This position is part of two-year international research project that is funded by the Netherlands Organisation of Scientific Research (NWO) as part of the fourth Digging into Data challenge. “Oceanic Exchanges: Tracing Global Information Networks in Historical Newspaper Repositories, 1840-1914” (OcEx) brings together leading efforts in computational periodicals research from the nine academic partners in US, Mexico, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland and the UK to examine patterns of information flow across national and linguistic boundaries in nineteenth-century newspapers by linking digitized newspaper corpora currently siloed in national collections. OcEx seeks to break through the conceptual, institutional, and political barriers which have limited working with big humanities data by bringing together historical newspaper experts from different countries and disciplines around common questions; by actively crossing the national boundaries that have previously separated digitized newspaper corpora through computational analysis; and by illustrating the global connectedness of nineteenth-century newspapers in ways hidden by typical national organizations of digital cultural heritage.

You will work under the supervision of the Project Leader Jaap Verheul in the work package “Conceptual Migration” that aims to model and visualise the conceptual migration and translation of texts across regional, national, and linguistic boundaries. The research team consists of cultural historians and digital humanities engineers from consortium partners Northeastern University, Universität Stuttgart, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, and University of Turku. You will be responsible for developing historical “use cases” that demonstrated how the tools that are developed in the project can be used to trace, analyse, and visualise the migration and translation of ideas over regional and linguistic borders. You will be based at the Cultural History section of the Department of History and Art History of Utrecht University, which provides a stimulating and internationally oriented research environment.

• You have completed a PhD in Cultural History, Media History, History of Science, or in a related field; or a PhD dissertation in one of these fields already accepted by the PhD Examination Committee;
• You have an excellent track record and research skills, relative to experience; and excellent academic writing and presentation skills;
• You have an affinity with digital tools and both quantitative and qualitative research methods. Previous work in the field of digital humanities is preferred;
• You have an international outlook and have excellent oral and writing skills in English. The ability to read Dutch newspapers has a strong preference;
• You have the ability to work in an international, interdisciplinary team, and are willing to take responsibility for deliverables and deadlines in your work package.

You will be offered a postdoc position (0,9 FTE), initially for a period of 9 months starting 1 September 2017. Upon good performance, the contract will be extended for another 12 months (21 months in total). Salary ranges between €3,193 and €3,427 (scale 10 Collective Labour Agreement Dutch Universities) gross per month for a full-time employment.

Utrecht University offers a pension scheme, a holiday allowance of 8% per year, an end-of-year bonus of 8.3% and terms of employment. Conditions are based on the Collective Employment Agreement of the Dutch Universities. More information: working at Utrecht University.

A better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in their leading research and inspiring teaching. At Universiteit Utrecht, the various disciplines collaborate intensively on major societal themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Sustainability.

The Faculty of Humanities has around 6,000 students and 900 staff members. It comprises four knowledge domains: Philosophy and Religious Studies, History and Art History, Media and Culture Studies, and Languages, Literature and Communication. With its research and teaching in these fields, the Faculty aims to contribute to a better understanding of the Netherlands and Europe in a rapidly changing social and cultural context. Enthusiastic and committed faculty members and excellent amenities in the historical city center of Utrecht, where the Faculty is housed, contribute to an inspiring working environment.