PhD Candidate Language and Society in the Caribbean at KITLV / KNAW in Leiden

What you will be doing

The PhD candidate will be developing a project on the basis of the applicant's own research idea. The PhD candidate will investigate language in its broadest sense as it relates to society, with a focus on the Caribbean. They will actively engage with and contribute to ongoing research at KITLV, exploring connections to, for instance, (post)colonial legacies, cultural mobilities, heritage, politics, or climate and the environment, tailored to their individual background and research focus.

We welcome applications from candidates with training in linguistics, literature, history, anthropology, area studies, cultural studies, religious studies, or other related fields. Research proposals should focus on the Caribbean but are encouraged to explore global and/or interregional connections within the field of language. A demonstrated interest in and capacity for interdisciplinary collaboration will be considered an advantage.

Possible research topics may include (but are not limited to):

• Creole languages;
• Historical perspectives through inscriptions, manuscripts, and/or colonial-era texts;
• Language as a repository of human-environment relations, oral traditions, cultural knowledge, etc.;
• The relationship between language and social change (in political contexts, diasporas, youth subcultures, etc.);
• Lexical borrowing and its insights into cultural contact and shared histories;
• Plurilingualism in spoken and written forms;
• Translation of Caribbean languages in the age of AI.

Key responsibilities

• Conduct research, including field research in the Caribbean;
• Publish on the basis of this research, culminating in at least two international peer-reviewed journal articles and a PhD dissertation completed in the allotted time (four years at 1.0 fte; five years at 0.8 fte);
• Take part in the PhD program of the KITLV and relevant affiliated institutes;
• Participate in academic conferences, workshops, and other scholarly and outreach activities.

Where you will be working
The Royal Netherlands Institute of Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies (KITLV) is a KNAW research institute. It is dedicated to the study of societal challenges, focusing on the histories and afterlives of colonialism in the Caribbean, Southeast Asia, and the Netherlands. Departing from a globally comparative and interdisciplinary perspective, the KITLV engages primarily with the broad themes of mobility and belonging; state, violence, and citizenship; and climate governance.

What you will be bringing

The candidate should:

• Hold a recent MA or Mphil in the social sciences or humanities;
• Have finished an MA or Mphil thesis with a focus on language in the Caribbean;
• Have a proven academic track record, as shown in the transcripts and CV, and show a strong interest in fundamental research;
• Have a solid written and spoken command of English;
• Have an advanced level in one of the local languages in the Caribbean;
• Be highly motivated and able to work independently;
• Have excellent social and organizational skills.

How to apply
Your application package should be submitted before 1 December 2024, (30 November 23.59 CEST) via the 'Apply Now'-Button on vacatures.knaw.nl. The selection process will continue until the position is filled. Those shortlisted will be asked for a sample academic writing and invited to come to Leiden (or online) for an interview.

Applicants should submit online:

• A motivation letter (no more than 600 words) which includes a research proposal (no more than 800 words);
• A detailed curriculum vitae which includes names, affiliations, and contact information of two referees (no reference letters).

Terms of employment

Upon commencement of employment, the doctoral candidate will be placed in salary scale P-0 €2,872 for the duration of 12 months. In years 2, 3 and 4, the salary of a PhD candidate increases to ultimately €3,670 (these are fixed amounts that can only be adjusted as a result of a CLA increase). This is exclusive of 8% vacation pay, 8.3% year-end bonus, travel allowance, internet and home working allowance and pension accrual with the ABP.

The KNAW offers its staff an excellent package of secondary benefits. A package that meets the different needs of employees depending on their stage of life, lifestyle or career ambitions. For example, by working an extra two hours a week, it is possible to increase the number of days off from 29 to 41 days a year (with full-time employment).

For a complete overview of the terms of employment, please refer to the web page: werken bij de KNAW.

Applying for a Certificate of Good Conduct can be part of the employment procedure.

Diversity & Inclusion
The KNAW considers a working environment in which everyone feels welcome and appreciated of great importance. A working environment in which attention is paid to individual quality and where development opportunities are paramount. Together we strive for an inclusive culture in which we embrace differences. We would therefore like to invite candidates who want to contribute to this through their background and experience. In the event of equal suitability, preference will be given to the candidate who thus enhances diversity within the Academy.

We will not respond to any supplier enquiries based on this job advertisement.

About the KITLV
The Royal Netherlands Institute of Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies (KITLV-KNAW) is an Academy research institute. The KITLV conducts interdisciplinary and comparative historical research. Its research focus is Southeast Asia and the Caribbean, with an emphasis on Indonesia and the 'Dutch' Caribbean. It is particularly interested in such issues as state formation, violence and citizenship, processes of mobility and the formation of ethnic and national identity. KITLV is active in the humanities, social sciences and comparative area studies and works closely with Leiden University.

KITLV aims to be a world-class research institute for the study of Southeast Asia and the Caribbean, with a focus on Indonesia and the 'Dutch' Caribbean, in an interdisciplinary and comparative perspective. Benefitting from the unrivalled collections offered on campus by Leiden University, KITLV researchers explore (dis)continuities between the (pre)colonial and postcolonial period, and articulate their research agendas empirically and theoretically in order to advance wider debates on the meandering paths of globalization. KITLV is an institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW).

As our mission statement indicates, KITLV invests in three long-term research themes: State, Violence and Citizenship, Mobility and Belonging and Governance of Climate Change Adaptation. While most research projects fit into either of these themes, a few address both.