Offer Description
Applications are invited for a fully-funded four-year PhD position within the project LITLEAD – The Role of Women Religious and their Artefacts in Shaping Liturgical Leadership in the Iberian World, ca. 1300–1700 (PID2025-169595NB-I00).
Funded by the Spanish State Research Agency (AEI) through the “Proyectos de Generación de Conocimiento 2025” programme and co-financed by the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), LITLEAD investigates the role of women religious and their artefacts in shaping liturgical culture and leadership across the Iberian world between the Late Middle Ages and the Early Modern period.
The project combines women's religious studies, material culture, manuscript studies, art history, musicology, liturgical studies, gender studies, and digital humanities. The successful candidate will join an international and interdisciplinary research team of sixteen researchers and collaborate with partner institutions in Spain and abroad. The candidate will develop an original doctoral dissertation under the supervision of Dr Mercedes Pérez Vidal within the UAM Doctoral Programme in Artistic, Literary and Cultural Studies: https://www.uam.es/uam/doctorado-eeartisticos.
Possible doctoral research topics include Women's religious communities; manuscripts and written culture; material culture; visual culture; music and liturgical performance; gender studies; religious history; digital humanities; cultural heritage.
Applicants are not required to submit a fully developed doctoral proposal. The doctoral project will be refined in consultation with the Principal Investigator after appointment.
The position offers specialised training, mentoring, participation in conferences and publications, fieldwork opportunities, international mobility, and funding for research stays and doctoral training.
The successful candidate will:
- Conduct research leading to the completion of a PhD dissertation.
- Participate in project activities, including documentation, seminars, conferences, publications, and dissemination initiatives.
- Contribute to collaborative research outputs.
- Undertake research stays and training activities where appropriate.
- Participate in teaching activities within the limits established by Spanish legislation governing predoctoral contracts (maximum 60 hours per academic year and 180 hours throughout the contract)
Where to apply
Website: https://www.uam.es/uam/investigacion/ofertas-empleo/contrato-fpi2026-mam
Requirements
Research Field: Arts
Education Level: PhD or equivalent
Research Field: History
Education Level: PhD or equivalent
Skills/Qualifications
Education
Applicants must hold:
- A Master's degree (or equivalent, MECES Level 3) in a relevant discipline, including History, Art History, Musicology, Philology, Gender Studies, Classical Studies, Humanities, or related fields.
- A Bachelor's degree (or equivalent qualification recognised at MECES Level 2) in Arts and Humanities or related disciplines such as History, Art History, Musicology, Philology, Gender Studies, Classical Studies, Humanities, or related fields.
Additional conditions:
- Degrees obtained outside Spain are fully eligible.
- Applicants must not already hold a PhD degree.
Essential Qualifications
- Strong academic record
- Good written and spoken English
- Ability to conduct independent research
- Commitment to interdisciplinary and collaborative work
Desirable Qualifications
- Experience in material culture, liturgy, religious history, gender studies, or digital humanities
- Knowledge of Late Medieval or Early Modern religious culture
- Experience with Latin or willingness to acquire reading skills
- Experience working with primary sources
Specific Requirements
The successful candidate should be willing to relocate to or reside in Madrid for the duration of the contract.
Candidates from all linguistic, cultural, and national backgrounds are warmly encouraged to apply.
Languages: ENGLISH
Level: Good
Languages: SPANISH
Level: Good
Additional Information
Benefits
- Total project allocation supporting the position: €134,615
- Annual funding allocated to the contract by the project: €31,100 (including employer social-security contributions).
- Approximate gross monthly salary: €2,121.34
- End-of-contract compensation: €3,215
- Research, training and mobility budget: €7,000
The contract is co-financed by the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+).
Social Benefits
- Full Social Security coverage
- Unemployment protection
- Sick leave
- Maternity and paternity leave
- Occupational accident coverage
- Full employment rights under Spanish labour legislation
Eligibility criteria
Applications will be evaluated based on:
1. Academic and Scientific-Technical Record (up to 50 points)
- Academic excellence and academic record.
- Relevant academic, research and professional achievements.
- Relevance of previous training and experience to the proposed research activities.
2. Mobility and Internationalisation (up to 5 points)
- Research stays, academic exchanges, or mobility experiences in national or international institutions.
- Relevance and impact of these experiences on the candidate's research trajectory.
3. Suitability for the Research Activities (up to 50 points)
- Alignment between the candidate's profile and the objectives of the LITLEAD project.
- Potential added value for the candidate's research career and for the host research team.
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid is committed to equal opportunities and encourages applications from qualified candidates regardless of gender, nationality, ethnic origin, disability, religion, age, sexual orientation, or any other protected characteristic.
Selection process
The recruitment procedure will follow the principles of OTM-R (Open, Transparent and Merit-Based Recruitment), ensuring equal opportunities, transparency, non-discrimination, and selection based exclusively on merit and qualifications.
Applications will be evaluated by a selection committee appointed by Universidad Autónoma de Madrid in accordance with applicable institutional procedures.
The criteria to be followed in the selection process are detailed in Article 12.2 of the AEI call for Proyectos de Generación de Conocimiento 2025: https://www.aei.gob.es/convocatorias/buscador-convocatorias/proyectos-generacion-conocimiento-actuaciones-formacion-0
Work Location(s)
Number of offers available: 1
Company/Institute: Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
Country: Spain
State/Province: Madrid
City: Madrid
Postal Code: 28049
Street: C/ Einstein 3
Contact
State/Province: Madrid
City: Madrid
Website: https://uam.academia.edu/MercedesPerezVidal
Street: C/ Einstein 3
Postal Code: 28049
E-Mail: mercedes.pvidal@uam.es