Postdoctoral Researcher
STEMMA: Systems of Transmitting Early Modern Manuscript Verse, 1475–1700
School of English, Media, and Creative Arts
Ref. No. University of Galway 086-24
Applications are invited from suitably qualified candidates for a full-time, fixed-term position as a Postdoctoral Researcher for the project ‘STEMMA: Systems of Transmitting Early Modern Manuscript Verse, 1475–1700’, led by Professor Erin A. McCarthy, School of English and Creative Arts at the University of Galway, Ireland. The position is funded by a European Research Council Consolidator Grant awarded to Professor McCarthy.
This position is funded by a European Research Council Consolidator Grant awarded to Professor McCarthy and is available for thirty-six months from 1 July 2024.
Project Description
This project develops and applies a data-driven approach in order to provide the first macro-level view of the circulation of early modern English poetry in manuscript. It focuses on English verse manuscripts written and used between the introduction of printing in England in 1475 and 1700, by which time the rapid changes in both literary taste and publishing norms ushered in by the Restoration had fully transformed literary culture. The project includes manuscripts circulating in England and anywhere else English was spoken and read, including Ireland, the North American colonies, and continental exile communities. It develops innovative computational models and quantitative methods for studying the social and material forces that informed literary culture.
Whereas the current state of the art has seen the scholarly community address manuscripts primarily as case studies, STEMMA seeks to open new frontiers in manuscript research by facilitating the identification of patterns and trends at scale. To that end, the project begins by synthesizing six of the most comprehensive datasets about early modern English manuscripts in preparation for advanced literary, material, and quantitative analyses. This first work package sets the stage for four further, interlocking work packages, to which the doctoral and postdoctoral positions are allocated: networking early modern manuscript poems; early modern literary communities in the English-speaking world; rolling archetypes, computational text analysis, and scholarly editing; and textual circulation between manuscript and print. The research team will comprise the PI, three postdoctoral researchers, and one PhD student with expertise in literary history, textual studies, computational text analysis, and social network analysis. They will be based in the Moore Institute for Research in the Humanities and Social Studies, located in the Hardiman Research Building.
Job Description:
The successful candidate will focus on Work Package 4, ‘Rolling Archetypes, Computational Text Analysis, and Scholarly Editing’.
This work package will test methods from textual editing and stylometry to assess their usefulness for identifying poets and/or scribes. The first several months of the contract will focus primarily on data preparation and reconciliation. The researcher will then identify one or more previously unidentified textual ‘clusters’ and prepare a full-text corpus. The researcher will apply computational text analysis methods to investigate how compilers worked with rolling archetypes and how these insights might inform contemporary textual editing practice. The researcher will also contribute to the organization of a major international hackathon and conference and the communication of project results through peer-reviewed outputs and public outreach activities.
Duties:
Qualifications/Skills required:
Essential Requirements:
Desirable Requirements:
Salary: Postdoctoral Researcher pay scale €42,782 - €54,965 per annum, (subject to the project’s funding limitations), and pro rata for shorter and/or part-time contracts.
The default position for all new public sector appointments is the 1st point of the salary scale. This may be reviewed, and consideration afforded to appointment at a higher point on the payscale, where evidence of prior years’ equivalent experience is accepted in determining placement on the scale above point 1, subject to the maximum of the scale.
Research Salary Scales - University of Galway).
Start date: Position is available from 1 July 2024.
Continuing Professional Development/Training:
Researchers at University of Galway are encouraged to avail of a range of training and development opportunities designed to support their personal career development plans. University of Galway provides continuing professional development supports for all researchers seeking to build their own career pathways either within or beyond academia. Researchers are encouraged to engage with our Researcher Development Centre (RDC) upon commencing employment - see HERE for further information.
Further information on research and working at University of Galway is available on Research at University of Galway
For information on moving to Ireland please see www.euraxess.ie
Informal enquiries concerning the post may be made to Professor Erin A. McCarthy (erin.mccarthy@universityofgalway.ie).
To Apply:
Applications to include a covering letter, CV, a sample of academic written work (e.g. published article, thesis chapter), and the contact details of three referees should be sent, via e-mail (in word or PDF only) mooreinstitute@universityofgalway.ie.
Please put reference number University of Galway 086-24 in subject line of e-mail application.
Closing date for receipt of applications is 5.00 pm (Irish Time) 1 May 2024
Interviews are planned to be held on 31 May 2024
We reserve the right to re-advertise or extend the closing date for this post.
University of Galway is an equal opportunities employer.
All positions are recruited in line with Open, Transparent, Merit (OTM) and Competency based recruitment
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