4 Aug 2026
Job Information
Organisation/Company: The Tadeusz Manteuffel Institute History of the Polish Academy of Sciences
Research Field: History » Modern history
Researcher Profile: Recognised Researcher (R2)
Positions: Postdoc Positions
Application Deadline: 3 Sep 2026 - 16:00 (Europe/Warsaw)
Country: Poland
Type of Contract: Temporary
Job Status: Full-time
Hours Per Week: 40
Offer Starting Date: 1 Oct 2026
Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?: Not funded by a EU programme
Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?: No
Offer Description
The Post-doc position is offered within the research project titled Faith in exile: Socinian archives and the struggle over identity and memory in Early Modern Europe funded by the National Science Centre of Poland (SONATA nr 2025/59/D/HS3/02750), led by Dr. Anna Maria Laskowska.
Abstract of the research project
The project is about the dispersed manuscript heritage of the Socinians, also known as the Polish Brethren or Arians, a religious community regarded by many contemporaries as one of the most radical and heretical confessions of Christian Europe. Its point of departure is a fundamental paradox: the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was the birthplace and the main religious and intellectual centre of Socinianism, however only a small part of its manuscript heritage has survived in Poland. Many more traces have been preserved in Transylvania and the Netherlands. The project asks why this happened. Who saved Socinian manuscripts, and who contributed to their dispersal or destruction? Which texts were considered worth copying, preserving and transmitting? What does the fate of these manuscripts tell us about memory, identity and the experience of exile among a persecuted religious minority?
The research will reconstruct the corpus of Socinian manuscripts and analyse their provenance, circulation, material features and practices of preservation. These materials will be treated not only as textual sources, but also as traces of concrete decisions: to copy, hide, transmit, order, reinterpret or forget. The result of the project will be a critical catalogue of Socinian manuscripts that have survived in European collections to the present day, together with studies devoted to the ways in which the archives of a persecuted community become instruments of memory, continuity and the struggle for its own voice in history.
The tasks of the Post-doc will include:
- conducting archival and library research in Transylvania and Hungary;
- identifying and describing Socinian manuscripts, including the reconstruction of their provenance;
- contributing to the preparation of the catalogue of Socinian manuscripts as a co-author;
- preparing at least two scholarly articles and participating in conferences;
- attending weekly team meetings and taking part in the ongoing work of the project.
Where to apply
E-mail: konkursy.naukowe@ihpan.edu.pl
Requirements
Research Field: History » Modern history
Education Level: PhD or equivalent
Skills/Qualifications
Applicants should:
- hold a PhD degree in history or a related humanities discipline, obtained before the start of employment;
- meet the formal requirements of the National Science Centre, Poland (NCN, https://www.ncn.gov.pl/en), for a post-doc position, i.e. hold a PhD degree obtained in the year of employment in the project or within 12 years before 1 January of the year of employment in the project, with the possibility of extending this period in accordance with NCN rules; and hold a PhD degree obtained at an institution other than the Institute of History, Polish Academy of Sciences, or have completed at least a 9-month continuous and documented research stay at an institution other than the Institute of History PAS and in a country other than the country in which the PhD degree was obtained;
- have knowledge of Hungarian sufficient for independent work with sources, catalogues and scholarly literature;
- have experience in working with manuscripts, archival materials or early modern library collections;
- have knowledge of English sufficient for participation in international conferences and the preparation of scholarly publications;
- have at least a basic knowledge of Latin, allowing orientation in manuscript sources, catalogues and early modern scholarly literature.
Specific Requirements
Preferred qualifications:
- knowledge of the history of Socinianism or Transylvanian Unitarianism;
- scholarly publications on Socinianism, Unitarianism, the Radical Reformation, religious minorities, or related issues in early modern history.
Languages: HUNGARIAN - Level: Excellent
Languages: LATIN - Level: Basic
Languages: ENGLISH - Level: Excellent
Research Field: History » Modern history
Years of Research Experience: 1 - 4
Additional Information
Benefits
- Access to social benefits;
- Subsidy for PKP railway discount card;
- Subsidy for sports cards;
- Opportunities for academic development;
- Support in obtaining academic degrees and pursuing research goals;
- Career advancement opportunities;
- Assistance with grant applications and reporting (Research Support Office);
- Editorial support for monograph publication (Publishing Office);
- Access to research infrastructure;
- Training in evaluation and grant preparation;
Eligibility criteria
EVALUATION CRITERIA (0–100 points):
- Academic achievements (publications, conference participation, grants, scholarships, fellowships): up to 50 points
- Organizational experience (e.g., organizing academic events): up to 10 points
- Relevance of qualifications and research interests to the project: up to 40 points
Selection process
- The competition follows the rules set out in Order No. 25/2024 of the Director of the Institute of History PAS, dated December 30, 2024 and the NCN Council Resolution No. 23/2023 of February 16, 2023;
- A competition committee, appointed by the Director and chaired by the project leader, will evaluate the applications;
- Applications should be submitted to the Institute of History PAS;
- In the first stage, the committee assesses whether applications meet formal and substantive requirements;
- Selected candidates are invited for interviews (second stage), and those not qualified receive feedback with reasons for rejection;
- Interviews will be conducted in a format and on a date specified in the invitation;
- Final results will be announced, and interviewed candidates will receive individual feedback on strengths and weaknesses;
- Candidates may appeal the decision within 7 days if procedural violations occurred;
- All communication will be conducted via email.
Additional comments
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:
- Cover letter addressed to the Director of the Institute of History PAS;
- CV including contact details (email and phone);
- Copy of diploma(s) or a statement on the expected PhD completion date (PhD must be completed before employment begins);
- List of academic achievements and publications;
- Declaration that the Institute of History PAS will be the primary place of employment and that the applicant consents to being counted in the N-number;
- Consent for the processing of personal data (downloadable form).
Please send scanned documents to: konkursy.naukowe@ihpan.edu.pl Originals will be required upon employment.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
During the period of employment, the successful applicant cannot:
- Receive other remuneration from direct costs of NCN-funded research projects;
- Hold an employment contract with another employer (including institutions abroad);
- Receive pension benefits from the social security system.
The Institute of History of the PAS has a procedure for whistleblowers to report legal violations and for taking follow-up actions, namely the Regulations for Reporting Legal Violations and Taking Follow-Up Actions at the Tadeusz Manteuffel Institute of History of the Polish Academy of Sciences. More information on whistleblowers can be found here - only Polish version.
Website for additional job details: https://ihpan.edu.pl/en/oferty-pracy/competition-for-the-position-of-assistant-…
Work Location(s)
Number of offers available: 1
Company/Institute: The Tadeusz Manteuffel Institute of History of the Polish Academy of Sciences
Country: Poland
City: Warszawa
Postal Code: 00-272
Street: Rynek Starego Miasta, 31
Contact
City: Warsaw
Website: http://www.ihpan.edu.pl
Street: Rynek Starego Miasta 31
Postal Code: 00-272
E-Mail: konkursy.naukowe@ihpan.edu.pl
Phone: 228313642
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