Research Position on “Non-territorial autonomy
elements in international minority protection in the twentieth century“
The
European Research Council funded research project „Non-Territorial Autonomy as
Minority Protection in Europe: An Intellectual and Political History of a
Travelling Idea, 1850–2000“ (NTAutonomy) invites prospective candidates to join
a team of five researchers.
The
Project in its Entirety
NTAutonomy
explores the history of non-territorial autonomy, which was a means of granting
cultural rights to a national group as a corporate body within a state. Without
any normative intention, our project investigates this form of national
self-rule as both an intellectual concept and an applied policy across Europe.
We will examine the origins of this idea in both parts of the Habsburg Empire
and conduct research on how this concept travelled to the interwar period. Starting
from the assumption that non-territorial autonomy was not specific to a
particular political current, we will analyse how this concept translated into
the early Soviet Union, the socialist Ukrainian People’s Republic, the liberal
democracies in the Baltic States, and the far-right Sudeten German Party in
Czechoslovakia. Finally, we want to trace non-territorial autonomy elements in
the policies of European minority protection institutions until the end of the
twentieth century.
Job
Description
You
will be in charge of the project’s work package that analyses continuities and
breaks in the ways non-territorial autonomy has been considered in
international minority protection throughout the twentieth century. Ideally,
you cover the period of the interwar period and the period after WWII.
Yet, applications with a focus on either period are also possible.
You
should collect and analyse material on transnational minority networks, like
the Congress of European Nationalities or the Federal Union of European
Nationalities, pertaining to the topic of non-territorial autonomy.
Furthermore, you should collect and analyse material of international
organisations’ position towards non-territorial arrangements, including e.g.
the League of Nations, the United Nations, the OSCE and/or the Council of
Europe.
You
are expected to participate in the bi-monthly meetings of the project team,
discuss your findings, make them accessible in our EndNote database, help to
organise a conference, participate in editing the conference proceedings, and
assist in the maintenance of our website.
If
you apply as a doctorate student, you should complete a PhD thesis on a topic
in the wider field of your work package and publish preliminary results. If you
apply as a post-doctoral researcher, you are expected to publish your findings
in leading peer-reviewed journals and produce a draft of a book / habilitation
on a topic in the wider field of your work package.
Starting
date is autumn 2019. You are expected to take your permanent residence in
Vienna.
We
Offer
We
offer a 12 months contract, renewable for 30 months (PhD students) or 24 months
(post docs) after an interim evaluation. PhD students will receive a gross
salary of approx. 30,000 € per year, corresponding to 75% (30 h) of a full
position. Post-doctoral researchers will receive a gross salary of approx.
42,000 € per year, corresponding to 80% (32 hours) of a full position. The
total duration of employment and the extent of part-time employment is
negotiable.
You
will have a fully equipped workspace at the Institute in Vienna. Funding for
research missions and participation to international conferences will also be
provided.
You
will be part of a research team of six scholars in an intellectually ambitious
and challenging project funded by the European Union in one of Europe’s most
pleasant cities.
The
Austrian Academy of Sciences is an equal opportunity employer.
Your
Qualifications
You
must hold at least an MA degree (or equivalent), ideally with a scholarly
background in modern, contemporary and/or legal history or in nationalism
studies. You should demonstrate a strong interest in minority issues as well as
in historical and comparative research questions. You need very good language
skills in English and good reading skills in German and French. You should like
working in teams and be familiar with the reference management software
EndNote.
How
to Apply
You
can apply in German or English not later than 27 May 2019. Please send the
following documents as a single PDF document (entitled: SURNAME, NTAutonomy,
application 2019) to barbara.saringer-bory@oeaw.ac.at
1)
Short motivation letter.
2)
Curriculum vitae, including a list of publications (if applicable).
3)
Name, email and telephone number of at least two referees (no recommendation
letters).
4)
An exposé of your planned doctoral thesis / monograph. Please outline how your
sketched project relates to the objectives of NTAutonomy in general and to your
specific work package in particular (approx. 1000 words, excluding
bibliography).
5)
A writing sample (e.g. an article, or a significant chapter of your MA/PhD
thesis). It is not necessary that it has already been accepted for publication.
6)
A certificate of your degrees.
You
will be informed of the outcome of the selection process by early June 2019.
Shortlisted candidates will be invited for interviews on 25 June 2019.
For
any further information, do not hesitate to contact the project’s principal
investigator:
Dr.
Börries Kuzmany
ERC-Projekt
NTAutonomy
ÖAW
/ INZ
Hollandstraße
11-13, 1. Stock
A-1020
Wien / Austria
Tel.:
+43-1-51581-7332
