The Oriental Institute Postdoctoral Fellow Program

The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago invites applications for the Oriental Institute’s Annual Post-Doctoral Fellow Conference program for the 2020—2022 academic years.  This is a twenty-four-month, non-renewable appointment. During the first year of the appointment, the Post-Doctoral Fellow will organize and conduct a two-day conference at the Oriental Institute on key comparatively oriented theoretical or methodological issues in the field of ancient studies (archaeological, text-based, and/or art historical avenues of research). We encourage cross-disciplinary proposals that deal with the ancient Near East (including Egypt) or that compare the Near East with other cultural areas. Applicants should take into consideration the research interests represented at the Oriental Institute. The conference will take place in early March 2021. Following the conference, the Post-Doctoral Fellow will work with publication staff to assemble and edit the proceedings for publication in the “Oriental Institute Seminars” series. During the second year of the appointment, the Post-Doctoral Fellow will assist in organizing a series of faculty seminars at the Oriental Institute and may have the opportunity to teach one quarter-length course on a topic of his or her choosing. The incumbent is also encouraged to pursue his or her own research while in residence and to interact with the Oriental Institute community.

Information on past Oriental Institute Annual symposia can be viewed at: https://oi.uchicago.edu/research/postdoctoral-fellow-program

Qualification

Ph.D. in a discipline relating to ancient studies must be complete at the time of appointment.

Application

Applicants should send:

• Cover letter
• 5-page proposal outlining the nature and structure of the conference (including the names and paper topics of six to eight key participants who have agreed to make presentations, should the conference be funded; for budgetary reasons, international participants should constitute no more than half of the list of six to eight invited speakers)
• Curriculum vitae
• 3 letters of reference

Review of applications will begin on Monday, January 13th, 2020 and will continue until the position is filled. Start date is September 1st, 2020.  Inquiries can be directed to oi-administration@uchicago.edu with the subject heading Post Doctoral Fellow.