PhD – Late Medieval and Early Modern Urban History – Netherlands

As a PhD candidate, you will develop your own research project on “Urban Governance in the IJssel Region, c. 1450-1600”, in collaboration with the project leader, Dr Arie van Steensel. You will conduct independent and original academic research and report results via peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations, and ultimately a PhD dissertation. You will also be requested to teach. This PhD project offers a unique opportunity to develop yourself as an academic researcher and to work local and international research contexts.

The PhD project contributes to the research project that aims to provide an innovative, timely and integral analysis of governance and the political economy of, primarily, the IJssel towns, with the aim of integrating this urban region better into the most recent historiographical debates about the premodern urban Low Countries and of putting some of the historiographical and theoretical assumptions about the role of institutions, political participation and inequalities in urban societies to the test. The project will contribute to the knowledge of the histories of Deventer, Kampen, Zutphen and Zwolle, and your findings about the ways in which authorities and citizens interacted to shape urban society in the past will also be communicated to a general public by means of lectures and publications.

Duties

• Develop your own PhD project within the broader research project in consultation with the supervisor.
• Conduct independent and original historical research.
• Report results via peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations, and ultimately a PhD dissertation.
• Conduct a total of 0.4 FTE teaching spread over the second, third, and fourth years of your appointment.
• Complete the PhD in the specified timeframe (4 years).
• Contribute to scientific and public engagement.

Requirements

• A Research Master’s or Master’s degree in History or related areas, preferably with a specialisation in medieval or early modern (urban) history and with a high academic merit.
• A high level of spoken command and of academic writing skills in English and Dutch. Basic knowledge of German is considered an asset.
• Demonstrable methodological and analytical skills and the capacity to develop and conduct innovative research. Preferably experience with digital tools, such as Transkribus or GIS, or the ability and willingness to develop these skills.
• Demonstrable experience with archival research, including basic palaeographical skills and the ability to read Middle and Early Modern Dutch.
• A clear and well-articulated motivation for pursuing PhD research, demonstrating an intrinsic motivation to conduct this historical research project.
• A clear motivation to follow the PhD training of the N.W. Posthumus Institute and to take additional courses in support of your research.
• Great interpersonal skills and ability to work in a team. In particularly, also to collaborate with professionals in the relevant archival organisations.

Benefits

• A salary of € 3,059 gross per month in the first year, up to a maximum of € 3,881 (salary scale P) gross per month in the final year, based on a full-time position
• 8% holiday allowance and 8,3% end-of-year bonus.
• Participation in a pension scheme for employees.
• Favourable tax agreements for non-Dutch applicants may be applicable.
• The PhD candidate is expected to conduct 0.4 FTE teaching spread over the second, third and fourth year of their appointment.
• Willingness to move and reside in The Netherlands.
• A temporary 1.0 FTE appointment for a specified period of four years. The candidate will first be appointed for twelve months. After 11 months, an assessment will take place of the candidate’s results and the progress of the PhD project, in order to decide whether employment will be continued.

Organization/Company – University of Groningen.

Research field – History » Medieval history

History » Modern history

Research profile – First Stage Researcher (R1).

Country –Netherlands.

Application Deadline – 30 Oct 2025 – 23:00 (UTC).

More information: Euraxess.