‘Re-mediating the Early Book: Pasts and Futures’ (REBPAF) is a European Commission-funded MSCA Doctoral Network that will support 13 PhD researchers undertaking projects on late medieval and early modern books. These PhD researchers will be spread across the following institutions: University of Galway (3 positions), University of Antwerp (2 positions), University of Alicante (2 positions), University of Zürich (2 positions), University of Vienna (2 positions), and University of Bristol (2 positions). All PhD researchers recruited to this network will join a vibrant and supportive international community of scholars; they will also benefit from bespoke, network-wide programming and will gain hands-on work experience in related cultural sectors as part of their training programme.

Project descriptions and criteria for each of the 13 PhD positions can be viewed here.

We are now accepting applications from prospective doctoral researchers. Applications are due by 10 January 2023. The PhD positions will begin on 1 September 2023.

Successful candidates will receive an attractive salary in accordance with the MSCA regulations for recruited researchers. The indicative gross salary is €3400 per month (adjusted according to a country correction formula to account for cost-of-living differences between EU Member States) plus a €600 monthly mobility allowance. An additional family allowance is also available, if applicable, and the network will financially facilitate researchers’ participation in off-site training activities where appropriate. The net salary for each researcher will be dependent on local tax regulations and on the country correction factor. Full PhD funding is guaranteed for 36 months with the possibility of additional funding in some instances, depending on local and national arrangements. In institutions where it is customary to charge tuition fees to doctoral students, waivers will be granted for project participants.

About REBPAF

The digital revolution is opening our eyes to the important historical truth that the enduring cultural and economic value of the book has always depended on its adaptability to different media, today from printed book to e-book (and back again), and in the past from manuscript book to printed book (and vice versa).

REBPAF focuses on the ways in which 15th- and 16th-century book producers (scribes, printers, entrepreneurs) negotiated the dynamic relations between the manuscript book and the printed book and adapted to the evolving challenges of the market, and it demonstrates the continuing relevance of these cultural and economic negotiations to the modern world. To this end, REBPAF unites the interests of present-day organisations that re-mediate the early book – publishers, bookdealers, museums, and other stakeholders in the creative and heritage sectors – with those of academic scholarship. REBPAF has the double aim of: 1) engaging a new generation of medievalists and early modernists in an innovative and collaborative research programme that asks fundamental and interdisciplinary questions about the history of the book and the written word and its future in a digital environment; and 2) equipping the researchers recruited to this network with high-level transferable skills and competencies through internships and training workshops provided by a suite of nine non-academic partners that have a direct interest in and relevance to our research agenda.

REBPAF's non-academic partners include Antiquariat Inlibris (Austria), Maggs Bros. Ltd. (UK), The National Print Museum (Ireland), Österreichische Nationalbibliothek (Austria), Vlaamse Erfgoedbibliotheken (Belgium), Stiftsbibliothek Klosterneuburg (Austria), Boydell & Brewer (UK), Quaternio Verlag Luzern (Switzerland), and Cúirt International Festival of Literature (Ireland).

Application

Applications for all 13 REBPAF positions are made centrally. Application is a two-step process: 1) Complete the online application form; 2) Submit your supporting documents by email.

The online application form is available at:

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=hrHjE0bEq0qcbZq5u3aBbAtWw7PlvvJMt2S2A5gqYSRURUNDWlFCRUJDMzFUU1dRNkdBRkVNTENYTC4u

The form will ask you to enter:

• Personal details (e.g. name, contact information)
• Details about your academic history and linguistic competencies
• Details about where you resided or carried out your main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the three years immediately prior to the application deadline
• The names and email contacts for two referees who would be willing to write a letter of support for your application
• Information about the PhD project(s) for which you would like to be considered

Please note: it is possible to express interest in multiple REBPAF PhD positions, and we encourage you to list as many as you like on the application form. The form will invite you to rank your top choices in order of preference. Please read the descriptors for each project carefully and ensure that you meet essential criteria and mobility requirements for each of the positions for which you would like to be considered.

In addition to completing the online application form, please send the following supporting documentation by email:

• An academic CV
• Either a cover letter or a personal statement (maximum 700 words) outlining your background, interests, and aptitude for doctoral-level research
• A scanned/electronic copy of your academic transcripts listing coursework and grades for each degree obtained or in progress (hard copies may be required at a later date)
• An academic writing sample (minimum 3,000 and maximum 15,000 words)
• Optionally, applicants applying for PhD Position 11 may additionally submit a portfolio of any digital projects they might have been engaged with (e.g. Github profile)

Your supporting documentation should be combined into a single PDF document. Please use your surname for the file name. Send this to rebpaf@universityofgalway.ie using the subject line ‘REBPAF supporting documentation’.

Online application forms and all supporting documents must be received by the stated deadline in order to receive full consideration.