Postdoctoral Fellow in Italian Studies (Petrarch in Global Translation Project)

Petrarch in Global Translation: A Genealogy of Western Love (PGT) is a collaborative humanities project across languages and national borders that is investigating the foundational conception of Western love as codified by Petrarch’s Canzoniere. PGT is funded by the NOMIS Foundation: 

https://nomisfoundation.ch/projects/petrarch-in-global-translation-a-genealogy-of-western-love/ 

The project will explore the extent to which Petrarchan norms are useful and adaptive models both within and outside of the Western tradition from which they arose. By re-engaging with the practice of Petrarchism, which has spawned centuries of literary production and critical reception, PGT proposes a simultaneously theoretical and experimental, historical and systematic approach to identifying a dominant poetics of love. To realize the project goals, we are looking for a 

Postdoctoral Fellow 

This is a two-year position that will be based at the University of Vienna, and the appointment will begin September 2024. The ideal candidate should have Italian literature, culture or history as one of their primary fields of research, although candidates in related fields may also be considered, provided they have a strong knowledge of Italian and English. There is no teaching associated with the postdoctoral position, but the fellow will be asked to conduct research on several specific questions to support the PGT research agenda as a whole, in addition to pursuing their own research project related to our general topic. 10% of the postdoctoral fellowship’s time will be dedicated to scholarly coordination and programming. Among the topics [but not limited to these only] that the fellow might be asked to research are the following: 

• The global impact of Petrarch through an investigation of how Petrarch’s Canzoniere circulated throughout the world
• Traces of Petrarchanism in modern art/culture (music, painting, cinema)
• Material for the project website, i.e. adding resources, critical essays, sources or integrating tools
• Literature review on contemporary thinking about the relationship between love and sexuality/gender identity, e.g. how social scientists are writing about/studying love today
• The reception, reproduction, or “travelling” of Petrarchan formsacross genres and media
• Future topics that may arise from our research 

Job Requirements

• Completed doctoral/PhD studies in Italian/Romance Studies, Italian/European Renaissance History, or related disciplines
• Research competence and initiative proven through publications
• Excellent knowledge of Italian and English
• IT skills
• Team player and very good social and communicative skills
• Basic skills and some experience in project management 

Your application includes

• Letter of Intent
• Academic CV with list of publications and doctoral certificate
• Summary of your research interests including a short proposal of the project you intend to pursue with PGT (max. 500 words)
• Names and contact details for two letters of recommendation 

Please send your application in a single document/PDF until May 15, 2024 to: pgt.romanistik@univie.ac.at 

Any questions about the application should be addressed to: marion.kratochvill@univie.ac.at 

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