"University assistant predoctoral"

University assistant predoctoral

40 Faculty of Historical and Cultural Studies
Working hours: 30 | Collective bargaining agreement: §48 VwGr. B1 Grundstufe (praedoc)
Limited until: three years (position limited to three years)
Reference no.: 5090

We are looking to hire a predoctoral research fellow to join the ERC-funded research project Beyond Thalidomide: The Patient as an Agent of Change, based at the University of Vienna.

Beyond Thalidomide (2024-2029), funded by an ERC Starting Grant pioneers a history of the global rise of patient engagement with drug-related disability in the second half of the twentieth century to understand how newly empowered agents transformed conceptions of (reproductive) health and disease in science and society. It develops a framework to examine the origins, development, and consequences of patient engagement with antenatal drug use, iatrogenic disability, and reproductive health from the 1960s until today.

The PI of the project is Prof. Birgit Nemec, chair of History of Medicine and the Biomedical Sciences at the Faculty Center for Transdisciplinary Historical and Cultural Studies.

Your future tasks:

• Complete your dissertation, based on original archival research, and thereby contribute to the project aims with a thematic focus on either:
  • patient engagement with programs to prevent drug-related disability in health care systems in Western welfare states, in state socialist countries, or in postcolonial, newly independent countries
  • patients’ roles in the “entanglement” of Western drug development and postcolonial global pharmaceutical markets, including the histories of patient
  • legal action led by patients or patient campaigns as a practice and pivotal intervention into scientific and political debates
• Contribute to project aims such as academic event organization, public dissemination of research results, publications

This is part of your profile:

• MA/diploma degree in history or related fields; very good or excellent course record
• Experience in archival research
• Working language skills in two or more languages
• Interest in interdisciplinary research with public health, medical anthropology and sociology
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in research teams
• Excellent English communication skills

Advantages

• Interest in theoretical and methodological debates in historical research, i.e. global perspectives; intersectional, postcolonial, disability, queer or gender perspectives
• Profound experience in archival research and/or experience in oral history methods
• Convincing working sample or outline of a PhD project

What we offer:

• Team: An interdisciplinary, excellently networked and highly motivated working environment in research, teaching and public outreach/engagement
• Work-life balance: Our employees enjoy flexible, family-friendly working hours, remote/hybrid and/or part-time work (upon agreement).
• Inspiring working atmosphere: You are a part of an international academic team in a healthy and fair working environment.
• Good public transport connections: Your workplace in the center of beautiful Vienna is easily accessible by public transport.
• Internal further training & Coaching: Opportunity to deepen your skills on an ongoing basis. There are over 600 courses to choose from – free of charge.
• Fair salary: The salary of EUR 3.714,80 (on a full-time basis); of EUR 2.786,10 (30h/week).
• Equal opportunities for everyone: We look forward to increase diversity and invite diverse personalities in the team!

It is that easy to apply:

• Letter of intent which indicates your motivation and interest in the position (max. 2 pages)
• Scientific curriculum vitae incl. a list of publications and presentations
• Writing sample (i.e. Master's thesis, book chapter)
• Draft proposal of the doctoral project (not mandatory)
• 1 Reference letter, directly sent to Birgit Nemec (birgit.nemec@univie.ac.at)
• Copies of certificates
• Via our job portal/ Apply now-button

Please submit all your documents in PDF format.

If you have any questions, please contact:
Birgit Nemec
birgit.nemec@univie.ac.at

Application deadline: 02/09/2026