진학프로석·박사 채용 접수 플랫폼

Job position

Postdoctoral researcher in Japanese history (ERC Consolidator Grant project Consuming Nature: Early Modernity, Popular Culture and the Natural World in Japan, 1600-1900)

Job position requirements (skills/languages/required experience)

Applications are invited for a four-year postdoctoral position as part of the European Research Council project “Consuming Nature: Early Modernity, Popular Culture and the Natural World in Japan, 1600-1900”, led by ICREA Professor Rebekah Clements and hosted by the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. The candidate will have access to a stimulating research environment as part of a team of researchers, as well as generous funding for fieldwork, the purchase of books, and conference travel in addition to their salary.

The successful candidate will work on nature, Japanese early modernity, and global trade, addressing the research questions of the Consuming Nature project as part of the Consuming Nature team. Possible research questions include (but are not limited to):

1. How do the kinds of animals and plants that were imported into Japan compare or contrast with other early modern societies?
2. How widespread was their consumption among Japanese commoner status groups and how significant was global trade for the popular encounter with consumable nature in early modern Japan?
3. What can the Japanese case tell us about the global history of early modern leisure and the consumption of animals and plants as luxury goods or hobbies?

Information about the Consuming Nature project can be found at https://consumingnature.uab.cat/. Candidates who wish to do so are invited to contact the project director, Prof. Rebekah Clement (Rebekah.clements@icrea.cat) to discuss their proposed research topic before submitting an application.

Expected outputs:

1. Contribution to the project´s database of primary sources.
2. A monograph or series of articles on nature, early modernity, and Japanese print culture/material culture (must be published as Open Access in compliance with the legal obligations of Horizon Europe https://rea.ec.europa.eu/open-science_en).
3. Co-editing a special journal issue with other members of the project (must be published as Open Access in compliance with the legal obligations of Horizon Europe https://rea.ec.europa.eu/open-science_en).
4. Assisting with the project seminar series and conference.
5. Regular presentation of research findings at conferences and workshops.

The successful candidate must fully comply with ERC open science and open access policies: all publications, data, and research outputs produced within the project must follow the Horizon Europe open access protocols and be deposited in open repositories, in accordance with ERC guidelines.

https://erc.europa.eu/manage-your-project/open-science
https://rea.ec.europa.eu/open-science_en

Benefits

42.000-47.000 per year, based on skills and experience, plus social security contributions paid in accordance with Spanish law, providing access to public healthcare and the public pension scheme. The project also provides funds for fieldwork in Japan, international conference travel, and the purchase of books.

Eligibility criteria

A PhD in Japanese history, Japanese studies, or equivalent.
Applicants currently completing their PhD thesis must be awarded their doctorate via examination no later than 1 September 2026.
Excellent command of English, including academic English.
Native or near-native Japanese language skills.

The ability to use premodern Japanese for research purposes.

Selection process

The selection process consists of a first phase based on the curriculum and a second phase involving an interview.
The application comprises the following documents:

• • CV in English
• • Cover letter in English
• • PhD abstract in English
• • One sample of relevant published or forthcoming work in any language. This may include chapters from the PhD dissertation if no other publications are available.
• • A research proposal in English outlining a plan of work for the research you would undertake while on the project (approx 2-3 pages). Candidates who wish to do so are encouraged to contact the project director, Prof Rebekah Clements (Rebekah.clements@icrea.cat) if they have questions about the research proposal or proposed topic.

• • Two reference letters in any language but preferably English, Japanese, Spanish, Catalan, or French. Reference letters should be sent to Manuela.Romero@uab.cat.

  
  

To validate this request, you must validate the form that is accessed at the URL: https://seleccio.uab.cat

Any application that is not submitted in this way will not be included in the selection process.