaluate the mutual encounters between things left behind (nonhumans) and the new settlers (humans), as well as examine how these encounters influence both humans and things.
The candidate will be responsible for leading their part of the study (Czech-Slovak comparison) from beginning to end, under supervision: developing research ideas, running fieldwork, analyzing archival materials, reporting results by writing up research papers and presenting at international conferences (a standard number of one paper and one presentation per year is expected, as well as taking part in the preparation of a final manuscript of the book that will be the final outcome of the study). The candidate will be encouraged to collaborate with researchers at the ISS PAS at all stages of their career by taking part in seminars and meetings. The core of the project will rely on fieldwork and archival studies in Czechia, Slovakia and Germany. Also, they will be responsible for co-organizing two workshops in the course of the project, as well as for additional search queries, envisioned for the last year of the project.
PI and research group: The candidate will join the team led by Dr. Karolina Ćwiek-Rogalska (https://ispan.waw.pl/default/en/employee/karolina-cwiek-rogalska/). Apart from the candidate, the team will be composed of a researcher looking into Polish-Slovak comparison and one PhD student.
Benefits
• Salary: total salary between 15 364 PLN and 10 043 PLN total (depending on the researcher advancement);
• Entitlements and other benefits for employees of the ISS PAS;
• Training opportunities;
• Space in a shared office in Warsaw.
Selection process
To submit your application, please send the following documents:
• An academic curriculum vitae with academic accomplishments (4 pages maximum);
• A copy of the PhD diploma or a proof of being an advance PhD candidate;
• A cover letter where the person presents themselves and their motivation to take part in the project, as well as prove a very good active knowledge of Czech, Slovak, English and at least good passive knowledge of German (e.g. previous research, publications, internships and foreign scholarships);
• A list of scholarly achievements, including publications, conference and seminar papers, participation in research projects, academic internships, prizes and awards;
• A list of publications with one selected publication attached in the form of a published article in English;
• Contact information (including e-mail).
On the application, please include a clause: Pursuant to Article 6 (1) (a) of the GDPR, and the general regulation on the protection of personal data of 27.04.2016 (Journal of Laws UE L
119 of 4.05.2016), I consent to the processing of my personal data contained in the personal questionnaire, called CV, for the purposes of current and future recruitment.
Documents should be submitted by e-mail to sekretariat@ispan.waw.pl (the title of the document: post-doc ERC “Spectral Recycling”), or delivered to the office of the Institute of Slavic Studies, Polish Academy of Sciences, 1b/17 Bartoszewicza Street in Warsaw before May, 19, 2022.
Documents submitted after the deadline specified in the recruitment announcement will not be assessed.
After verifying and assessing the submitted documents, selected candidates will be informed of the decision via email. Interviews will take place on May 23. The interviews will take place via Zoom or similar electronic meeting services. Candidates will be asked about their motivation for work within the project, experience in fieldwork and archival work, as well as asked to interpret an archival source pointing to its relevance and potential uses in the project. Announcement of final recruitment results: May 26, 2022.
Additional comments
• Deadline for application: 19.05.2022
• Online interviews for pre-selected candidates: 23.05.2022
• Starting date: 1.06.2022
Offer requirements
Required languages:
• English: Excellent
• Czech: Excellent
• Slovak: Excellent
• German: Good
Skills/Qualifications:
• PhD diploma or currently pursuing a PhD degree in anthropology, cultural studies, history or related disciplines;
• Able to carry their own research;
• Good knowledge of Central European history;
• Expertize in Czech and Slovak culture and history;
• Able to produce, analyze and interpret data under supervision;
• Able to explain the outcome of research and value in written and oral format;
• Strong background in anthropology and related disciplines;
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English.
Specific requirements:
• Previous research experience in fieldwork / archival work;
• Able to take ownership for and manage own career progression;
• Able to set realistic and achievable career goals, and to identify and develop ways to improve employability.