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

Opportunity at the Digital Humanities Unit

The Bit Philology project at the University of Bern is excited to present a fully funded opportunity for a PhD position in the field of digital humanities, commencing in September 2025. This position, fully funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), spans four years.

Key Responsibilities

As part of this engaging opportunity, you will:

• Develop your dissertation while actively participating in project activities.
• Collaborate with team members on various tasks.
• Prepare small-scale scholarly editions relevant to the project.
• Design web application prototypes that meet project standards.
• Engage in archival work, utilizing historical materials.
• Publish and present your research at local and international platforms.
• Contribute to organizing scholarly events and enhancing the project's communication strategy.

Participation in teaching activities is optional.

Qualifications

Applicants should possess the following:

• A Master's degree in philology or literary studies, or in digital humanities focusing on philology or literary studies, completed by July 2025.
• Prior experience or strong interest in:
• Swiss French Literature
• Working with archival materials
• Scholarly editing
• Genetic criticism
• Web development
• Data visualization
• A strong motivation to work both independently and collaboratively within a diverse, interdisciplinary environment.
• Self-discipline, creativity, and effective problem-solving skills.
• Working proficiency in both English and French.

What We Offer

• A dynamic and collaborative research environment at the Digital Humanities unit.
• Work-life balance supported by flexible work schedules.
• Training opportunities encompassing all areas of the project and related fields.
• A vibrant and interdisciplinary doctoral program.
• Compensation in accordance with SNSF regulations, starting with a basic monthly gross salary of CHF 3,755, paid over 13 months in 2025.

Application Instructions

If you are enthusiastic about engaging with born-digital literary archives at the intersection of digital humanities and textual scholarship, please prepare to submit the following documents:

• Academic CV
• Letter of motivation detailing your compatibility with this opportunity
• One writing sample, such as an MA thesis, chapter, publication, or seminar paper
• Contact details for two references

Ensure all documents are compiled into a single PDF file, named 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