There is an annual call for applications for the position of the postdoctoral researcher in the arts. The 2023 call opens on 22 August 2023 and closes on 14 September 2023 (at 23:59 local Helsinki time). You may find the instructions for applicants and the link to the electronic application form below.
The selection process is based on a high-level international competition. Applicants are advised to prepare their applications with care and in accordance with the guidelines explained below. Postdoctoral researchers in the arts will be based at the Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies. The positions are primarily intended for persons holding a doctoral degree in the arts. However, also persons engaged in artistic work but having completed a doctoral degree in a different academic field are eligible to apply. Applicants must have completed their doctoral degree by the end of the application period. In addition to the doctoral degree, the requirements for the position include experience of artistic work or artistic research. Applicants for the position must demonstrate ability to produce high-quality artistic work at an internationally significant level. They should also explain why working in an academic community will enhance their proposed project. Should the applicant already have connections to a Finnish university in the field of the arts or to a department or discipline at the University of Helsinki, they are advised to mention this in their application.
Practitioners of all fields of art may apply for the position. The Collegium does not have nationality or gender quotas but, in accordance to the policy of the University of Helsinki, it is committed to promoting equality and preventing discrimination in its operations. Successful applications should propose a research project that brings together academic research and the arts and holds a promise of internationally significant results. Both artistic and academic publications and productions count as such results. The research proposal should include a publishing plan for the results of the project, which may include, for example, artistic events, exhibitions, or academic publications. The applicants must describe in their applications what kinds of facilities and equipment their project requires. The postdoctoral researchers in the arts must be committed to working at the Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies. They are expected to be present 80% of their annual workload of 1,624 hours and to participate actively in the activities of the Collegium, most importantly the weekly Fellows' Seminars. They are also encouraged to organize, for instance, an artistic event or seminar during the research period. As no more than 20% of the research period may be spent working abroad, long trips should be arranged outside the academic year of the University. No leaves of absence will be granted for other duties. All research appointments will begin in August and may not be postponed. The postdoctoral researchers in the arts must submit a final report at the end of their term at the Collegium. Appointments may not be extended. Only individual researchers, not research groups, are eligible to apply to the Collegium.
The postdoctoral fellowship in the arts programme is funded by the Kone Foundation.
The selection criteria are the quality, originality, and internationality of the research proposal as well as the applicant’s previous artistic activity. The applicant must also explain why his or her artistic research suits an academic environment such as the Collegium.
Applications should be submitted via the electronic recruitment system and complemented with the 6 documents listed below. All attachments must be saved as one single pdf document and named as applicants surname_application.pdf (e.g. smith_application.pdf).
The documents should be written in English. Please note that attachments will not be returned. Please note also that no other documents (e.g., letters of recommendation, statements on doctoral dissertations, publishing contracts) will be considered in the evaluation process.
The maximum length of the abstract is 4000 characters, including spaces. The number of characters used must be indicated at the end of the abstract. The abstract must contain:
Please state the project’s research question and aims briefly in the abstract. The relevant fields of research, ranked in order of importance, must also be included in the abstract. Applicants are advised to pay special attention to the abstract of their research proposal, as this will play an important role in the selection process.
The curriculum vitae (a maximum of 2 pages) must contain at least the following information (the applicant’s full name must be on both pages of the CV):
Applications for artistic research must include a portfolio, demonstrating the skills of the applicant in the relevant field of the art and describing the applicant’s artistic profile. The portfolio is a sample of the applicant’s artistic work, competence, and special skills and techniques employed. It is advisable to provide a few examples of works closely related to the project (e.g. by providing internet-links to web pages). The portfolio should also include a list of the applicant’s most important publications. The titles of articles and books in languages other than English must be translated into English. Applicants may provide the address of a webpage containing a more complete list of their previous artistic activity.
The maximum length of the research proposal is 12,000 characters (including spaces), excluding the bibliography. The number of characters used must be indicated at the end of the proposal.
The research proposal must state the following:
The maximum length of the letter of motivation is 8000 characters including spaces. The number of characters used must be indicated at the end of the letter. Applicants are asked to explain why the applicant’s research should be conducted at the Collegium and how it would benefit from cooperation at the University of Helsinki. In the letter, applicants may also describe their career plans, including possible plans for further funding.
Applications written in English must be submitted, together with the required attachments, electronically through a link available on this site during the application period. The link to the open call will be available also on the list of open positions at the University of Helsinki here: https://www.helsinki.fi/en/about-us/careers/open-positions
The next application period will be in fall 2023. Only applications submitted within the application period will be processed. Applicants will receive a confirmation of the receipt of their application by email connected to their applicant profile in the recruitment system. The applicants may update their application during the application period by logging in to the recruitment system. A link to log into the recruitment system can be found in the confirmation email.
If applicants experience any difficulties with the online application system, they should contact collegium-recruitment@helsinki.fi before the application deadline.
Please see instructions for using the recruitment system (PDF) above.
Applications received by the deadline and meeting the formal criteria will be sent to external review. The director of the Collegium will decide on the appointments by the end of March 2024 on the basis of the external reviews, after which the decision will be published on the Collegium website and announced to the applicants by email. For more information, please contact collegium-recruitment@helsinki.fi.