Post-Doctoral Fellowship for 2027-2030

About the Post-Doctoral Fellowship

Eligibility: The Post-Doctoral Fellowship is limited to individuals who have received their Ph.D. within the last seven (7) years. Preference will be given to studies related to ASCSA directed or affiliated project. Individuals who have received prior support as Pre-Doctoral Fellows must wait four (4) years before applying for a Post-Doctoral Fellowship. Former Research Associates must wait two (2) years before applying for a Post-Doctoral Fellowship.

Purpose: To conduct research at the Malcolm H. Wiener Laboratory for Archaeological Science at the American School of Classical Studies at Athens that addresses substantive problems pertaining to the ancient Greek world and adjacent areas through the application of interdisciplinary methods in the archaeological sciences. Laboratory facilities are especially well-equipped to support the study of human skeletal biology, archaeobiological remains (faunal and botanical), environmental studies, geoarchaeology (particularly studies in human-landscape interactions and the study of site formation processes), and ancient materials studies.

Term:  Three (3) years. Applicant is expected to be present at the Wiener Laboratory during the tenure of the appointment during each academic year (Sept.-June 1). This is a full-time research appointment; any concurrent employment during the academic year requires the permission of the Director of the School. Contributions to the Athens-based ASCSA community during the tenure of the appointment, in the form of seminars, colloquia, and workshops, participation in School field trips, or some combination of these and other activities, are encouraged.

At the conclusion of the fellowship the successful applicant is expected to have published or have made significant progress on the publication of two to three (2-3) peer-reviewed publications on research conducted during the tenure of the fellowship. All publications resulting from research supported by this fellowship (whether written during the tenure of the fellowship or afterward) must acknowledge the support received from the Malcolm H. Wiener Laboratory for Archaeological Sciences and list the laboratory as one of the affiliations of the researchers. The laboratory must also receive PDFs of all publications resulting from this support. Failure to comply with these requirements will negatively impact appeals for future support.

The recipients will be expected to submit progress reports on their work. Continued funding for the second and third year of the fellowship will be contingent upon the approval of the Wiener Laboratory.

Compensation: Stipend of $35,000 plus waiver of School fees, each academic year. Fellow pays room and board.

Application Instructions

Applicants for Post-doctoral Research Fellowships must submit a pdf that includes all of the information outlined in Sections 1-9 below through the ASCSA application portal. Successful applicants for Wiener Laboratory funding will be automatically awarded Senior Associate Membership in the ASCSA. Applicants must provide all information requested on the ASCSA Wiener Laboratory Fellowships form for all fields marked with a red asterisk (*). A complete application consists of:

1. Cover sheet: naming the applicant, current research interests, and title and brief summary of the proposed research project.
Click here for a copy of the cover sheet.

2. Project Description (max. 6 pages, double-spaced, Times New Roman 12pt) including: a) Objectives and expected significance; b) Background and relation to present state of knowledge; c) Research description; d) Timeframe. The main body of the proposal should be a clear statement of the research questions to be addressed and must include:

• Objectives and expected significance: Briefly describe the project's major goals and their impact on the state of the field and how the proposed work relates to the present state of knowledge.

• Background and relation to the present state of knowledge in the field: Describe how the proposed research relates to the present state of knowledge with citations to studies upon which the work is based.

• Research Description: A technical description of research plan: activities, methods, data (including the approximate number of samples), and theory. It must explain what will be accomplished and how the stated goals will be achieved.

• Timeframe: A plan of how the research questions will be addressed throughout the proposed duration of the research. The expected results should be discussed, including milestones and expected dates of completion. Applicants should include a plan of publication/dissemination of the results

3. Results of prior Wiener Laboratory Research.  If the applicant has received Wiener Laboratory funding in the past, information on the prior award and its impact is required (no more than a page, double spaced, Times New Roman 12pt). Specify the following: name of the award; date of the submission of the final report; amount and period of support; the title of the project; summary of the results of the completed work, including any contribution to the development of archaeological science; publications resulting from the Wiener Laboratory award and whether the affiliation was stated in the authorship; brief description of available samples, reference collections and other related research products that have been produced and not described elsewhere.

4. References Cited. Reference information is required. Each reference must include the names of all authors in the same sequence in which they appear in the publication, the article title, book or journal title, volume number, page numbers and year of publication. Applicants should be especially careful to follow accepted scholarly practices in providing citations for source materials relied upon when preparing any section of the proposal. While there is no established page limitation, this section should include bibliographic citations only and should not be used to provide parenthetical information outside of the 6-page project description.

5. Facilities, Equipment and Other Resources. Describe the facilities that are required to do the research, including any specialized equipment that is not available in Wiener Laboratory. Be specific about what resources you plan to use while at the Wiener Laboratory. If some experimental work will occur off-campus, explain how this will be achieved.

6. Permits. Copies of permit(s) or letters from relevant authorities to study proposed materials, and copies of permission(s) from relevant excavation or project directors to study the proposed materials must be included in this application.

7. Curriculum Vitae including (in this order): Name and contact information; educational history; employment history; short (50 word) description of research interests; up to 5 publications related to current research; up to 5 additional publications; up to 10 presentations; and up to 250 words on relevant experience and other important activities.

8. Letters of reference. Three (3) letters of reference are required from scholars in the field commenting on the value and feasibility of the project. Information on the applicant’s teaching ability and experience, congeniality and collegial attributes may be also included in the reference letters. The name, institutional affiliation and relationship of each referee to the applicant (if any) must be included in the application for the Wiener Laboratory Post-Doctoral Fellowship. Contact information for your referees must be provided on the ASCSA online application. Recommendations are due on the same date as the deadline for applications, unless otherwise noted. Upon submission of the online application, recommenders will be sent an automated email with instructions about how to submit their letters of recommendation. Or, applicants may choose to send the request at any time by clicking the "Send Request Now" button on the online application form. Recommenders will be asked to upload their letters via the online application system, Submittable. All recommendations are confidential.

9. Expected contributions to and impact on the Wiener Laboratory and the ASCSA community. Description of the candidate’s proposed contributions to the Wiener Laboratory and the academic program (1-2 pages, double spaced Times Roman, 12 pt). Candidates who can enrich the teaching mission of the School, by contributing to seminars, colloquia, field trips or in other ways, are particularly welcome. The statement should also indicate any broader impacts of the proposed activity to ASCSA by explaining how the project will integrate research and education at ASCSA.

Review Criteria

1. What is the intellectual merit of the proposed activity?

• How important is the proposed activity towards advancing knowledge and understanding within its field?
• How well qualified to conduct the project is the applicant? (If appropriate, the quality of prior supported work will be reviewed.)
• To what extent does the proposed activity suggest and explore creative and original concepts?
• How well conceived and organized is the proposed activity? Can the project be realized with the number of samples stated within the proposal?
• Is there sufficient access to resources?

2. What are the broader impacts of the proposed activity?

• How well does the activity advance archaeological science in general?
• Does it lead to an interdisciplinary approach?
• Will the results enhance understanding issues of major archaeological importance and how broadly will they be disseminated?

Questions about the Fellowship?

For information contact Dr. Panagiotis Karkanas (Lab Director) at TKarkanas@ascsa.edu.gr