Postdoctoral Research Team Positions/Scholarships

Every year the GCSC awards three postdoctoral research team positions or scholarships.

The research team positions and scholarships are offered for a period of two years with a monthly income at 100% TV-H 13 (between approx. € 3.200 and € 3.735 - gross salary) or a stipend of approx. € 1,500. The current round of scholarships was announced in late 2011 and will start in October 2012; the deadline for applications is March 1st, 2012.

Eligibility

Candidates applying for a postdoctoral research team position or a scholarship should hold a PhD in the arts/humanities, cultural studies, or social sciences, have an excellent academic record, and pursue a research project relevant to the GCSC’s research areas. Acceptance of a position or a scholarship requires active participation in the GCSC research programme and the wide-ranging events offered by the GCSC. Appointees to research team positions are also expected to contribute to one of the research teams allocated to the GCSC’s research areas and to initiate, coordinate and document collaborative research projects, such as conferences or publications. Moreover, they are expected to become active in the mentoring and qualification programme for PhD candidates.

Fluency in either English or German is required. Both research team members as well as scholarship holders are expected to take up residence in or near Giessen.

How to apply

We are delighted that you are interested in applying at the International Graduate Centre for the Study of Culture. In the following, we will provide you with some information on our two-stage application process for doctoral and postdoctoral research team positions or scholarships. Should you have any further questions, please see our Frequently Asked Questions section. You are also welcome to contact our team at any time at gcsc-application@uni-giessen.de.

First Stage

To apply for GCSC positions or scholarships, you will first be asked to fill in and submit our online application form and to upload the following documents before the current deadline (March 1st):

• a 1-2 page cover letter, explaining your motives for applying at the GCSC;
• a short abstract of your research project (approx. 500 words), including the title of your project and a brief outline of the methodology you will use;
• a curriculum vitae.
• Please compile one single PDF-document containing all of the above documents (1-2 pp. cover letter, abstract, and CV). This document should then be labeled according to the following format: Lastname_Firstname.pdf.
• Once you have created the PDF-file, please fill in our online application form. You can then upload your PDF-file as a part of the online form and submit your application by pressing the “send” button. You will receive an email confirming the submission of your application. Should you not receive this email, please check your spam filter before resending your application form.
• In addition, we require two letters of recommendation provided by university professors. Please make sure that these references reach the GCSC by the announced deadline. References should be posted to the following address:
  
  Director Prof. Dr. Ansgar Nünning
  International Graduate Centre for the Study of Culture
  Alter Steinbacher Weg 38
  35394 Giessen
  Germany
  
  Your two referees (who you will already have specified in your online application) can also send us their letters of recommendation directly, or email them to gcsc-application@uni-giessen.de.

2nd Stage

By March 19th, we will notify you of the success of your application. Should you have been selected for the second stage of the application process, you will be requested to submit the following documents (as one single PDF-file and labeled according to the following format: Lastname_Firstname.pdf) electronically to gcsc@uni-giessen.de by April 16, 2012:

• Copies of your school and university diplomas
• A project proposal including a short summary, an overview of the research conducted so far, your topic and methodology as well as a selected bibliography. In your proposal, you should explain the connection of your research project to the GCSC’s research profile. Proposals of candidates applying for postdoctoral scholarships should not exceed 20 pages.
• A detailed schedule describing the specific stages of your work over a period of three years.
• Additionally please submit a printed copy of your dissertation as well as further publications supporting your application, if available (printouts are sufficient in all cases - no cd-roms) to the following address:
  
  Director Prof. Dr. Ansgar Nünning
  International Graduate Centre for the Study of Culture
  Alter Steinbacher Weg 38
  35394 Giessen
  Germany

Your entire application will be sent to two internal referees. Together with their evaluation comments, your application will be submitted to the Selection Committee of the GCSC, who will compile a shortlist. We will notify you by the end of May whether you will be invited to an interview for one of the GCSC positions or scholarships. These interviews are scheduled for mid June 2012 and will take place at the GCSC.

We hope that you find this information helpful for preparing your application. Should you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact our team at gcsc-application@uni-giessen.de.

We look forward to receiving your application!

Selection Process

On the basis of the applications, the distribution of places will be decided by the Selection Committee.

The selection of candidates will be determined by their academic qualifications as well as by the quality of their research proposal and the suitability of the project to the GCSC research programme. Short-listed candidates will be invited to a 30-minute interview at the GCSC.