PhD Position in Visual Anthropology

Project Overview

As a PhD student (university assistant or prae doc in the Austrian university system), you will work for the ERC project ‘The anthropology of the future: an art world perspective’ (ANTHROFUTURE) led by Prof. Manuela Ciotti (Principal investigator, PI). The project is based at the Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology.

ANTHROFUTURE focuses on the art world as an interlocked digital and physical system as an ethnographic site. The project uses innovative multimodal methodologies to generate analytical and theoretical advancements on the future as a time-zone in its comparative and political dimensions across the regional contexts under analysis. As part of the ANTHROFUTURE team, you will carry out an ethnography of art schools in New Delhi, India, and produce an ethnographic film on them. This position is co-supervised by Prof. Sanderien Verstappen, the Director of the Vienna Visual Anthropology Lab, based at the above Department.

Your Tasks

You take on tasks in research and administration to support the project ANTHROFUTURE and will be expected to:

• Finalize your dissertation agreement within 12 months
• Work on your dissertation and its completion within 4 years: the doctoral theses should take the form of a collection of papers and a film as specified in the Guidelines of the Social Sciences Directorate of Doctoral Studies concerning doctoral theses (Link).
• Carry out research in full compliance of ethics, data- and best-practice ERC research guidelines (you will receive support in doing that)
• Develop and deliver high-quality, innovative research outcomes on the topic of the research project
• Participate in conferences of appropriate learned societies and associations
• Produce research publications for leading international and/or peer reviewed journals and book chapters for ANTHROFUTURE
• Produce research dissemination materials for the project’s public facing website and social media
• Assist in exhibition projects (both physical and digital)
• Work with the project administrator to ensure that they have the information and materials they need to effect the smooth running of the case study and the wider ANTHROFUTURE project
• Work closely with the PI and the other members of the ANTHROFUTURE research team to assist in research and outcome delivery, and other tasks as agreed with the PI
• Travel, including international travel where necessary and appropriate

This is what we look for

Must-have’s:

• Completed Master's degree or Diploma in the field of Visual Anthropology
• Experience in academic writing and with multimodal research methods, in particular ethnographic filmmaking
• Excellent command of written and spoken English (C1 Level)
• You should be a team player with high social skills to be able to successfully work and collaborate with the ANTHROFUTURE team
• Software proficiency: Editing software (for example Final Cut Pro or DaVinci Resolve), MS Office

What we offer

• Work-life balance: Our employees enjoy flexible, family-friendly working hours, with the option for hybrid work (partially in home office) upon agreement.
• Inspiring working atmosphere: You are a part of an international academic team in a healthy and fair working environment.
• Good public transport connections: Your workplace in the center of beautiful Vienna is easily accessible by public transport.
• Internal further training & Coaching: Opportunity to deepen your skills on an ongoing basis. There are over 600 courses to choose from – free of charge.
• Fair salary: The basic salary of EUR 2684,10 (for 30,00 weekly working hours, 14 times per year) increases if we can credit professional experience.

This is how you apply

Submit the following documents in English:

• Letter of motivation
• Your scientific curriculum vitae, including links to your visual works if available
• Statement on your research interests
• Master’s Degree / Diploma