Visiting Fellowship Competition

We invite applications for two funded VIEWS project Visiting Fellowships, with a deadline of 30th June 2024. The Fellowship is intended to allow the holder to conduct a key piece of research on a theme related to the project’s main areas of research focus (i.e. visual aspects of writing), although this will be interpreted broadly and there are no restrictions concerning the candidate’s discipline or subject matter. The Fellowship is non-stipendiary, and we envisage that most candidates will be under paid employment or a period of study elsewhere, although this is not a requirement. However, the costs of travel and accommodation are covered. See below for further details.

The Fellowship

The VIEWS Visiting Fellowship is intended as an opportunity for an outstanding researcher at any stage of career (see Eligibility below) to develop their research profile. During their stay they will be integrated into the VIEWS project team and will benefit from access to the resources of the Faculty of Classics, University of Cambridge.

The present competition is intended for the 2024-2025 academic year. Although stays outside of term time are possible, it is better for the majority of a fellowship to fall within term as this is when the majority of academic events and meetings take place (i.e. early October to early December, mid January to mid March or late April to late June). Applicants should specify the requested length of stay, which should be between c. 4 and 12 weeks.

The Visiting Fellow will be expected to present a programme of planned research during their time with the VIEWS Project, as well as a plan for dissemination of the research undertaken (dissemination activities may extend beyond the period of the Fellow’s stay in Cambridge). Although this research does not have to be on one of the writing systems (nor situated within the exact chronological periods or geographical areas) studied directly by the VIEWS research team, the applicant should be able to make a persuasive case for the relevance of the writing system(s) studied and/or the disciplinary approach(es) taken.

Participation in a range of VIEWS project activities will be encouraged during the Visiting Fellow’s stay, including:

* research meetings of the project team

* one-on-one meetings with the PI to discuss research, give feedback, etc

* attendance of seminars (both ones organised by VIEWS and relevant seminars in the Faculty of Classics and other University departments) and potentially participation in project conferences

* planning/strategy meetings of the project team

* outreach and public engagement events

There may also be potential for short- or long-term collaboration with one or more members of the VIEWS research team.

The Visiting Fellow will normally be expected to give at least one seminar on their ongoing research during their stay. They will also be invited (and encouraged) to write articles for the project website, both during and after their stay. At the end of their stay, they will be required to submit a short report on their research and activities during this time, for our funders.

The Visiting Fellowship carries with it the status of Visiting Scholar at the Faculty of Classics. This brings with it the benefits of access to the Faculty of Classics library (with borrowing rights), wireless internet access and out-of-hours access to the Faculty building. The Faculty of Classics is not, however, able to offer office space for the Visiting Fellow.

Eligibility

Candidates should usually, at the time of applying, hold a doctorate and be engaged in research in a relevant field (not necessarily salaried). Doctoral students will also be considered provided that their studies are already suitably advanced and a persuasive case is made (in which case the Fellowship would carry with it the status of Visiting Graduate Student, not Visiting Scholar, at the Faculty of Classics).

Costs covered

Successful candidates will benefit from funding to cover their travel to and from Cambridge, their accommodation for their period of stay and their visiting fee at the Faculty of Classics. These costs will be discussed individually, and all remunerations will require full receipts. Please note that we are unable to arrange the travel or accommodation on the Fellow’s behalf.

How to apply

Applicants for the VIEWS Visiting Fellowship should send the following materials by the deadline of 30th June 2024:

A statement of proposed research (maximum 750 words). This statement should set out the planned research along with a realistic programme for its completion. It should also comment on the relevance of the proposed research to the VIEWS project, and should make clear the length of time (with suggested approximate dates) of the proposed stay in Cambridge, and where the candidate would be travelling from.
A curriculum vitae.
The names of two referees. The applicant should ask their two referees to write to us in support of their application by the above deadline.

All application materials should be sent directly to VIEWS project manager Sarah Lewis at sml75@cam.ac.uk.