The Max Planck Society is Germany's premier research organization. The 86 Max Planck Institutes conduct research at the highest level, in the service of the general public, in the natural sciences, life sciences, social sciences, and the humanities.

The new Lise Meitner Research Group "Decay, Loss and Conservation in Art History" led by Francesca Borgo at the Bibliotheca Hertziana – Max Planck Institute for Art History in Rome seeks to appoint a:

Postdoctoral Fellow and Predoctoral Fellow (M/F/D)

The deadline for application is July 1, 2022, 12 pm CEST. Interviews will be held online in July 2022. This is a full-time (39/40 hours/week), one-year position to begin on September 1, 2022 or as soon as possible thereafter.

The Postdoctoral Fellow will conduct their own original research project within the overall framework of the Research Group (please see website). Excellence in research, commitment to pursue new insights through original scholarship, and willingness to become part of a group of young, international scholars are essential. The candidate will actively participate in the Group's activities and is expected to contribute to its publication output while benefitting from editorial and image licensing support. They will be responsible for planning and organizing seminars, workshops, visits and fieldtrips in collaboration with other team members and under the supervision of the Group Leader. Candidates must be conversant in English and familiar with Italian and/or German.

We welcome applications from candidates in every field within the history of art, technical art history, conservation history and museum studies, with preference given to projects spanning traditional disciplinary boundaries. The selection committee aims to assess the ability of candidates to contribute in a collegial way to the intellectual life of the Research Group. We give special consideration to candidates without regular access to research materials and facilities in Italy and pay special attention to the strength of the proposed project and its potential to yield original results.

This is a residential fellowship. By the start of the appointment, candidates are expected to have taken up residence in Rome. The fellowship may not be held concurrently with another major fellowship award; candidates must disclose supplementary funding and may not take on other obligations during their fellowship period.

The Max Planck Society offers a fixed-term contract of employment. Stipend and benefits are determined according to the German Civil Service Collective Agreement (TVöD Bund, level E 13) or equivalent, depending on individual personal circumstances. Fellows enjoy all the privileges of the Institute, including library access seven days a week, a research budget and their own carrel or desk.

We encourage women and individuals from communities that are underrepresented in academia to apply. The Max Planck Society is committed to fostering equal opportunities and diversity and welcomes applicants from all parts of society, regardless of gender, ethnicity, disabilities, or sexual orientation.

To apply the candidate must upload the following documents as separate PDF files to the application portal.

Cover letter
Description of current research project (max. 1000 words), plus a bibliography
Brief description of PhD project (max. 500 words)
Curriculum vitae with list of publications (including those forthcoming, under revision, submitted or in preparation)
Contact details of two referees (no reference letters needed at this stage)
Writing sample

Potential applicants are welcome to contact the Group Leader for an informal discussion prior to submitting their application: francesca.borgobiblhertz.it