3. Juli 2026

Research Associate for the Project “Cluster of Excellence Understanding Written Artefacts” (Centre for the Study of Manuscript Cultures) § 28 Subsection 3 HmbHG

Institution: Cluster of Excellence „Understanding Written Artefacts“

Salary level: EGR. 13 TV-L

Start date: 01.01.2027, fixed until 30.06.2030 (This is a fixed-term contract in accordance with Section 2 of the academic fixed-term labor contract act [Wissenschaftszeitvertragsgesetz, WissZeitVG]).

Application deadline: 31.07.2026

Scope of work: part-time

Weekly hours: 75 % of standard work hours per week

The Cluster of Excellence ‘Understanding Written Artefacts’ (UWA) is seeking to recruit a doctoral researcher in the field of Early Medieval Studies (Early Medieval History). UWA offers an exciting opportunity to research handwritten artefacts across materials, periods and regions within a collaborative team of doctoral, postdoctoral and senior/professorial researchers. You will be part of an international team of researchers from across over forty disciplines in the Humanities, the Natural Sciences and Computer Science. The Centre for the Study of Manuscript Cultures is by now the largest research centre of its kind worldwide and offers a uniquely dynamic research environment.

Your profile

A university degree in a relevant field.

You hold an excellent degree (Master or equivalent) in Medieval Studies (Medieval History or Medieval Auxiliary Sciences) or a closely related discipline. Fluency in English, written and spoken, is required.

You should have a strong interest in the materiality of written artefacts and in cooperating beyond disciplinary boundaries, that is, across various fields in the Humanities, and/or across the Humanities, Natural Sciences and Computer Science. Further preferred qualifications and experiences include:

• very good reading skills in French, Latin and German
• knowledge of Historical Auxiliary Sciences
• ability to work in a team

You must apply with a project proposal (in English) with a clear focus on the study of written artefacts. The proposal should be of max. 2,500 words (plus bibliography), including a brief summary, state of the art/literature review, a detailed project description and a 3.5-year schedule. In your schedule, please indicate major research trips, like conference travel, fieldwork, library visits etc. per year. The proposed project must fit the overall research profile of UWA. For further information, see the FAQ and the UWA website on Research.

PhD researchers with ongoing projects are also eligible to apply during the first year of their PhD and supervisors external to the University of Hamburg can be members of the supervisory committee. The first supervisor has to be from UWA.

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