PhD student in digital humanities with a focus on Swiss French literature (4 years, 75%)

About the Opportunity

The Bit Philology project, hosted by the Digital Humanities unit at the University of Bern, offers a funded research position within an engaging and collaborative environment. This opportunity will commence in September 2025 and spans a duration of four years, supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF).

Key Responsibilities

As part of this role, you will:

• Develop your dissertation while actively participating in project activities.
• Collaborate with team members.
• Prepare small-scale scholarly editions.
• Design web application prototypes.
• Engage with archival work.
• Publish and present your findings both locally and internationally.
• Contribute to the organization of scholarly events and the project's communication strategy.

Participation in teaching is optional.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate will possess:

• A Master’s degree in philology or literary studies, or a Master’s degree in digital humanities with a significant focus on philology or literary studies, to be completed by July 2025 at the latest.
• Prior experience or a strong interest in the following areas:
• Swiss French Literature
• Working with archival materials
• Scholarly editing
• Genetic criticism
• Web development
• Data visualization
• A strong motivation to work autonomously as well as collaboratively in a diverse, interdisciplinary environment.
• Self-discipline and creative thinking abilities.
• Working proficiency in both English and French.

What We Offer

• A dynamic and collaborative research milieu within the Digital Humanities unit.
• Flexible work schedules supporting work-life balance.
• Training opportunities across various areas of the project and related fields.
• A vibrant and interdisciplinary doctoral program.
• A salary as per SNSF regulations, beginning with a gross monthly salary of 3,755 CHF (13 months) in 2025.

Joining the Team

If you are passionate about exploring born-digital literary archives and thrive at the intersection of digital humanities and textual scholarship, consider this opportunity. Prepare to share your academic CV, a letter of motivation detailing your fit for this role, a writing sample (such as your MA thesis, publication, or seminar paper), and the contact details of two references.

Organize all documents into a single PDF file, naming it as follows: yourSurname_BitPhil_PhD-B.pdf (e.g. Spadini_BitPhil_PhD-B.pdf).

Important Dates

• Application Deadline: 6 June 2025
• Interview Dates: 23-24 June, 1 and 3 July