Call for Applications
One three-year PhD student position for a Latinist, an Arabist, or a historian of medieval or early modern science
The Project Ptolemaeus Arabus et Latinus (PAL) is dedicated to the edition and study
of the Arabic and Latin versions of Ptolemy’s astronomical and astrological texts and related
material. These include works by Ptolemy or attributed to him, commentaries thereupon
and other works that are of immediate relevance to understanding Ptolemy’s heritage in the
Middle Ages and the early modern period up to 1700 A.D.
The Project is hosted by the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities in Munich for
a period of 25 years from 2013 to 2037. It is supervised by Prof. Dr. Dag Nikolaus Hasse
(University of Würzburg) and carried out by five scholars, namely two research leaders, Dr.
David Juste and Dr. Benno van Dalen, two post-doctoral researchers and one doctoral
student.
We welcome applications for the doctoral student position:
– One 3-year position expected to commence on 1 October 2022 or as soon as possible
thereafter.
– The monthly allowance is € 2648 (German pay scale 65% TV-L E13), liable to
deductions for tax, social security benefits and retirement provisions.
– The contract will be with the University of Würzburg and Professor Hasse will normally
serve as the main supervisor or as a co-supervisor. There is also provision for the student
to spend a period of time at our partner institute, the Warburg Institute (University of
London), under the supervision of Professor Charles Burnett. The doctoral student is
otherwise expected to work in Munich, together with the research team, or in Würzburg.
Proposals for collaboration with other institutions and professors are welcome, and the
main supervisor may be from a different university.
– Qualifications and skills: applicants must hold a Master or an equivalent degree in an area
relevant to the Project, have an excellent knowledge of Latin and/or Arabic and a good
command of English (the primary language of publication of the Project). Applicants
should also have research interests in line with PAL objectives, in particular in the history
of medieval or early modern science, in the making of critical editions of Arabic or Latin
texts, and/or in handling manuscripts. The doctoral dissertation can be written in English
(preferred) or German.
– The doctoral student will be able to spend most of his/her working time on his/her
dissertation, whose topic will be in line with PAL objectives and will normally include
the edition of an Arabic or Latin text (or both). The contract carries with it no teaching
or administrative duties, but the doctoral student is expected to devote part of his/her
time to other aspects of the Project.
– The doctoral student will be given the opportunity to publish his/her doctoral
dissertation in the PAL book series (Brepols) and, where relevant, on the PAL web
interface, and he/she should agree to publish his/her dissertation in priority through
those media. All contributions by the doctoral student will be published under his/her
own name and authorship will be duly acknowledged in every collaborative output,
including online publications.
– Applications should be sent in English or German to Prof. Dr. Dag Nikolaus Hasse by
email (applications@ptolemaeus.badw.de) no later than 15 April 2022. Applications
should include a complete CV (with a list of publications where applicable); an outline
(1-3 pages) of the proposed research project; and two letters of recommendation by
academic referees. The letters of recommendation must be sent directly by the referees,either by email or by post (Prof. Dr. Dag Nikolaus Hasse, Institut für Philosophie, Julius-
Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Residenz – Südflügel, 97070 Würzburg, Germany).
Receipt of all applications will be acknowledged.
The outcome of all applications will be notified by email as soon as a decision is made.
Short-listed applicants will be invited to an on-campus or online interview.
Information on the Project, including the Project Outline, can be found on our website
(http://ptolemaeus.badw.de).
For further enquiries and consultation on possible projects, please contact Dag Nikolaus
Hasse, David Juste or Benno van Dalen at info@ptolemaeus.badw.de.
Medieval Art Research 