Open Positions

2

Time Span

01 Oct 2025 for 4 years

Application Deadline

01 Nov 2024

Financing

yes

Areas of study

Iranian Studies, Persian, Jewish Studies, Ancient History, Ancient Studies, Ancient Oriental Studies, Greek Studies, Latin Studies, Byzantine Studies, Arabic Studies, Semitic Studies

Description

The Graduate School Scholarship Program(GSSP) of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) is offering two (2) doctoral scholarships to earn a PhD within the framework of “Ancient Languages and Texts” doctoral program of the BerGSAS, https://www.berliner-antike-kolleg.org/en/bergsas/index.html

We welcome applications from highly qualified graduates from the fields of: Ancient History, History of Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages; Ancient Oriental Languages; Ancient Philology: Greek (with Byzantine Greek) and Latin (Classical Latin, Middle and Modern Latin); Egyptology (with Coptology); Iranian Studies; Jewish Studies; Protestant Theology (with Old Testament, New Testament, Church History); Religious Studies; Roman Law.

Applicants musthold an outstanding master'sdegree (MA, MSt, or MSc) or equivalentin one of the aforementioned disciplines or be very close to completion. 

Objectives of the doctoral program “Ancient Languages and Texts”

The program “Ancient Languages and Texts” (ALT), https://www.berliner-antike-kolleg.org/en/bergsas/programme/alt/index.html focuses on the written heritage of ancient cultures which includes literary works as well as documentary texts like inscriptions and papyri. Also, research is carried out into phenomena of mediality such as the interaction between texts and pictorial representations. In this line of inquiry, traditional philological methods are being combined with historical and cultural issues. In addition to that, particular emphasis is placed on theories and approaches of modern literary studies and linguistics. Topics and methods in the digital humanities and computer philology also belong to the program ALT. Thus, the program is characterized by a plurality of research methods and a wide understanding of the concept of ‘a text’. Doctoral researchers are expected to participate in Digital Humanities training offered by BerGSAS. Applicants are be expected to have sufficient command of the relevant ancient languages for their dissertation project. 

Who can apply?

• The call is open ONLY to applicants who arenot German citizens,
• Applicants must not have completed a PhD previously,
• The MA degree must not have been completed before March 1, 2019
• Applicants must not have resided in Germany continuously before December 1, 2023.

Duration of scholarship and funding

The doctoral scholarship is available from October 2025 (winter semester 2025/26) for four years, subject to a satisfactory annual progress review. In accordance with DAAD guidelines, the scholarship holders receive a stipend of 1,300 Euros a month, a travel allowance, payments towards health, accident and liability insurance cover, allowances for study and research (and, where applicable, rent and family allowances) as well as financial support for a pre-sessional German language course. Plus, material resources and supervision allowance of 1,000 Euros per year, administered by the BerGSAS. 

Application process

Applications must be submitted via the BerGSAS portal by 1 November 2024, 00:00 CEWT, quoting the reference 2025-ALT-BerGSAS-GSSP. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

The application procedure takes place in two stages:

• 1st stage: Please register at the BerGSAS application portal: https://application.berliner-antike-kolleg.org/bergsas 

After you have created a personal account, you can begin to fill in the application form and you can upload your documents. It is possible to save the application form temporarily and continue with the data entry at a later date. Applications must be submitted by 1 November 2024, 00:00 CET.

BerGSAS will invite shortlisted candidates to an online interview within two months of the application deadline.

• 2nd stage: BerGSAS will nominate the candidates selected for a scholarship to the DAAD. The DAAD will make the final decision and will inform you. Please note that admission to doctoral studies and the receipt of a scholarship is subject to assessment by the host university (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin or Freie Universität Berlin) and by the DAAD. 

Application documents

If registered at BerGSAS application portal (https://application.berliner-antike-kolleg.org/bergsas), you will find at the bottom of the form the list documents required. This includes among other things copies of various documents (which do not have to be officially certified!).

• Certificate of a language examination in English e.g., IELTS Academic or TOEFL (at least B2 level). Please note: At the Freie Universität, a C1 certificate is required for admission to doctoral studies.
• Certificates of any academic degree (B.A. and M.A.) or advanced qualifications indicating grades and explaining the grading system of your home university .
• Two letters of reference from university professors are required, one of which must be from a professor at your home university! The letters are confidential documents and should be sent as a PDF file by the university professors directly to: carmen.marcks-jacobs@berliner-antike-kolleg.org 

It is mandatory that the professors use the DAAD template for their letter of recommendation! The template can be found at: 

https://www.daad.de/medien/deutschland/stipendien/formulare/recommendation.doc

Application deadline : The deadline for your application is 1 November 2024 at 00:00 CEWT. The selection committee will not consider incomplete or late applications.  

For further inquiries please contact the coordinator of the doctoral program:

Dr. Carmen Marcks-Jacobs, carmen. marcks-jacobs@berliner-antike-kolleg.org