Doctoral Fellowship in the field of Art History

Technische Universität Dresden Arbeitsstätte Dresden; Dresden; On-site; EUR 19,000 - 23,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Office workspace on TU Dresden premise

Excellent research infrastructure

Conference travel funding

Graduate Academy and training

Job summary

The Schaufler Lab@TU Dresden invites early-career researchers in Art History or Visual Culture Studies to a doctoral fellowship. The program emphasizes independent research, interdisciplinary dialogue with STEM partners, and collaboration with artists under the Schaufler Residency.

Applicants should pursue a doctorate within Energy Cultures in Transition and engage in science communication and outreach. Fellows receive structured training, access to excellent research infrastructure, and a fully

Qualifications

• You hold an excellent university degree in Art History or Visual Culture Studies.
• You have a strong ability to work in teams and enjoy interdisciplinary collaboration.
• As the training program is conducted in English, you have English skills at a minimum of C1 level.
• Dissertation may be written in German or English; if German, corresponding German language skills are required.
• German language skills are desirable but not mandatory.

Responsibilities

• Conduct independent research and pursue academic qualification with the goal of completing a doctorate at TU Dresden.
• Write a dissertation within the guiding concept Energy Cultures in Transition in Art History.
• Engage in interdisciplinary dialogue with STEM partners and with artists within Schaufler Residency.
• Contribute to science communication and outreach; participate in English-language training.
• Utilize shared office spaces and collaborate within the Kolleg's environment.

Skills

Teamwork

Interdisciplinary collaboration

English (C1)

Education

Excellent university degree in Art History or Visual Culture Studies

Job description

In the Schaufler Lab@TU Dresden, researchers from the Social Sciences and Humanities as well as artists explore the relationships between technology, science, and society. The Lab was initiated by The Schaufler Foundation together with TUD Dresden University of Technology. The Lab's guiding theme for the upcoming third funding phase (April 2027–September 2030) is "Energy Cultures in Transition". The guiding theme is investigated from a humanities, cultural, social, and educational science perspective, explored through artistic practice, and communicated to the public. For the third funding phase, the Schaufler Lab@TU Dresden comprises eight doctoral fellowships and an annually changing Artist in Residence program.

Doctoral Fellowship

for a period of 2 years, with the option of extension by 1.5 years, starting on April 1, 2027.

The fellowship (EUR 1,850 per month, plus a grant for material costs of EUR 150 and, where applicable, a family supplement of EUR 315 per child) is aimed at early-career researchers in the field of Art History. Primary supervision will be provided by Prof. Dr. Kerstin Schankweiler, Chair of Visual Studies and Art History.

Research Theme

Energy Cultures in Transition understands energy as a cultural phenomenon deeply inscribed in aesthetic, historical, political, ecological, economic, and socio-technological practices and systems. Building on the dynamically growing research fields of the Energy Humanities, Science & Technology Studies, and the Digital Humanities, the aim is to examine how modern energy regimes—from petromodernity, to nuclear culture, and post-carbon futures—have shaped not only material infrastructures but also subjectivities, power relations, progress narratives, geopolitical orders, ecologies, and knowledge systems, while simultaneously being shaped by them. Interdisciplinary perspectives from the social sciences, cultural studies, humanities, and educational research represented at the Schaufler Kolleg@TU Dresden enable the analysis of the multifaceted entanglements of energy, culture, and society. The focus is on questions concerning the representation, communication, and aesthetics of energy transitions and resource paradigms as well as continuities between resource economies and information economies, the relationships between energy, labor, environment, and consumer culture, and the role of colonialism, gender, nationalism, geopolitics, education, and social justice in deciding energy futures and navigating collective transformation processes.

Tasks

Your tasks include independent research and academic further qualification with the goal of completing a doctorate at TUD, as well as writing a dissertation on a topic within the guiding concept "Energy Cultures in Transition" in the discipline of Art History. The fellowship requires a high degree of willingness to engage in interdisciplinary dialogue, particularly with the STEM partnerships of the Schaufler Lab@TU Dresden, as well as to conduct joint research with artists within the framework of the Schaufler Residency. In addition, engagement in the areas of science communication and outreach is expected. Shared office spaces will be made available to the fellows. Participation in the Kolleg's English-language training program is mandatory.

• Artistic engagements with ecological crises and their intersections with social, gender-related, and political conflicts, with a particular interest in art in the context of the GDR and the post-1989 transformation period
• Extractivism, material resources, and artistic practice in the context of (neo-)colonial power relations and global resource economies, with a particular interest in art from Africa and the African diaspora
• AI and digital image cultures, with a focus on the material and energy infrastructures of digital image production and artistic practice
• Visual politics of protest and activism in energy, climate, and resource conflicts, as well as their circulation across analog and digital publics

Requirements

• You hold an excellent university degree in Art History or Visual Culture Studies.
• You have a strong ability to work in teams and enjoy interdisciplinary collaboration.
• As the training program is conducted in English, you have English skills at a minimum of C1 level.
• In accordance with the doctoral regulations of the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Science, the dissertation may be written in either German or English—if you choose to write it in German, corresponding German language skills are required.
• Beyond this, German language skills are desirable but not mandatory.

Benefits

The opportunity to pursue a doctorate within the Schaufler Kolleg with a structured qualification program and integration into an interdisciplinary research project. You will receive a fully equipped office workspace on the premises of TUD and access to an excellent research infrastructure, including participation in Research Studios and writing retreats. The Graduate Academy and other central institutions of TUD offer numerous further training and qualification opportunities. In addition, within the limits of the available project funds, the Schaufler Lab will cover the costs of conference travel.

The fellowship does not constitute an employment relationship.

Inclusion and Equal Opportunities

Inclusion and equal opportunities are important to us.

We therefore look forward to receiving applications from people regardless of gender, origin, sexual orientation, worldview, or disability.

TUD strives to employ more women in academia and research. We therefore expressly encourage women to apply.

The University is a family-friendly university. We welcome applications from candidates with disabilities. If multiple candidates prove to be equally qualified, those with disabilities or with equivalent status pursuant to the German Social Code IX (SGB IX) will receive priority for employment.

Reference to data protection: Your data protection rights, the purpose for which your data will be processed, as well as further information about data protection is available to you on the website: https://tu-dresden.de/karriere/datenschutzhinweis

TUD is a founding partner in the DRESDEN-concept alliance.