Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK) is a top Italian research institution based in the city of Trento. In the national evaluation of research excellence for the period 2010-2014 (ANVUR), FBK ranks at the first place for scientific excellence in ICT, History, and Sociology, as well as for economic and social impact. The foundation comprises 7 research centers.
The Centre for Religious Studies (FBK-ISR) has as its mission the advancement of critical understanding of the multi-faceted relationship between religion and innovation in contemporary societies. We engage with innovation in religion, covering texts, traditions, doctrines and institutions, as well as with innovation through religion in the areas of science, technology, business, politics and the law. We take a special interest in the involvement of faith communities in social innovation. We have no agenda for promoting religious reform and we are genuinely interested in religious traditions and traditionalism. The Centre is non-denominational and conducts multi-disciplinary research on the phenomenon of religion across the breadth of its articulations. ISR’s researchers cover expertise in the fields of Philosophy, Sociology, Theology, History, Ethics, Anthropology and Law. Within the Bruno Kessler Foundation, we work together with other research centres and units, in particular with the Italian-German Historical Institute (ISIG) and the Centre for Information and Communication Technology (ICT), in developing joint research and innovation projects.
Expressions of interest are now invited from potential postdoctoral researchers for applying jointly with our Centre for a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Individual Fellowship.
The purpose of the MSCA Individual Fellowship (IF) Programme is to support the mobility of researchers within and beyond Europe and to help attract the best foreign researchers to work in the EU. The grant typically covers two years’ salary, a mobility allowance, research costs and overheads for the host institution. Individual researchers prepare and submit proposals for funding together with their planned host organisation. Proposals are judged on their research quality, impact and implementation, the researcher’s future career prospects, and the support offered by the host organisation. More information about MSCA Individual Fellowships and the current call is available here.
- Research Areas of Interest. We welcome expressions of interest in any research area(s) suitable for developing our interest in the interaction of religion and innovation, including economics, media studies, and Artificial Intelligence. Prior to application, candidates will familiarize themselves with FBK-ISR’s mission, events and projects, as well as the Centre’s recently published position paper “Religion and Innovation. Calibrating Research Approaches and Suggesting Strategies for a Fruitful Interaction”. The specific research topic for an MSCA IF application will be designed together with our research group.
- Eligibility and Requirements. Candidates will hold a doctoral degree coherent with the research project, obtained before the MSCA IF deadline of 11 September 2019. Candidates will have excellent teamwork attitude, proactivity as well as organizational skills and ability to work in a multidisciplinary environment. Moreover, candidates will have good problem solving, troubleshooting, and analytical skills, be fluent in English, have good interpersonal, written and oral communication skills, and be able to work independently as well as within an international team. Candidates are required to read carefully the MSCA IF Guide for Applicants to ascertain eligibility, especially with regard to the mobility rules for each scheme, and learn about what will be required of them if selected to apply with us.
- Applications. Candidates are invited to express their interest no later than 28 May 2019 at 16.00 CEST by completing the application form and sending it to segreteria.isr@fbk.eu. For further information, please contact our researchers Boris Rähme (raehme@fbk.eu) and/or Valeria Fabretti (fabretti@febk.eu). By inviting your expression of interest, we by no means promise to fund your research or grant you a position. Proposals will be evaluated based on research quality, the researcher’s future career prospects and the availability of suitable supervision. By 31 May 2019, the strongest proposals will be selected for continuation to the MSCA IF application (deadline 11 September 2019). Our scientific team and research funding services will provide application preparation support.