Research Associate (Fixed Term)

The German Section of the Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages at the University of Cambridge is seeking a full-time Schröder Research Associate. The role is fixed term for three years.

This vacancy is in the context of the EU- and UKRI-funded project Cartography of the Political Novel in Europe (www.caponeu.eu) and the research project Cultural Production and Social Justice (Cultural Production & Social Justice | Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages and Linguistics.

CAPONEU is a collaboration between six European universities. The Cambridge team is led by the core researchers Sarah Colvin, Charlotte Woodford, and Tara Talwar Windsor, and the project PhD student Chalo'a Waya, and focuses on narrative in the modern period as a means by which knowledge travels across class barriers, across time, across space, and across communities. The associated research project Cultural Production and Social Justice (CPSJ) critically examines the relationship between artistic production and social and epistemic justice.

The role holder will contribute to and actively support CAPONEU and CPSJ research, with guidance and mentorship from the PI and core researchers. They will also actively support the organization of the Annual Schröder Lecture.

The successful candidate will:

• Have an excellent command of German and English, spoken and written;
• Have recently completed a PhD thesis in in modern or contemporary German literature or in comparative literary studies involving German, with a focus on modern or contemporary novels;
• Have a strong publication record relative to their career stage;
• Have a clear outline for a postdoctoral project that resonates with the CPSJ and CAPONEU concerns, with a focus on narrative;
• Have excellent communication skills and a track record of organising public-facing events.

Preference may be given to applicants with a critical interest in translation politics and/or identity politics. There is a requirement to teach one hour per week for the German Section with no additional remuneration, and to participate in supervising and examining, where undergraduate supervision and examining will be remunerated separately at the standard rate. The Research Associate will contribute to the administrative work of the German Section in ways appropriate to their career stage. We welcome candidates with experience of or a keen interest in schools' outreach.

Please upload the following to your application:

• A cover letter
• A detailed Curriculum Vitae (CV), including a list of publications and an outline of your proposed postdoctoral project
• Names and contact details of two referees who are familiar with your work
• ONE sample of your recent scholarly writing (which could be a published article, an article in progress, or a PhD chapter), maximum 8,000 words. Longer submissions will not be accepted.

Informal enquiries about this role are welcomed and should be directed to Professor Sarah Colvin on sjc269@cam.ac.uk. For questions on the application process, please contact the School's HR Team on mmllpersonnel@admin.cam.ac.uk.

The closing date for applications is midnight (BST), on Wednesday 16 July 2025. Interviews will be held online on Wednesday 6 August 2025, subject to change.

To apply online for this vacancy and to view further information about the role, please click 'Apply' above.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

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