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PhD Position

The research group currently invites applications for a position of

PhD researcher on LGBTQ+ Literatures under Socialism

Focus: open to candidates interested in Eastern European queer socialist literatures of the 1950s – 1980s
(possible countries include Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Yugoslavia, Albania, Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria,
Czechoslovakia, Romania).

The position is part-time (65%), with the contract of employment limited to 3 years. It is remunerated according the TVL-13 scale.

Your tasks:

This position is research-focused, with participation in other project tasks, such as organizations of conference, team meetings, etc. No teaching or administrative work is required, but teaching can be organized at some point of the 3-year contract to strengthen the pedagogical profile of the researcher. We invite proposals on a wide range of topics with the focus on queer literatures under socialism in the 1950s-1980s, including, but not limited to:

  • lesbian, gay, trans, bi- and queer literatures
  • LGBTQ+ literary cultures: literary readings, literary journals, apartment theaters, etc.
  • unknown poetics and narratives of queerness in prose, drama, and/or poetry
  • censorship of LGBTQ+ literary subjectivities
  • transnational networks of LGBTQ+ literatures: circulations of texts, queer samizdat and tamizdat
  • queer literature and activism or dissident movements

Our requirements:

  • the position is open to applicants with an MA degree in Literary Studies, Comparative Literature, Cultural Studies, Slavic Studies, History, Gender Studies, and other relevant disciplines in the Humanities
  • the MA degree should be awarded before the position begins (at the application stage, a letter from the MA thesis supervisor is required to confirm timeline to completion of the degree)
  • Move to Germany is obligatory for this position

What we offer:

  • additional research funding for conference travel and fieldwork
  • shared office space, access to library collections, and other infrastructural resources
  • possibility to gain teaching experience, including training in teaching in higher education
  • Robust networks of doctoral and postdoctoral researchers in the Slavic Humanities and Area Studies at the U of Regensburg, connected through multiple interdisciplinary centers and graduate schools and offering access to a variety of events focused on research training and career development.

How to apply:

This call is open until the position has been filled – in case of interest in applying for this job, please reach out to the research group leader, Tatiana Klepikova (tatiana.klepikova@ur.de) with a one-paragraph description of your bio, research interests, and vision for the PhD project.

Should we invite you to submit a full proposal, following documents will be required:

1. Academic CV, including, among others:

  • information about your language skills: applicants should have a robust knowledge of the language(s) of their focus country(ies). They should also be able to communicate in one of the working languages of the research group (English or German)
  • name of the reference person that we could contact (no reference letter is required at the moment of application)

2. Cover letter & research proposal (as one document, up to 3 pages altogether):

Your cover letter, expanding into a research proposal, should include answers to the following questions:

  • Where do you see an unexplored niche in studies of queer literatures in your focus country, and how would your doctoral/postdoctoral project fill it? Think here that the focus of the research group is to go beyond the names and practices that have already been explored – our goal is to open up completely new, previously untouched spaces of knowledge about LGBTQ+ literary histories under socialism.
  • What is your previous expertise in the Humanities? How will it support your work on the research topic you want to pursue?
  • Why would you like to carry out your doctoral research work within the research group “Light On! Queer Literatures and Cultures under Socialism”?

Following the review of documents by the research group, candidates that are considered for the position will be invited to an in interview via Zoom.

The starting date for this position is open and will be negotiated with the successful applicant following the interview.