For the PDI-SSH-funded project group on 'Legacies of bondage: towards a database of Surinamese life courses in a multigenerational perspective (1830-1950)' we are looking for two postdoctoral researchers (for a total of 1.5 FTEs). As a postdoctoral researcher you will be part of the project group which aims to create longitudinal, dynamic databases of the population of Suriname and the former Dutch Antilles for the period 1830-1950, based on a life course approach. These databases will consist of different datasets, including civil registration, slave registers, migration registers, census records and other related records. Together they will allow research in the complete population of a tropical, colonial society, including slavery and other forms of bonded labour. All datasets will also be published online to be used by a general audience. As part of this project slave registers of Suriname and Curacao were published online in 2019-2020.

As a postdoctoral researcher you will be part of the development team of this longitudinal and dynamic database. Your responsibilities will include the development of complex dynamic data structures, record linkage and supervision of the construction of new datasets. The training of students and researchers in the use of these datasets will also be part of your responsibilities. Within the context of the project group, you will be responsible for specific components of the databases, participate in at the least two data releases and write two articles based on these releases to be published in academic journals. You will also be expected to develop a grant proposal based on the datasets.

Furthermore, you will cooperate closely with the project leaders and other postdoctoral researchers, and participate in the project’s scientific and public programme as speaker and organiser of meetings.

• A completed PhD degree in history or one of the social sciences such as economics, sociology or demography (at least a manuscript approved by the board of examiners by 01-01-2021).
• Demonstrable experience with the construction of large databases and record linkage.
• Demonstrable experience in or knowledge of the digitisation of historical archival material.
• Your work should emphasise quality control in relation to your data.
• Demonstrable experience with research on longitudinal and dynamic data.
• Experience with reading Dutch-language archival sources.
• Proven teaching experience.
• An excellent research and publication record in relation to your career stage.
• An excellent command of English in oral and written form.
• A commitment to work as part of a dynamic, international, productive and multidisciplinary team.

Fixed-term contract: You will be appointed for an initial period of 12 months, after which your performance will be evaluated. If the evaluation is positive, the contract will be extended by 3 years.

• Employment: 16 - 40 hours per week.
• A maximum gross monthly salary of € 5,127 based on a 38-hour working week (salary scale 11).
• The exact salary depends on the candidate's qualifications and amount of relevant professional experience.
• In addition to the salary: an 8% holiday allowance and an 8.3% end-of-year bonus.
• Duration of the contract: you will be appointed for an initial period of 12 months, after which your performance will be evaluated. If the evaluation is positive, the contract will be extended by 3 years.
• The intended start date is 1 January 2021.
• You will be able to use our Dual Career and Family Care Services. Our Dual Career and Family Care Officer can assist you with family-related support, help your partner or spouse prepare for the local labour market, provide customized support in their search for employment  and help your family settle in Nijmegen.
• Have a look at our excellent employment conditions. They include a good work-life balance (among other things because of the excellent leave arrangements), opportunities for development and a great pension scheme.

Radboud University

We want to get the best out of science, others and ourselves. Why? Because this is what the world around us desperately needs. Leading research and education make an indispensable contribution to a healthy, free world with equal opportunities for all. This is what unites the more than 22,000 students and 5,000 employees at Radboud University. And this requires even more talent, collaboration and lifelong learning. You have a part to play!

Faculty of Arts

The Faculty of Arts employs over 500 academic and support staff in the fields of history and art, languages and cultures, linguistics and communication. Research is embedded in one of the two faculty research institutes: the Centre for Language Studies (CLS) or the Radboud Institute for Culture and History (RICH). The faculty currently enrols some 2,400 students in three departments: the department of History, Art History and Classics, the department of Modern Languages and Cultures, and the department of Language and Communication. You will work within the Radboud Group for Historical Demography and Family History, which is part of RICH and the department of History, Art History, and Classics. We want to be a diverse and inclusive organisation, which is why we aim to create a culturally diverse staff.