Two 4-year PhD positions in Musicology (100%) at the University of Basel

The Department of Arts, Media and Philosophy at the University of Basel (Prof. Dr. Hanna Walsdorf) is looking for 2 PhD students to work with her and her team in the Advanced Grant project “The Night Side of Music: Towards a New Historiography of Musicking in Europe, 1500–1800” (NightMuse). The project is funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation for a period of five years (2024–2029). One PhD candidate is sought for Subproject 1, “Religious Musicking at Night,” and one is sought for Subproject 3, “Addressing the Night in Theatrical Music.”

Your profile:

• You hold an M.A. degree in Musicology or expect to complete the degree by spring 2024. Your M.A. thesis needs to have been graded before November 2023.
• Knowledge of and a keen interest in early music.
• Interest in interdisciplinary and international collaboration.
• You are results-oriented, have a good command of English (plus either German, French, or Italian) and good writing skills.
• If applicable, willingness to acquire German language skills is expected.
• Demonstrable research experience, for instance, in the form of a research assistantship, will be considered an advantage.

Your tasks:

• Collaboration in the NightMuse research group, contributions to its core topics.
• Independent research and further academic qualification (doctorate/PhD thesis to be written in either German or English).
• Research and conference trips.
• Collaboration on joint publications.
• Involvement in the organisation of international workshops and conferences.

Our offerings:

• Employment for 1.0 FTE (4-year contract). Salary is between 47’000 and 50’000 CHF brutto per year (yearly increases).
• Collaboration in a committed, international and appreciative team.
• Family-friendly work.
• Affiliation with one of Switzerland’s leading institutes for Musicology with a strong research profile for early music.
• Connection to one of the most vibrant early music landscapes in Europe.
• Place of work is Basel (compulsory residence).

Documents requested:

• CV
• Letter of motivation explaining why you want to conduct your PhD in the NightMuse project inBasel
• Proposal for your research within the project (max. 2 pages)
• Writing sample (e.g., your M.A. thesis)
• Names and contact information of two references, one of which should be your M.A. thesis supervisor. (Please do not add any letters of recommendation.)
• Full transcript of grades obtained at BA and MA level.

–> If you want to apply, please request the project description first by writing to  hanna.walsdorf@clutterunibas.ch.

Deadline for applications is 15 October 2023. EXTENDED DEADLINE: 20 December 2023
Starting date between 1 February and 1 May 2024.