|
The Harold Vyvyan Harmsworth Professorship in American History is an exciting opportunity for highly distinguished scholars. Applications are now invited for the academic years 2025-26, 2026-27 and 2027-28. The tenure of each professorship is for 12 months starting in September or October (to be agreed).
The Harmsworth Professorship was established in 1921 and is the oldest chair in American history in the UK. Past holders have included many of the leading American historians of the last century including Allan Nevins, David M. Potter, C. Vann Woodward, David Brion Davis, Jack P. Greene, David Hackett Fischer, Eric Foner, Annette Gordon-Reed, Robin Kelley, Kathryn Kish Sklar, and Barbara D. Savage among many others.
The Chair is appointed by the Faculty of History but is based in the Rothermere American Institute (RAI), Oxford’s centre for the study of America and its place in the world, whose mission is to support research in Oxford and beyond, to act as a catalyst for interdisciplinary work and research collaboration, and to engage non-university audiences, all with the aim of improving the scholarly and public understanding of America. The RAI's role as a forum for intellectual exchange is of particular importance for the Harmsworth Professor. The Professor will also become a Fellow of The Queen’s College, which provides another intellectual home. The Professor will have full dining rights at Queen’s.
You will be expected to deliver one major public lecture (the Harmsworth Lecture), and to co-teach an introductory graduate class to the Masters students studying US history. You will also be encouraged to offer informal guidance to graduate research students working in relevant fields, to deliver undergraduate lectures, to attend research seminars at the RAI, and generally to contribute to the intellectual life of the RAI, the College and the History Faculty.
You will be paid a stipend of £77,312 (at 2023 rates). Funds are also available to pay for return air travel and visa fees (if applicable), and to convene a small conference, usually held in the spring. You will also be provided with free accommodation in a spacious house in Oxford. If you will require a visa in order to take up this position in the UK, it will be your responsibility to obtain a visa, although the University will provide advice and assistance as necessary.
The closing date for applications is 12:00 (UK time) on Monday 16 October 2023.
Applications are to be made online via the link below. Please complete the application form and give details of three referees when prompted. You should upload the following documents with your application:
- your CV (including publications list)
- a covering letter including:
- an outline of the research you would plan to undertake at Oxford during your tenure as the Harmsworth Visiting Professor
- an indication of how your work would complement that of the History Faculty and the Rothermere American Institute, including any topics you could offer to teach at undergraduate or graduate level
- your availability for the academic years 2025-26, 2026-27 and 2027-28, and any preferences
For an informal discussion about this post, please contact Professor Adam Smith, Director of the Rothermere American Institute, on +44 (0)1865 282731 or adam.smith@rai.ox.ac.uk.
|
