Post/Doctoral Research Assistants for Interdisciplinary Project on Literary Attention

The positions are limited to three years. The anticipated starting date is 01 October 2024. 

The positions are part of the project LitAttention – What Short Fiction Knows About Attention and Attention Politics, funded by the European Research Council (ERC). LitAttention combines approaches from cognitive literary studies, computational linguistics/digital humanities, and educational psychology to investigate ‘literary attention’. The project will (a) examine the connection between developments in short fiction and changing theories of attention; (b) explore literary techniques and linguistic devices that guide readers’ attention; (c) assess the value of short fiction today, especially for education, and (d) develop methodological and conceptual frameworks for examining literary attention. LitAttention is based at the Department of English Literatures and Cultures at the University of Stuttgart and integrated into a strong interdisciplinary community, including the Stuttgart Research Centre for Text Studies (SRCTS) and the Center for Reflected Text Analytics (CRETA). 

We are seeking

• A Postdoctoral Research Assistant in Computational Literary Studies (full position, 100%, pay group TV-L 13) to contribute to the identification of text properties that elicit attention. The successful candidate will be responsible for developing and applying computational models that help identify and explain patterns of attention (and distraction) in short fiction.
• A Postdoctoral Research Assistant in Educational Psychology (full position, 100%, pay group: TV-L 13) to explore the value of literary attention in short fiction for education and examine how short narratives were, are, and might be used in (historical) educational settings to train attention management skills. The successful candidate will also be responsible for designing and conducting empirical studies, including eye-tracking studies, on attention patterns in short fiction.
• A Post/Doctoral Research Assistant in English Literature (part-time position, 70%, pay group TV-L 13). The successful candidate will focus on the design of short fiction in English literature between 1800 and 1880. They will assess the interrelation between short fiction and discourses on attention (and distraction) and investigate the development of attention patterns within this time frame. 

As part of the LitAttention team, successful candidates will be involved in the organisation of project events, public outreach activities, presentations at international conferences, and project publications. 

Required qualifications

• MA/PhD in the respective or adjacent fields
• willingness to engage in interdisciplinary research
• Excellent language skills (written and spoken) in English; proficiency in German is welcome
• Familiarity with narrative theory and/or cognitive literary studies is a plus
• For more information on specific requirements for these positions, see: https://www.ilw.uni-stuttgart.de/en/institute/news/news/Join-our-department-and-the-LitAttention-team/ 

What we offer

• The opportunity to join a highly motivated, dynamic, and supportive team
• An international, stimulating work environment, strongly committed to interdisciplinary research
• Flexible working hours in a family-friendly environment
• Mentoring that emphasises professional and scientific growth
• Internal training and coaching opportunities
• Numerous additional benefits offered by the University of Stuttgart (https://www.beschaeftigte.uni-stuttgart.de/en/) 

Please email your application as one pdf file to nel@ilw.uni-stuttgart.de by 10 June 2024. 

If you have any questions about the position, please contact Prof Dr Sibylle Baumbach, sibylle.baumbach@ilw.uni- stuttgart.de. 

The University of Stuttgart is an equal opportunity employer (https://www.uni-stuttgart.de/en/university/employer/). Women who apply will be given preferential consideration in areas in which they are underrepresented. Applications from severely disabled candidates with equivalent qualifications will be given priority.

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