2013-15 HARVARD POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP IN EAST ASIAN DIGITAL
HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
The John K. Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies and the Edwin O. Reischauer Institute of Japanese Studies at Harvard University announces a special post-doctoral fellowship for the 2013-2015 academic years, for a recent Ph.D. in any field of East Asian studies, with extensive expertise in the digital humanities or qualitative digital data management in the social sciences. The fellow will be expected to assist faculty, students, and research affiliates, as described below, and assist specific digital projects, including the Digital Archive of Japan's 2011 disasters http://www.jdarchive.org/ja/home.
Eligibility: Applicants must have received their PhD degree in 2008 or later, in Chinese and/or Japanese studies, in any area of the humanities or social sciences. They must have completed all requirements for the PhD degree by July 1, 2013.
This will be a 24-month fellowship, commencing on July 1, 2013, and the annual fellowship stipend will be $60,000. The application deadline is February 15, 2013.
This postdoc fellow will provide assistance to affiliates of the Fairbank Center and Reischauer Institute in the following sorts of activities:
- Defining appropriate research questions and terminology, where relevant
- Selecting appropriate print and electronic information sources and tools
- Designing search strategies to ensure retrieval of all potentially relevant information
- Selecting appropriate print and electronic information sources and tools
- Developing rigorous methods of information extraction and analysis
- Identifying background information to place the findings in context.
A strong working knowledge of Japanese, Chinese, and English languages is required. While the position will not require any direct coding, candidates for the position must be able to work closely with programmers and designers employing a variety of web technologies and programming languages, be able to understand and evaluate their work, and have the ability to effectively communicate between technical and non-technical project collaborators. An ideal candidate will have had experience designing and hosting websites (including a familiarity with HTML, CSS, and Javascript), maintaining online databases (MySQL or PostgreSQL), some experience coding for the web (PHP or any other web scripting language), experience working with Git code repositories or other version control system, and understand the principles behind
the functioning of web APIs.
Application Process: Applicants should submit 4 COMPLETE SETS (one original & three
photocopies of a complete, collated application. Each application should consist of the following item in the order listed below:
- Cover sheet: Please provide the following information, in numbered order, starting each item on a new line.
1. Name (first, LAST & email address)
2. University & dept. (of Ph.D.)
3. Field of Study
4. Thesis title
5. Date Ph.D. received (or, if pending, give specific timeline)
6. Summary of experience relevant to working with digital media, up to 500 words.
7. Have you previously applied for a Harvard postdoctoral fellowship? If yes, when?
8. Are you currently applying for other postdoctoral fellowships at Harvard? If so,
which?
- Curriculum vitae: please include citizenship, Social Security number, current and
permanent addresses, telephone number(s), email address; academic degrees with dates of conferral, discipline and institution.
- List of publications (this may be included in your CV)
- Official transcript of grades *(Only 1 original necessary; other 3 copies may be
duplicates.)
- Dissertation abstract and table of contents (up to 3 pages; be sure your name is designated at top of each page)
- Two letters of recommendation (signed and sealed). One letter must be from someone
who can comment on your experience relevant to working with digital media. These
letters must be enclosed with application unless an exception is granted (in which case
recommendations being sent separately must reach Harvard by the application deadline).
*(Only one original of each recommendation needed; fellowship administrators will
duplicate these.)
Please direct all inquiries to:
Dr. Theodore J. Gilman, Associate Director
Reischauer Institute of Japanese Studies
1730 Cambridge Street, Room S234
Cambridge, MA 02138
Email: tgilman@fas.harvard.edu
Telephone: (617) 495-3220
