Doctoral Positions/Swyddi Doethurol

Salary: Bangor positions: £49,500.  This includes living, mobility and family allowance and will be subject to change dependent on the successful candidates personal circumstances.
For salary details for all other institutions, please contact the Project Management team at euarthurs@bangor.ac.uk

Contract Duration: Until 30/09/2029

Applications are invited for 11 full-time Doctoral Candidate posts as part of the EUARTHURS: European Arthurs, Medieval to Modern Marie Skłodowska‑Curie Doctoral Network Ref: 101226326 (2026-30).

These posts form part of a major EU-funded international programme involving partners in Wales, Iceland, Italy, the Netherlands, France and the SERI (Swiss government)-funded partner in Switzerland. The network will appoint 11 Doctoral Candidates across six universities, beginning in Autumn 2026. Each project is pre-defined and contributes to one of the network’s methodological strands: 

• materiality (manuscripts, early printed books, monumental art).
• mediality (post‑medieval scholarship, editorial history, critical theory, music and theatre).

Duties will include:

• undertaking doctoral research aligned to one of the defined project topics;
• participating in joint training activities;
• completing research secondments in partner institutions;
• and contributing to the academic and public engagement work of the network.

Candidates must meet the MSCA mobility requirement (not having resided in the host country for more than 12 months in the 36 months before the start date). You must not have already been awarded a PhD Degree. A Master’s degree (completed by December 2026) is required, and applicants must demonstrate proficiency in written and spoken English. Further project‑specific requirements are listed in the job description.

The successful candidates will be expected to commence in Autumn 2026.

Closing date for applications: Monday 4 May 2026.

Informal enquiries may be made to: Professor Raluca Radulescu, Project Lead – EUARTHURS Email: r.radulescu@bangor.ac.uk and euarthurs@bangor.ac.uk

Doctoral-project specific enquiries should be sent to the primary supervisor listed in the project descriptions.

Committed to Equal Opportunities.

How to Apply:

Applications for the 2 EUARTHURS positions at the University of Iceland (including as second, third, or fourth preference) should be submitted via a separate link. For details relating to Doctoral Project 7, please find more information here. For details relating to Doctoral Project 8, please find more information here.

Applications for the 2 EUARTHURS positions at the Université Clermont Auvergne should be submitted via a separate link. Details to follow soon. Initial enquiries to euarthurs@bangor.ac.uk

Applications for all remaining EUARTHURS positions are to be made centrally via Bangor University, however colleagues will be employed and based in their respective countries.

Applicants are required to submit the following documents:

• Application Form.
• Letter of motivation indicating the project reference, accompanied by a description of the relevant work and research experience relevant to the chosen topic.
• Certificate(s) of Master's and Bachelor Degree(s), with an official English translation if issued in a different language.
• Letters of recommendation from at least one main supervisor/programme director who has direct knowledge of the applicant's preparation and experience.
• Evidence of fluency in English (IELTS test score of 6.5 or higher, TOEFL equivalent, or experience of studying/working in an English-speaking environment).
• Evidence of language skills relevant to the project applied for.

Please note: it is possible to express interest in multiple EUARTHURS PhD positions, and we encourage you to list up to 4. You should rank your choices in order of preference in your letter of motivation. Please read the descriptions for each project carefully and ensure that you meet essential criteria and mobility requirements for each of the positions for which you would like to be considered.

Overview:

‘EUARTHURS: European Arthurs, Medieval to Modern’ Ref: 101226326 (2026-30) is a Marie Sklodowska Curie Doctoral Network (MSCA DN) project (c. 3 million euros) led by Prof. Raluca Radulescu (Bangor University, Wales, United Kingdom), PI, with a team of Co-PIs from 6 countries: United Kingdom - Wales (Bangor University: Prof. Raluca Radulescu and Dr Aled Llion Jones); Iceland (University of Iceland, Reykjavik: Prof. Sif Rikhardsdottir); Italy (Scuola Normale di Pisa: Prof. Lino Leonardi and Prof. Fabrizio Cigni); The Netherlands (University of Amsterdam: Dr Marjolein Hogenbirk and Prof. Irene van Renswoude, and University of Utrecht: Dr Martine Meuwese); France (University of Clermont Auvergne: Prof. Sébastien Douchet). Two additional doctoral students are part of the network, funded separately by SERI (the Swiss government) at the University of Zürich and supervised by Prof. Richard Trachsler. The project is hosted by the Centre for Arthurian Studies at Bangor University, where the network Project Manager, who assists Prof. Radulescu in the network coordination is also located.

