The Medieval Academy Blog

PhD Fellowship opportunity at Brandeis

Brandeis University invites applicants for The Edmond J. Safra Doctoral Fellowships in Sephardic Studies.  The fellowships include an annual stipend for five years, health care coverage, and additional funds in the amount of $5,000 per year for summer study (language preparation, travel for research, etc.).  Prospective PhD students apply directly through a relevant department (Near Eastern and Judaic Studies, History, etc.) and indicate that they wish to be considered for a Fellowship. Brandeis especially encourages applicants wishing to focus on the Jews of medieval Spain, the medieval Middle East, or the Ottoman Empire/Middle East through the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. To apply to Brandeis, see the following link:  https://www.brandeis.edu/gsas/admissions/apply/index.html

The full announcement about the gift can be found on Brandies Stories:
https://www.brandeis.edu/gsas/news/news-stories/safra-fellowships.html?utm_source=All&utm_campaign=3c4afaa3f0-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2025_BRANDEIS_STORIES_COPY_02&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-38aa684eee-13645290

Job Title: Assistant Director
Location: Marsh’s Library, Dublin
Reports To: Director of Marsh’s Library
Employment Type: Full-time
Salary: €50,000 – €74,000
Closing Date: Friday, 14 November 2025 at 5.00 pm (Irish time).
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Marsh’s Library, founded in 1707, was Ireland’s first public library and is one of the last public libraries from 18th-century Europe still used for its original purpose. Renowned for its historic collections and beautiful architecture, the library is both a busy tourist attraction and an important repository of early modern books and manuscripts. We strive to preserve our historic buildings and collections and make the library relevant to new and diverse audiences.

Marsh’s Library is seeking a dynamic Assistant Director to join its team of fourteen full-time and part-time staff, fourteen volunteers, and several interns from industry and academic programmes in Ireland and internationally. Reporting to the Director, the Assistant Director will have significant input into the strategic direction of the library as well as its day-to-day operations.

The Assistant Director will have a particular focus on readers in the library, exhibitions, financial oversight, and public outreach. The successful candidate will be able to pursue his/her own research interests in the context of the library collections.

This is a rare opportunity for a qualified professional to play a key leadership role in one of Ireland’s most iconic and intellectually rich cultural institutions.
For further details, please go to: https://marshlibrary.ie/vacancy-for-assistant-director-at-marshs-library/

Byzantine Studies Postdoctoral Fellowship
Following substantial investment in the area of Byzantine Studies at the University of Notre Dame, including the acquisition of the Milton V. Anastos Library of Byzantine Civilization and generous support from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, the Mellon Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Medieval Institute at the University of Notre Dame is delighted to invite applicants for a nine-month Postdoctoral Fellowship in Byzantine Studies. This fellowship is designed for junior scholars with a completed doctorate whose research deals with some aspect of the Byzantine world. The fellow is expected to pursue promising research towards scholarly publication and/or the development of new subject areas. This Fellowship is open to qualified applicants in all fields and sub-disciplines of Byzantine Studies, such as history (including its auxiliary disciplines), archaeology, art history, literature, theology, and liturgical studies, as well as the study of Byzantium’s interactions with neighboring cultures. The fellowship holder will pursue research in residence at the University of Notre Dame’s famed Medieval Institute during the academic year (the position begins mid-August).

The intent of this Fellowship is to enable its holder to do innovative research drawing on the rich resources held in the Milton V. Anastos Collection, the Medieval Institute, and the Hesburgh Library more broadly. This may include the completion of book manuscripts and articles, work on text editions, or the development of new trajectories of research in one of the aforementioned fields. The Fellowship carries no teaching responsibilities, but the fellow will have the opportunity to participate in the multidisciplinary activities of Notre Dame faculty related to Byzantium, Eastern Christianity, and the history of the Levant. The Fellow will be provided with a private workspace in the Medieval Institute, enjoy full library and computer privileges, and have access to all the Institute’s research tools.

In addition, towards the conclusion of the fellowship period the fellow’s work will be at the center of a workshop organized within the framework of the Byzantine Studies Seminar. Senior scholars, chosen in cooperation with the Medieval Institute, will be invited for this event treating the fellow’s subject matter. The senior scholars will discuss draft versions of the fellow’s book manuscript or articles or discuss the further development of ongoing research projects.

Eligibility: Byzantine Studies fellows must hold a Ph.D. from an internationally recognized institution. The Ph.D. must be in hand by the beginning of the fellowship term. The Ph.D. cannot have been awarded more than five years before the start date of the fellowship appointment (from the date of the conferral of the degree).

Stipend: the corresponding NIH postdoctoral rate (following the policy established by the University of Notre Dame), plus benefits. At the time of posting, that stipend rate is $45,765 for the 9-month term of this fellowship.

Application deadline: February 1, for the upcoming academic year. Applications are accepted, and the button below active, from November 1 through February 1.

Application procedure: Upload a letter of application, a project proposal of no more than 2500 words, a current c.v., and three letters of recommendation. If you encounter issues with Interfolio, please contact their customer support.

Apply on Interfolio at https://apply.interfolio.com/176059

Address questions to Prof. Alexis Torrance, Chair of the Byzantine Studies Committee, at atorran1@nd.edu.

A. W. Mellon Junior Faculty Fellowship in Medieval Studies
The Medieval Institute offers a fellowship for a junior faculty scholar in Medieval Studies, made possible through the generous response of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to a challenge grant awarded to Notre Dame by the National Endowment for the Humanities. This Fellowship is designed for junior faculty who currently hold a position in a United States university as an assistant professor. It is open to qualified applicants in all fields of Medieval Studies. The fellowship holder will pursue research in residence at Notre Dame’s famed Medieval Institute during the academic year (this is a nine-month position that begins mid-August).

The intent of this Fellowship is to enable its holders to complete research and writing on a book manuscript in advance of tenure. The Fellowship carries no teaching responsibilities, but holders are expected to participate in the multidisciplinary intellectual life of the Institute and to reside in South Bend. The Fellow will be provided with a private carrel in the Medieval Institute, enjoy full library and computer privileges, and have access to all the Institute’s research tools.

In addition, towards the conclusion of their residency the Fellow’s work will be at the center of a half-day conference. Three senior scholars, chosen in cooperation with the Medieval Institute, will be invited to campus for a half-day public seminar treating the subject matter of the Fellow’s research. The senior scholars will also read and discuss a draft version of the Fellow’s work in an extended private session, a one-to-one conversation following a close reading of the draft, with a view to improving the manuscript before its submission to a press.

Eligibility: Mellon scholars must hold a tenure-track appointment at a U.S. institution, obviously with a completed Ph.D., and should not be more than six years beyond receiving their Ph.D. at the time of the application.

Stipend: $60,000 (paid directly to the Fellow’s home institution)

Application deadline: February 1, for the upcoming academic year. Applications are accepted, and the button below active, from November 1 through February 1.

Application procedure: Upload a letter of application, a project proposal of no more than 2500 words, a current c.v., and three letters of recommendation. If you encounter issues with Interfolio, please contact their customer support.

Apply on Interfolio at https://apply.interfolio.com/176060

Address questions to the Director of the Medieval Institute, Prof. Jeff Wickes, at jwickes@nd.edu.