Predoctoral Position (M/F/D).

The Lise Meitner Group “Coded Objects” led by Anna-Maria Meister at the Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz – Max Planck Institute seeks to appoint a Predoctoral Position (M/F/D).

Deadline: May 30, 2025, 12 pm CET.

The Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz, founded in 1897, has been one of currently 85 institutes of the Max Planck Society, Germany's most successful research organisation for basic research, since 2002. Research focuses on the history of art and architecture from a transcultural perspective.

The deadline for application is May 30, 2025, 12 pm CET. Interviews will be held virtually in May and June 2025. Candidates should propose a funding period of desired length with the earliest possible starting date in September 2025. Motivations for the proposed length of period and starting date should be made clear in the cover letter.

Responsibilities: The doctoral candidate will conduct their own research within the framework of the Lise Meitner Group. Excellence in research, commitment to pursue new insights through original scholarship, and willingness to become a constructive and committed part of a group of international scholars are essential. The researcher will actively participate in the group’s activities and are invited to contribute to its output (publications and other media). They will be responsible for planning and organizing workshops, visits, or other activities in collaboration with other group members, and are expected to contribute to a shared annotated research library and methods collection.

Requirements and application: This position is intended for a doctoral student enrolled at any university worldwide who is in the advanced stage of their dissertation. In addition to clarifying how residence in Florence benefits their doctoral research, candidates should include in their cover letter a statement of how their work advances the goals of the research group. Candidates should also seek the approval of their doctoral advisor. Candidates are expected to review the Lise Meitner Group’s research agenda as well as the broader structure of the Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz where the group is located. We welcome applications from doctoral students in every field within architecture, design, arts and humanities with focus on the research group’s themes and methodological approaches, and preference given to projects spanning traditional disciplinary boundaries. The selection committee aims to assess the ability of candidates to contribute to the collaborative intellectual life of the research group. Candidates must be conversant in English at an appropriate level for scientific exchange.

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

If the requirements are met, we offer remuneration in accordance with the collective agreement for the public service (65% TVöD Bund E 13) with corresponding bonuses. Social benefits are granted as in the public service (“Bund”). If the TVöD is not applicable, adequate remuneration will be paid in accordance with the remuneration scheme of the German Embassy in Rome. Selected candidates enjoy all the privileges of the institute, including library access, access to the Photothek, a research budget and their own carrel or desk.

We encourage individuals with non-conventional academic CVs and 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 PDF files to the application portal: https://apply.khi.fi.it/afdfcd3e-27cf-4807-801b-19f48244f5c2/details

- Cover letter that clearly states the candidate’s contribution to the Lise Meitner Group’s objectives and indication of desired funding period

- Description of proposed research project (max. 1000 words), accompanied by a bibliography

- Curriculum vitae with list of publications (including those forthcoming, under revision, submitted, or in preparation)

- One reference letter (If it is confidential, it may also be sent directly to annaluise.schubertkhi.fi.it, the coordinator of the research group.)

- Proposal for a collective output and/or activity (max. 500 words). Depending on the proposed length of funding, this could be a site visit, a collaboration with a local collection, a research workshop, a publishable piece of writing, an exhibition, a digital project, or a contribution to a national or international conference. The proposal should detail specific names and locations and specify how the output aligns with the research group’s themes.

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Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz – Max-Planck-Institut
Via Giuseppe Giusti 44
50121 Firenze, Italia
+39 055 24911-1
infokhi.fi.it

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