The Project:

You can read more information about the project here.  Descriptions of the 11 individual PhD projects can be viewed here.

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

• Conduct high‑quality doctoral research within one of the predefined EUARTHURS project topics.
• Work under a co‑supervision model with academic supervisors and external experts.
• Participate in the project’s formal training programme, including manuscript and early‑print training, archival work, and specialist sessions in each host institution and elsewhere.
• Complete mandatory secondments.
• Participate in international network events, seminars, and collaborative training workshops.
• Collaborate with fellow doctoral candidates within the network.
• Perform any other reasonable duties within the scope of the post.

Person Specification:

Qualifications / Training

Essential

• Master’s degree completed by December 2026, or evidence of successful progress toward completion (letter from MA programme director + transcript).
• Must not already hold a PhD.
• Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees awarded by institutions officially recognised by the lead institution.
• Demonstrated proficiency in written and spoken English, proven either through prior university study in English or through TOEFL/IELTS (or equivalent).
• Language skills relevant to the specific doctoral project where specified in the project descriptions below (e.g., medieval or modern European languages as aligned to the project topic and the host university requirements).

Experience / Knowledge

Essential

• Research experience relevant to medieval studies, manuscript/print culture, textual scholarship, or other areas connected with the EUARTHURS research strands.
• Evidence of academic achievement through grades, research output, or MA‑level project work.

Skills / Abilities

Essential

• Ability to undertake independent doctoral research within a structured, international supervision model.
• Ability to participate effectively in training events, workshops, and international network activities.

Other Requirements

Essential

• Must meet the MSCA mobility requirement (not having resided in the host country for more than 12 months in the 36 months before starting the post).
• No specific Welsh language requirement. Candidates will be expected to work positively in a bilingual environment.

General information for Bangor University only positions:

Bangor University is committed to supporting and promoting equality and diversity and to creating an inclusive working environment. We believe this can be achieved through attracting, developing, and retaining a diverse range of staff from many different backgrounds. We strive to develop a workforce from all sections of the community regardless of sex, gender identity, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, trans identity, relationship status, religion or belief, caring responsibilities, or age. We promote and facilitate the use of the Welsh language through our progressive Welsh Language Policy. We comply with the Welsh Language Standards and are committed to equality of opportunity. You are welcome to apply for any job in English or Welsh and all applications submitted will be treated equally.

We are a member of Advance HE's Athena SWAN Gender Equality charter and hold a Silver award in recognition of our commitment to and progress towards gender equality within the University's policies, practices, and culture. We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer.

All members of staff have a duty to ensure their actions are in line with the overall environmental aims of the University and minimise their environmental impact.

All offers for the UK-based doctoral candidates are made subject to proof of eligibility to work in the UK and receipt of satisfactory references. Country-specific requirements of a similar kind apply to employment for the doctoral candidates in the other partner institutions. Check the requirements stipulated in each case.

At Bangor University, we have a legal responsibility to ensure that you have the right to work in the UK before you can start working for us. When you apply for one of the positions at Bangor University you will be required to explain the basis upon which you believe you will able to live and work in the UK legally on the commencement date of the role should your application be successful. If you do not have the right to work freely in any position in the UK already, any offer of employment we will make to you will be subject to you obtaining a right to work visa. The following link provides information on the various visa routes into employment and the eligibility requirements (including switching visa status where permissible) https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration/work-visas. If you are successful in your application we will discuss visa options with you at the time of making the offer of employment.

Candidates should also note that they may be required to apply for an ATAS certificate (Academic Approval Technology Scheme) from the Counter-Proliferation and Arms Control Centre of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office before being able to apply for a visa - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/academic-technology-approval-scheme.