Title: Mapping Color in History Digital Humanities Post-Doctoral Fellow

Harvard University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of History of Art and Architecture

This post-doctoral fellow position is for the period from July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024, and is not renewable. It is a full-time research position. The fellow will receive an annual salary of $65,000 with benefits, and a maximum $2000 for research and/or relocation to Cambridge, MA.

The Mapping Color in History [MCH] project (PI: Professor Jinah Kim, History of Art & Architecture; see project website: https://mappingcolor.fas.harvard.edu) at Harvard University invites applications for a postdoctoral fellowship in digital humanities for the academic year 2023-2024. As the MCH project enters a new phase of development with a Level III National Endowment for Humanities Digital Humanities Advancement Grant (Level III, Award No. HAA-290367-23), we seek scholars whose work engages with the Digital Humanities for art historical research and/or conservation science research to join our team.

The MCH is a digital platform that compiles pigment analysis data from existing and on-going research on scientific analysis of pigments in a historical perspective. The MCH project is inherently multidisciplinary as it aims to bring together scientific analysis and humanistic research. The project can be best described as a three-legged stool: its three legs are 1) digital asset and software development, 2) conservation science research (core data), and 3) art historical research (core data). In addition to continuing to enhance the pigment analysis data and corresponding art historical data in terms of quantity and quality, the NEH grant funded MCH development will transform a simple pigment database with basic search and data mapping capacity to a full-pledged research platform that enables innovative collaborative research across art and science with novel ways to visualize and present scientific data with art historical research, which would also allow sharing the findings from the site in an academically sound manner. The DH fellow will play a crucial role in this transformation process: researching visual data management, presentation, and visualization under the direction of PI, and helping the PI and the MCH team to improve consistency in data and develop data standards.

Work-related duties may include but not limited to:

• Researching best DH practice in data visualization, presentation, data sharing and data vetting mechanism
• Participate in the development and design of the backend system and user interface
• Serve as a liaison between the software engineers and the MCH RA (research assistant) team
• Help clean the data and maintain consistency and integrity across data sets from multiple institutions and analysis reports
• Assist PI in preparation of reports (white paper) and DH conference presentations
• Work with PI to enhance collaboration with partner institutions and stakeholders

Basic Qualifications: Applicants from any humanistic discipline that use digital humanities methodologies are eligible to apply and must have the PhD in hand by July 1, 2023. (ABDs in their last year may also be considered.) Preference will be given to applicants who demonstrate familiarity with South Asian art history, conservation science, and/or any South Asian languages.

Additional Qualifications:

• Familiarity with digital content management systems such as Omeka
• Ability to manage complex workflows
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Ability to work effectively on a team

Instructions:

Please submit the following materials through the ARIeS portal (https://academicpositions.harvard.edu/postings/12380) no later than May 30:

• Cover Letter
• Curriculum Vitae
• Research statement (1000 word max, please indicate the role of DH methodology and potential contributions to the MCH project)
• Names and contact information of 3 references, who will be asked by a system-generated email to upload a letter of recommendation once the candidate’s application has been submitted. Three letters of recommendation are required, and the application is considered complete only when at least three letters have been received. At least one letter must come from someone who has not served as the candidate’s undergraduate, graduate, or postdoctoral advisor.

Contact Information: Questions about the position can be directed to Professor Jinah Kim at jinahkim@fas.harvard.edu

Equal Opportunity Employer: Harvard is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions, or any other characteristic protected by law.