Australia: Postdoctoral Research Fellows, the Comparative or Transnational History of Racial Thought and Practice in Settler Societies of the Global S

POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH FELLOWS (2 POSITIONS)
FACULTY OF ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES AND FACULTY OF MEDICINE
SCHOOL OF PHILOSOPHICAL AND HISTORICAL INQUIRY AND CENTRE FOR VALUES, ETHICS AND THE LAW IN MEDICINE
REFERENCE NO 1836/1011

The University of Sydney is Australia’s first university and has an outstanding global reputation for academic and research excellence. It employs over 7,500 permanent staff supporting over 49,000 students.

The University of Sydney’s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences has a proud history of intellectual rigour and offers a vibrant research and teaching environment. The School of Philosophical and Historical Inquiry (SOPHI) is one of five schools in the Faculty, made up of the departments of Archaeology, Classics and Ancient History, Gender and Cultural Studies, History and Philosophy. The School brings together an exciting group of academics and students who participate in a wide array of undergraduate and postgraduate programs. It is home to some of the leading researchers and teachers in Australia and the world, as well as regularly hosting prominent visitors and international colloquia.

The Department of History at the University of Sydney, founded in 1891, is a leading centre for research and teaching offering a wide range of opportunities for undergraduate and postgraduate study in many fields including American, Chinese, Australian, and Medieval, Early Modern and Modern European history.

The University of Sydney invites applications from qualified individuals for appointment to Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in the comparative or transnational history of racial thought and practice in settler societies of the Global South, as part of Professor Warwick Anderson’s ARC Laureate Fellowship project ‘Southern Racial Conceptions: Comparative Histories and Contemporary Legacies’. Each of the two Postdoctoral Research Fellowships is for a period of three years initially, with the possibility of renewal for a further two years.

The historical research project will investigate how biological and anthropological sciences shaped what it meant to be human in the southern hemisphere during the 20th century—from skull measuring to early genomics. Through comparative study, we aim to reveal active and influential debates over racial difference conducted by scientists and anthropologists within the southern hemisphere, often distinct from those occurring in the North Atlantic.

It is expected that each Postdoctoral Research Fellow will investigate specific and distinctive southern racial formations, networks, and influences. Research on non-Anglophone southern scientific networks and on Indigenous perspectives or impacts would be particularly appealing. The Fellows will maintain their own high-quality research programs while contributing to the work of other researchers in the project and assisting in organizing research workshops.

The successful applicants must have a Ph.D. in history or a related discipline relevant to the theme of the project. Applicants should demonstrate an outstanding capacity for research as well as the ability to work cooperatively with colleagues from a range of different disciplines.

The positions are full-time, fixed term for three years, subject to the completion of a satisfactory probation period, with a possibility of renewal for a further two years. Membership of a University-approved superannuation scheme is a condition of employment for new appointees.

Remuneration package (as at 13 January 2012): Postdoctoral Fellow (Academic Level A) $73,251 to $99,404 p.a. (which includes a base salary of $61,898 to $83,998 p.a., leave loading and up to 17% employer’s contribution to superannuation).

All applications must be submitted via the University of Sydney careers website. Visit sydney.edu.au/positions and search by the reference number for more information and to apply.

CLOSING DATE: 4 December 2011 (11.30pm, Sydney time)

The University is an Equal Opportunity employer committed to equity, diversity and social inclusion. Applications from equity target groups and women are encouraged.