Postdoc in history of science within the research project “Sovereign Flowers”
The postdoc position is advertised as part of the project “Sovereign Flowers: Flora Danica and the Emergence of the National Flora, 1750–1900” funded by Independent Research Fund Denmark and led by Associate Professor Christoffer Basse Eriksen. The project aims to carry out the first large-scale study of the making of the Flora Danica (1761–1883) and investigate its importance for the emergence of the national flora as a genre.
We are looking for a candidate with expertise in the history of science with an interest in botany and state-making. The successful applicant will conduct research on the making of the Flora Danica and its scientific, political and cultural impact in Northern Europe, and contribute to the organization of workshops and other project activities. Their research will contribute with a work package focusing on the Flora Danica volumes published in the period 1840–1883 with attention to the importance of amateur botanists and botanical journals, as well as Johan Lange’s role as editor and populariser of the Flora Danica project. The postdoc will identify and examine episodes of specimen collecting, botanical collaboration, visual representation, and/or circulation of letters relating to the Flora Danica volumes based on archival research in Danish and Northern-European libraries and archives.
The postdoc will be free to shape their research agenda and approach to this topic in accordance with their broader research interests, expertise, and career development. The various tasks of the position are organized in continuous agreement with the project leader, Christoffer Basse Eriksen. The position comes with available funding for archival trips and conference participation.
Qualifications
Employment as a postdoc requires qualifications at PhD level. In the assessment, emphasis will be placed on experience within the fields of history of natural history, book history, and/or visual epistemology, and an interest in working with materials relating to 19th-century science. Experience with archival work and/or knowledge of Scandinavian languages is an advantage, though not a requirement.
Please include a research plan (max. 1000 words) outlining a research project addressing the history of Danish botany and the Flora Danica volumes in the period 1840–1900 within the statement of future research plans and information about research activities, as specified below (“Formalities and salary range”).
Place of work
Place of employment is Aarhus University, and place of work is Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Ny Munkegade 118, 8000 Aarhus C.
For questions or further information, please contact Christoffer Basse Eriksen (cbe@css.au.dk).
Application procedure
Shortlisting is used. This means that after the deadline for applications – and with the assistance from the assessment committee chairman, and the appointment committee if necessary, – the head of department selects the candidates to be evaluated. All applicants will be notified whether or not their applications have been sent to an expert assessment committee for evaluation. The selected applicants will be informed about the composition of the committee, and each applicant is given the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment that concerns him/her self. Once the recruitment process is completed a final letter of rejection is sent to the deselected applicants.
Letter of reference
If you want a referee to upload a letter of reference on your behalf, please state the referee’s contact information when you submit your application. We strongly recommend that you make an agreement with the person in question before you enter the referee’s contact information, and that you ensure that the referee has enough time to write the letter of reference before the application deadline. Unfortunately, it is not possible to ensure that letters of reference received after the application deadline will be taken into consideration.
If you wish to add a referee after you have submitted your application, you must send this person’s details (name, job title, place of work, and email address) as well as the name of the position you have applied for to: HR.Nattech@au.dk
Formalities and salary range
Natural Sciences refers to the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Danish Universities under the Danish Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.
The application must be in English and include a curriculum vitae, degree certificate, a complete list of publications, a statement of future research plans and information about research activities, teaching portfolio and verified information on previous teaching experience (if any). Guidelines for applicants can be found here.
Appointment shall be in accordance with the collective labour agreement between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. Further information on qualification requirements and job content may be found in the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Danish Universities.
Salary depends on seniority as agreed between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and the Confederation of Professional Associations.
Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants.
Research activities will be evaluated in relation to actual research time. Thus, we encourage applicants to specify periods of leave without research activities, in order to be able to subtract these periods from the span of the scientific career during the evaluation of scientific productivity.
Aarhus University offers a broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including relocation service and career counselling to expat partners. Read more here. Please find more information about entering and working in Denmark here.
Aarhus University also offers a Junior Researcher Development Programme targeted at career development for postdocs at AU. You can read more about it here.
At the Faculty of Natural Science at Aarhus University, we strive to support our scientific staff in their career development. We focus on competency development and career clarification and want to make your opportunities transparent. On our website, you can find information on all types of scientific positions, as well as the entry criteria we use when assessing candidates. You can also read more about how we can assist you in your career planning and development.
The application must be submitted via Aarhus University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aarhus University's website.
Aarhus University
Aarhus University is an academically diverse and research-intensive university with a strong commitment to high-quality research and education and the development of society nationally and globally. The university offers an inspiring research and teaching environment to its 38,000 students (FTEs) and 8,300 employees, and has an annual revenues of EUR 935 million. Learn more at www.international.au.dk/
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