The IRC Laureate Consolidator Project “Assessing the Contemporary Art Novel in Spanish and Portuguese: Cultural Labour, Personal Identification and the Materialisation of Alternative Art Worlds (ARTFICTIONS) (IRCLA/2022/3890; PI: Dr. Carlos Garrido Castellano), which will be developed in University College Cork (Cork, Ireland) from September 2023 until September 2027, is now inviting applications for qualified candidates for 2 PhD scholarships to join ARTFICTIONS’ project team and develop a PhD dissertation on topics related to the project’s main research areas.

The duration of the position is three years (from the 1st of October 2023 until the 30st of September 2026).

The scholarship offers:
-Paid PhD fees (up to 5.770 Euros per year for a total of 3 years; extra Non-Eu fees are not covered. More information about UCC PhD fees can be found here: https://www.ucc.ie/en/financeoffice/fees/schedules/postgraduateeuandinternationalfees202324/)
-A monthly stipend of 1.540 Euros (18.500 Euros annually)
-Three months of fully funded research fieldwork (including Latin America and Africa)
-Funding to attend three conferences (within the EU) between 2024 and 2027, including flights, accommodation and per diem.
-A personal laptop.
-Shared office space.
-Full access to the UCC library and all UCC facilities.

Profile:

This is an excellent opportunity for an enthusiastic first or upper second-class graduate in literary studies, art history, postcolonial studies, comparative literature and cultural studies.
The two interdisciplinary scholarships on offer will privilege applications on specific topics:

-PhD 1: Decolonisation and creative and cultural industries within contemporary Latin American fiction (projects engaging with the Iberian literary space in any official language will also be considered).
-PhD 2: Self-definition and artistic capitalism within Portuguese-Speaking territories (projects engaging with Portuguese-Speaking African fiction will be particularly welcome).

Eligibility:
-Knowledge of Spanish and/or Portuguese (B1 Level)
-Non-native speakers of English will be required to provide evidence of their English language competency as part of their application. If your application is successful, you will require a formal English qualification for visa purposes, where applicable. More information about the requirements to join a PhD programme in UCC can be found here: https://www.ucc.ie/en/cacsss/grads/future_postgrads/research_courses/phds/

Tasks:
-Developing and completing a PhD dissertation on the chosen topic before September 2027.
-Producing and submitting a research article before September 2027.
-Developing fieldwork research in the chosen area of study (three months in total over three years, between January 2024 and December 2026)
-Provide support in the preparation of the project’s workshop series (PhD1)
-Provide support in the organisation of an art exhibition in 2026 (PhD2)
-The awardees are asked to apply for competitive national funding (Irish Research Council) to extend the duration of their project over a fourth year (2027). The project’s PI, as well as the Department of Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies at UCC, will provide continuous support in preparing this application.

Research Environment
The researchers will integrate the Department of Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies (https://www.ucc.ie/en/splas/), which integrates the School of Languages, Literatures and Cultures (https://www.ucc.ie/en/cacsss/).

More information about UCC Graduate Programme can be found here: https://www.ucc.ie/en/study/postgrad/contactus/

To apply for this call, contact carlos.garridocastellanoucc.ie