Morphomata Fellowship Program, Summer 2015: Call for Applications

The “Internationales Kolleg Morphomata: Genesis, Dynamics and Mediality of Cultural Figurations” at the University of Cologne is welcoming applications to fill ten slots for 3 to 6 month fellowships (irrespective of discipline) in biography/life writing and portraiture for 2015 (April to September). All fellowships are pending grant approval by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).

The Center

Morphomata is part of the “Käte Hamburger Kollegs”, a series of Centers for Advanced Studies in the Humanities, founded by the BMBF in 2009. The Center investigates manifestations of cultural knowledge in textual and material artifacts. Its fellows form the core of a learning community that attempts to transcend national borders, disciplines and theoretical frameworks by working on case studies exemplifying themes central to all cultures. As of 2015 Morphomata will focus on biographies and portraiture as figurations of individual lives and figurations of the particular.

The Fellowships

The fellowships require an active interdisciplinary and intercultural intellectual exchange among the fellows. A fellowship includes an adequate monthly allowance. Fellows will be provided with office facilities and participate in the academic life of both the Center and the University of Cologne.

Prerequisites

As a prerequisite for a Morphomata Fellowship, the fellow must have the status of at least an assistant professor (or equivalent) and a strong research focus on studies in biography/life writing and/or portraiture. An alternative research focus could be in theoretical aspects of the formation, dynamics and mediality of cultural figurations. Experience and interest in “figurations of the singular and the exemplary” is an asset. Morphomata fellows are expected to be in residence at the University of Cologne and to participate in the academic life of the Center for the tenure of their fellowship.

Application

Applications should be submitted to martin.roussel@uni-koeln.de.
Applicants are required to provide the following:
- a short cover letter of one or two pages.
- a current CV
- a list of publications
- a proposal for a research project (max. 2000 words) related to the above-mentioned topics, including a short introductory text (max. 200 words) that clearly indicates to readers from other disciplines where the special significance of the project lies. The deadline for applications is October 25th.

Selection Process

The academic qualifications of the researchers as well as the originality of their research aims make up the selection criteria for the fellows. The selection process is carried out in several steps. After a preliminary selection of excellent candidates with outstanding research projects, the advisory board choses among these shortlisted candidates. The process will be concluded in January 2015.

For further information on our research program and on financial, contractual and logistical details concerning our fellowships please see our website at:
http://www.ik-morphomata.uni-koeln.de