Humanities Division

UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD

HUMANITIES DIVISION

MELLON POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP SCHEME

A two-year research and teaching appointment in Digital Humanities from

October 2011 for an outstanding academic at an early stage of his or her
career

Applications from women and ethnic minorities are particularly welcome

Summary of the Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship scheme

These fellowships are funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation as part of a wider Oxford
University initiative which is designed:

• to provide an intensive and supported career development opportunity for outstanding

academics at an early stage of their career;

• to promote equality of opportunity by helping to create a more diverse pool of potential

candidates for future academic posts at Oxford.

The University will especially welcome applications from women and ethnic minorities, who
are under-represented among its academic staff (section 38 of the Sex Discrimination Act
1975 and section 48 of the Race Relations Act 1976 apply).

The Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow in Digital Humanities will:

• take up appointment between 1 October 2011 and 1 January 2012;

• receive a salary in the range (as at 1 October 2011) of £29,099 - £30,870;

• be able to develop expertise in both research and teaching;

• have an academic mentor as well as a personalised career and professional

development package, including the opportunity to undertake the University’s
postgraduate diploma in learning and teaching; and

• have an association with an Oxford College (it is expected that this will be Wolfson
College).

We welcome applications from all whose research is in the digital humanities, involving the
innovative and productive application of digital tools or resources to research questions in
any subject under the Humanities Division (see http://www.humanities.ox.ac.uk/). The
successful candidate’s work, before and during the Fellowship, should lead to results that
contribute to knowledge in that subject, and lay the foundations for a subsequent career in
humanities research. It should also relate fruitfully to some of the digital humanities work
currently carried out at Oxford.

The Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship scheme

1. Digital Humanities at Oxford

Oxford has one of the highest, if not the highest, concentrations of digital humanities activity
and expertise in the U.K. About half of this is in the Humanities Division, where major digital
humanities projects are taking in place in almost every Faculty; the other half is mostly to be
found in the Computing Service, the Oxford e-Research Centre (OeRC), the Bodleian
Libraries, and the Ashmolean Museum: for details see the Digital.Humanities@Oxford web-
pages at http://digital.humanities.ox.ac.uk/.

The Fellow will be employed by the Faculty closest to his/her academic interests, and will be
expected to engage with related digital humanities activities across the Division and the
University. He/she will also become a Research Associate at the OeRC, which will provide a
room and support his/her work with technical expertise and joint project development where
appropriate, and by facilitating interdisciplinary contacts. The OeRC represents a significant
addition to Oxford’s digital humanities strengths. It works with research units across the
whole University to enable the use and development of innovative computational and
information technology in multidisciplinary collaborations. It has a major interest in
humanities developments, working closely with a number of humanities projects: further
details may be found at http://www.oerc.ox.ac.uk/.

2. Aims of the scheme and outline of duties

The Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowships are designed to give their holders supported
experience in a broad range of academic duties.

The scheme aims to find some of the ablest and most promising academics, at the stage at
which they have completed their doctorates and are starting out on a second research
theme, and to equip them for an academic career. We expect the scheme to produce a
group of talented academics equipped with the necessary teaching and research skills and
experience to be prime candidates for appointment to tenured, or tenure-track, posts at top
universities.

We would also expect that each Fellow would, as a result of holding the Fellowship, have
produced significant publication(s) in a field that was not a derivative of their doctoral work.

The scheme is aimed unequivocally at the very best of the next generation of potential
academics. Candidates will have completed their doctorate within the past four years, and
be working on, or proposing to work on, a new line of research. They will need to have
already demonstrated outstanding academic quality, and will be expected to identify and
develop lines of original enquiry in their subject. Demonstration of breadth of academic
vision is essential. Fellows will also be expected to gain some experience of teaching for the
faculty (up to a maximum of 6 hours a week). The precise mix of teaching and research will
be tailored to the needs of the individual and the faculty.

Applications from women and ethnic minorities, who are under-represented in academic
posts at Oxford, are particularly welcome.

3. Professional and career development

Each Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow will have an academic mentor who will discuss work-in-
progress and support the individual in making effective use of the scheme to plan for an
academic career.

Mellon Postdoctoral Fellows will be offered a carefully tailored package of professional

development. Soon after taking up their appointment, individuals will have the opportunity to
meet with a professional development adviser from the University’s Oxford Learning Institute
to define an individual training and development package. The Learning Institute has a well-
developed programme of courses for academic and research staff and fellows will have
access to these. The University will also reserve places for Mellon Postdoctoral Fellows on
its Diploma in Learning and Teaching in HE (see http://www.learning.ox.ac.uk/).

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The Learning Institute will also arrange regular group review meetings to enable fellows from
across all of the University’s academic divisions to support each other and provide feedback
to the University on their experience.

Mellon Postdoctoral Fellows will also have access to career development advice via the
University Careers Service, including one-to-one sessions with a careers adviser
specialising in the career needs of academic and research staff, career planning and
interview skills workshops, and access to information resources.

Each Fellow will be entitled to research support funds, up to £4,000 a year, to facilitate their
research development. The uses to which this can be put will be intentionally open, but could
include visits to overseas libraries, or attendance at international conferences.

4. Terms and conditions of the scheme

Mellon Postdoctoral Fellows will be employees of the University of Oxford. The salary
offered will be on the University’s Grade 7 points 1-3, which at 1 October 2011 is £29,099 -
£30,870. The starting point on the scale will reflect qualifications and experience. Fellows will
be eligible to join the Universities Superannuation Scheme. Subject to the Statement of
Pensions Policy, each appointee will be deemed to be in membership of the above pension
scheme until such time as he or she gives notice in writing to exercise the right not to be a
member of the scheme.

The Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow will have an association with one of the University’s colleges,
which will provide the Fellow with access to additional facilities. It is expected that this will be
Wolfson College.

Fellows will be entitled to 38 days of paid leave in a full leave year (which runs from 1 October).

The University encourages links with industry and other outside bodies. Although the holding
of outside appointments such as consultancies must be approved by the head of department
or equivalent, no limit as such is set on the amount of money individuals may receive in this
way. The criterion is the amount of time such appointments take up: a maximum of 30 days
per annum may be spent on such activities before any salary deduction is considered.

The Statutes and Regulations of the University record the extent of the University’s claims to
intellectual property, and the proportions in which exploitation revenues are shared with
researchers. Copies of the relevant extracts are available on request.

The University has three nurseries providing 150 places for the children of staff and
students. The University also subsidises places for its staff at some other nurseries in
Oxford. For more information and an application form contact the childcare team at the
University Offices, Wellington Square, Oxford OX1 2JD, tel: 01865 270238, email
childcare@admin.ox.ac.uk. Further details about the university nurseries can be found on
the University’s website: www.admin.ox.ac.uk/eop/child.

5. Eligibility and selection criteria

To be eligible to apply for the Postdoctoral Fellowship scheme, candidates should:

• hold a masters degree and either have completed a PhD or for candidates in national
education systems where the PhD does not apply, be a candidate for the appropriate
doctoral examination;

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• be at an early stage of an academic career, and if holding a doctorate have completed
it not longer than in the previous four years from 1 October 2011 (excluding justified
career breaks);

• be aspiring to a substantive academic appointment and have career development

needs which could reasonably be met by the scheme.

• Candidates who already hold a permanent academic appointment will not be

considered.

To be successful, candidates will also need to demonstrate that they meet the following
selection criteria:

• outstanding promise in their field;

• an informed interest in the full range of academic duties and in progressing to an

academic post, whether at Oxford or elsewhere;

• commitment to their own professional development.

How to apply
Applications and references must reach recruitment@oerc.ox.ac.uk (or, by post, Oxford e-
Research Centre (Recruitment), 7 Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3QG, U.K.) by noon (GMT) on
the closing date of 23 March 2011. Applications should be marked ‘PDF Digital Humanities’,
and must including the following:

• a curriculum vitae and publications list

• a covering letter explaining how you meet the eligibility and selection criteria for the
scheme (see section 4 above)

• the names and contact details of two academic referees, at least one of whom should
be from outside Oxford University

• e-mail to recruitment@oerc.ox.ac.uk a sample of your recently published, or soon to

be published work, of no more than 30 pages

• an application summary sheet

Applicants should also arrange for two letters of reference to be sent to

recruitment@oerc.ox.ac.uk (or by post as above), also no later than 23 March 2011. E-
mailed references can only be accepted direct from the referee. Any letters of reference
sent in by candidates should be in a sealed envelope with the seal signed by the referee.

Please do not staple or pin your application, and please only print on one side of the paper.

All applicants will be sent confirmation of receipt of their application. The selection process
will be completed as quickly as possible so that the successful candidate can take up their
fellowship on 1 October 2011.

Interviews will be held as soon as possible after the closing date. All reasonable interview
expenses will be reimbursed. Candidates shortlisted for interview will be asked to submit a
sample of written work in advance of the interviews, and will be requested to give a short
presentation as part of the assessment process.

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Am I eligible to apply to work for the University?
All appointments are made in accordance with the University of Oxford Equal Opportunities
Policy and Code of Practice and applications are welcomed from a wide range of
candidates. The University undertakes not to discriminate unlawfully against any applicant
on the basis of any information revealed.

The Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 makes it a criminal offence for employers
to employ someone who is not entitled to work in the UK. We therefore ask applicants to
provide proof of their right to work in the UK before employment can commence.

Applicants who would need a work visa if appointed to the post are asked to note that under
the UK’s points-based migration system they will need to demonstrate that they have
sufficient points, and in particular that: they have sufficient English language skills
(evidenced by having passed a test in basic English, or coming from a majority English-
speaking country, or having taken a degree taught in English)

Further information is available at:

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/workingintheuk/tier2/generalarrangements/eligibility/.

Background information

Further information about the University and the colleges can be found on the University’s
web site, http://www.ox.ac.uk. Information about Digital Humanities at the University can be
found at: http://www.oerc.ox.ac.uk/. The University’s Human Resources Strategy is also
available on the web site at http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/ps. Information about the Andrew W.
Mellon Foundation can be found at http://www.mellon.org/.
Equal opportunities at the University of Oxford

As an Equal Opportunity employer, we positively encourage applications from people of

different backgrounds. All our jobs are filled in line with our equal opportunities code of
practice, which helps us make sure that men and women, people of different religions or
beliefs, ages, racial groups, and those with disabilities are all treated fairly.

POLICY STATEMENT

The policy and practice of the University of Oxford require that all staff are afforded
equal opportunities within employment. Entry into employment with the
University and progression within employment will be determined only by personal merit
and the application of criteria which are related to the duties of each particular post
and the relevant salary structure. In all cases, ability to perform the job will be the
primary consideration. Subject to statutory provisions, no applicant or member of staff
will be treated less favourably than another because of his or her gender, marital or civil
partnership status, sexual orientation, religion or belief, racial group, age or disability.

If you have any questions about equal opportunities at the University of Oxford, please visit
our web-site at www.admin.ox.ac.uk/eop.

Data protection

All data supplied by applicants will be used only for the purposes of determining their
suitability for the post, and will be held in accordance with the principles of the Data
Protection Act 1998 and the University's Data Protection Policy.