Postdoctoral Position in 3D Digitization and Cultural Heritage Imaging (36 months)

The Digital Humanities Lab at the University of Basel is looking for a postdoctoral research assistant as of 1st August 2025 or by arrangement.

The Digital Humanities is an interdisciplinary institution at the University of Basel. Its task is to coordinate and promote research, teaching and infrastructure for questions of technological and digital worlds in the humanities and social sciences. It is also a central institution in Switzerland for the theory and practice of digital humanities and offers a master's degree and a doctorate in digital humanities. It has collaborative ties with several departments of the university, including (but not limited to) Departments of Arts, Media, and Philosophy, Languages and Literatures, History, Ancient Civilizations, Social Sciences, as well as the faculty of Psychology. There is a broad focus of research and teaching in the lab, including computational photography, media studies, science and technology studies, videogame studies, critical making and design, AI and society, computational social science, and psychology.

We invite applications for a full-time postdoctoral researcher to join the interdisciplinary SNSF-funded research project "Digital Originals in 3D" (D2M). This innovative project is a collaboration between the University of Basel, the Bern University of the Arts, and the FHNW. The goal is to develop a highly automated, reproducible pipeline for the capture, processing, and dissemination of 3D digital twins of cultural artifacts using cutting-edge imaging and rendering technologies.

• Developing and operating the robotic multi-modal capture system (SfM-MVS, eRTI, and Photometric Stereo).
• Designing workflows for automated photogrammetric acquisition and reconstruction tailored to GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, Museums) contexts.
• Contributing to data registration and deconvolution, metadata acquisition, and high-fidelity model evaluation.
• Collaborating with heritage partners (e.g., Swiss National Museum, SIK-ISEA) and preparing evaluation reports and a white paper for applied use.

• PhD in Digital Humanities, Imaging Science, Computer Vision, or a related field.
• Proven experience in photogrammetry, image-based 3D reconstruction, and cultural heritage digitization.
• Solid programming skills (e.g., Python, C++) and familiarity with photogrammetry software (e.g., COLMAP, Agisoft, RealityCapture).
• Interest in robotics-based imaging systems and working across disciplines with engineers and conservators.
• A background or interest in conservation science is advantageous.

• A 100% funded position for a duration of 36 months at the University of Basel's Digital Humanities Lab, a leader in scientific photography and digital cultural heritage.
• Access to state-of-the-art infrastructure (Arago Rig, eRTI systems, high-resolution imaging).
• Collaborative environment within a diverse consortium and real-world application scenarios.
• Active mentoring and opportunities for academic career development and publication.

Application / Contact

Further information on the Digital Humanities Lab can be found on our website: https://dhlab.philhist.unibas.ch/en/.
If you have any questions, please contact Prof. Fornaro (peter.fornaro@unibas.ch) or the DHLab administration team (sekretariat-dhlab@unibas.ch).

We look forward to receiving your complete application by 21st June 2025 via the university's online application portal (see button below). Late applications and applications by other means will not be considered.