The Netherlands Institute for the Near East (NINO) is pleased to offer a two-year postdoctoral fellowship hosted at Leiden University. This initiative is designed to foster early-career researchers specializing in the study of the ancient Near East. The fellowship comes with full-time employment at the Faculty of Humanities at Leiden University and with access to facilities at NINO (office space, computer, libraries and collections). The fellow is expected to reside in or near Leiden during the time of appointment and to participate in the intellectual life of the Institute (in as far as the COVID-19 situation so permits). All applicants, but especially those with interdisciplinary research profiles beyond the Humanities, are encouraged to seek additional affiliation to relevant researchers or research groups in the Netherlands (Leiden or elsewhere).

The fellowship is aimed at candidates of any nationality who completed their doctorate (PhD) within the last four years and who have proven their potential to conduct and publish research at an international level. This year, we invite applications of researchers who work in the field of cuneiform studies in its broadest sense, including all time periods (4thmillennium – 1st millennium) and regions (Anatolia, Iran, the Levant and Mesopotamia). We also welcome applications of interdisciplinary scholars who engage with cuneiform studies.

During the fellowship, the successful candidate will work on their own research. They will design and teach a graduate course on “Methods and Concepts in ancient Near Eastern Studies”, which is offered at a national level to advanced students from a wide range of disciplinary backgrounds, including Ancient Near Eastern Archaeology and History, Assyriology, Classics, Egyptology, Hittitology and Coptic Studies. In their second year, the fellow will convene an international academic conference on a topic relevant to their own research, taking into consideration the research interests represented at the NINO and/or other institutes and universities in The Netherlands. A conference budget of € 10,000 is at their disposal. The proceedings of this conference will be published after peer-review in one of NINO’s book series.

Key responsibilities

• Conduct original research on a topic relating to cuneiform studies;
• Teach a graduate seminar on methods and concepts in ancient Near Eastern Studies;
• Organize an international conference on a topic relevant to their own research;
• Disseminate the results of their research to (non-)academic parties through appropriate channels.

• A PhD degree in a relevant field of study, completed between January 2017 and February 2021;
• A research and publication record that is commensurate with career stage;
• Commitment to high-quality research, publication, and dissemination;
• Excellent communication and organization skills;
• Ability to work independently as well as part of a team.

We offer a fixed-term position from September 2021 through August 2023. Salary range from € 3,746.- to € 5,127.- gross per month (pay scale 11), in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities).

Leiden University offers an attractive benefits package with additional holiday (8%) and end-of-year bonuses(8.3 %), training and career development and sabbatical leave. Our individual choices model gives you some freedom to assemble your own set of terms and conditions. For international spouses we have set up a dual career programme. Candidates from outside the Netherlands may be eligible for a substantial tax break. For more information, see the website.

Diversity
Leiden University is strongly committed to diversity within its community and especially welcomes applications from members of underrepresented groups.

Leiden University

The Faculty of Humanities is rich in expertise in fields such as philosophy, religious studies, history, art history, literature, linguistics and area studies covering nearly every region of the world. With its staff of 995, the faculty provides 27 master’s and 25 bachelor’s programmes for over 7,000 students based at locations in Leiden and in The Hague. For more information, see the website of Humanities.

The Netherlands Institute for the Near East is a research centre located at the Faculty of Humanities. NINO aims to advance knowledge of the history of the ancient Near East (incl. Egypt), its archaeological remains and its cultural heritage. Its research community consists of researchers based in Leiden as well as in other Dutch universities. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to engage with this community while in residence. The fellowship grants privileged access to NINO’s specialist library and its various collections. 

The postdoctoral researcher will hold an position in the Leiden Institute for Area Studies. LIAS is comprised of a School of Asian Studies and a School of Middle-Eastern Studies, with international staff and student populations. The institute is committed to a present-day vision of area studies, integrating disciplinary and regional-historical perspectives on a solid foundation of excellent language skills. Current staff  in LIAS has expertise in the fields of Anthropology, Archaeology, Art Studies, Buddhist Studies, Film Studies, History, International Relations, Language Pedagogy, Law, Linguistics, Literary Studies, Material Culture Studies, Performance Studies, Philology, Philosophy, Political Economy, Religious Studies, Sociology, and Visual Culture Studies.