Postdoctoral researcher within the project 'The archive in the fish cellar'

Leiden University Centre for the Arts in Society (LUCAS) invites applications for a
 

Postdoctoral researcher within the project ‘The archive in the fish cellar’ (max. 0,8 fte, 6 months)

The Postdoctoral researcher will be working within the NWO SSH OC XS research project ‘The archive in the fish cellar’, funded by NWO for one year, and directed by Dr Lotte Fikkers (assistant professor at Leiden University).

The project
In 16th- and 17th-century England, the Court of Wards and Liveries oversaw land inheritance. By extension, this court of law had the power to place orphans in foster families - even if their mothers were still alive - and appoint guardians to people deemed temporarily or permanently mentally incapacitated. As such, the Court held jurisdiction over some of early modern England’s most vulnerable inhabitants. The records of the Court, however, are mostly badly damaged or still unopened, preventing our access to these vulnerable voices. This project seeks to gain access to these voices by virtually unfolding the locked manuscripts containing them, leaving the materiality of these documents untarnished.

Recently, an international team of researchers developed a groundbreaking method by which locked documents can be read without opening them, using x-ray microtomography and a computational flattening algorithm. While the algorithm used to virtually unfold the locked letters is open access, and should therefore be available to be applied to documents that have been successfully x-rayed, the code does not work on documents of all shapes and sizes. Indeed, manuscripts with complicated internal structures, such as multiple letters folded into one large scroll, are currently out of the algorithm’s reach. This project seeks to adapt the computational flattening algorithm so that it can be used to virtually unroll manuscripts with more elaborate internal structures. This will, amongst other things, further develop the virtual unfolding technique to allow for its wider application.

Subproject
The project’s goal is to virtually unfold or unroll three previously x-rayed documents so that their contents can be read without physically opening them. To make that happen, the postdoctoral researcher’s core duty is to try to adapt the computational flattening algorithm to make it applicable to the XMT scan data. The postdoctoral researcher will be able to consult one of the computational experts responsible for the development of the original code. This may require a short trip to the US. Otherwise, the work can be done mostly remotely, if that is desirable. However, please do note that living and working in the Netherlands is required upon start of the appointment. The postdoctoral researcher will present their work at one conference. 

Key responsibilities

• You will further develop the virtual unfolding code, with the aim of making it applicable to already available XMT scan data;
• You will manage data in line with the data management plan;
• You will present one conference paper on your work for the project at a conference;
• You will participate in meetings of the project research group;
• You will participate in the intellectual life of the Institute and contribute to the research profile of LUCAS.

Your profile

• You hold a PhD in Computational Analysis, Computer Science, or similar;
• You have demonstrable experience in developing and adapting algorithms;
• You have demonstrable experience in working with Typescript/JavaScript;
• You have demonstrable experience with GPU programming with node.js;
• You have experience with physical simulation and image processing;
• You have proven time-management skills;
• You are an independent thinker and team player.
   

The organisation
The Faculty of Humanities at Leiden University is a unique international centre for the advanced study of languages, cultures, arts, and societies worldwide, in their historical contexts from prehistory to the present. Our faculty is home to more than 6,000 students and 800 staff members. For more information see: https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/. 

Leiden University Centre for the Arts in Society (LUCAS) is one of the seven Academic Institutes of the Faculty of Humanities. The institute hosts a range of academic disciplines, clustered around a key research theme: the relationships between the arts and society. Our members study cultural production over the course of two millennia, from classical antiquity to our contemporary world, and teach in programmes ranging from Classics and Book History to Modern Literature, International Studies and Art History. Strengthened by our diversity, LUCAS members are uniquely placed to study the broad concept of the arts, with its rapidly changing ideas, aesthetics, and theories of cultural production. Through research, teaching and outreach, the Institute aims to deepen our understanding, both inside and outside academia, of the cognitive, historical, cultural, creative, and social aspects of human life. 
As an academic community, we strive to create an open and welcoming atmosphere, stimulating everyone to get involved and contribute, and connecting scholars from different fields and backgrounds.

Terms and conditions
We offer a 0,8 FTE position as postdoctoral researcher for a maximum of six months. The appointment will start the first of August 2025. Depending on qualifications, the appointee may start at the appropriate step in scale 10 until they fully meet the requirements for scale 11 as specified by the Faculty of Humanities, particularly with regard to the number of years of relevant work experience. The salary is in accordance with the collective salary agreement of the Association of Dutch Universities (CAO) and depending on qualifications and experience. The gross monthly salary is € 4.060,- (scale 10.4) to € 4.537,- (scale 10.7) for a full working week.

Leiden University offers an attractive benefits package with additional holiday (8%) and end-of-year bonuses (8.3%), training and career development. Our individual choices model gives you some freedom to assemble your own set of terms and conditions. Candidates from outside the Netherlands may be eligible for a substantial tax break. For more information, see https://www.workingat.leiden.edu/.

Diversity & inclusion
Fostering an inclusive community is a central element of the values and vision of Leiden University. Leiden University is committed to becoming an inclusive community which enables all students and staff to feel valued and respected and to develop their full potential. Diversity in experiences and perspectives enriches our teaching and strengthens our research. High quality teaching and research is inclusive.

Information
Enquiries can be made to the PI of the project, Lotte Fikkers (l.e.m.fikkers@hum.leidenuniv.nl). Questions about the procedure can be directed to Jennifer Dijkman (im-lucas@hum.leidenuniv.nl). Information about LUCAS can be found at https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/geesteswetenschappen/centre-for-the-arts-in-society  and about Leiden University at https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en.

Applications

Please submit your application via the online recruitment system, via the blue button at the top of this page, latest Monday 28 April 2025. Applications received via e-mail will not be taken into consideration. Your application should include:

• A letter of motivation (max. 2 A4);
• A (short) CV (max. 2 A4); 
• Names, positions, and email addresses of two referees (no reference letters); please list these on your cv rather than filling them out separately in the system.

Online interviews will take place in the last week of May.

Enquiries from agencies are not appreciated.