The Graduate School „Factual and Fictional Narration – Narratological Perspectives on their Differentiation, Interfacings and Correspondences” (GRK 1767) (funded by the German Research Foundation) at the Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg (Germany) offers

up to ten PhD scholarships for 18 months

(with the possibility of renewal for 18 additional months).

Remuneration follows the DFG rates of TV-L E13, 65%.

The Graduate School (GS) „Factual and Fictional Narration“ focusses on nonfictional narratives as well as on the interplay of factuality and fictionality in a wide range of texts and (audio-) visual or material media. Although factual narrative cannot be easily defined, we preliminarily take as our starting point narratives that for their addressees have adirect pragmatic reference to real-world situations. The research conducted in this GS aims at extending narratological methodology to areas beyond the classical applications of literary narrative theory, and at the same time hopes to profit from narrative analysis that has been successfully developed in other humanities disciplines as well as in fields like psychology, economics, legal studies or theology.

In dealing with discourses of factuality, the GS concentrates, to start with, on the peculiarities of factual narratives and narration, establishing possible differences andsimilarities between factual and fictional narratives. It also considers the interface zones, mergings and overlaps, interbraidings and hybrid constellations between factual and fictional elements in narrative texts as well as in other media, e.g. narratives in the performance mode. These questions require examination on the basis of a broad range of genres, text types and diverse media, taking account of functional and formal aspects as well as their pragmatic contexts of use.

The GS is meant to provide a qualification of superior methodological and qualitative standard at international level for the PhD students enrolled in it. Each PhD candidate will have two supervisors. The course programme of the group includes the participation in colloquia and conferences, attendance of research-based lectures and seminars, internships, mentoring sessions as well as practical courses, for instance in pedagogics, presentation techniques or voice training. The PhD candidates will be encouraged to develop their creativity, show initiative in a variety of ways and give free scope to their ideas and interests. Besides doing some undergraduate teaching, they will also have the opportunity to initiate and organise discussion groups and workshops.

Scholars from the following areas are currently represented in the GS:
English Studies, German Studies, Romance Studies, Slavic Studies, Philosophy, History, Classical Philology, Linguistics, Psychology, Sociology, Media Culture Studies and Classical Archaeology.

The GS puts great emphasis on transdisciplinarity. Applicants from fields not directly related toliterary studies (e.g. from Law, Theology, Archaeology, Linguistics, Behavioural Sciences, Media Studies, Medieval Studies, and Economics) are particularly welcome to apply.

The following criteria are significant in the evaluation process:

timely completion of prior studies
above average grades, especially excellent final grades/li>
outstanding presentation of the dissertation project in the proposal
proof of scholarly competence through letters of recommendation
persuasive self-presentation during the interview session
the dissertation topic should be methodologically and thematically connected to the subject of the GS.

Further information about the GS can be found online:
www.grk-erzaehlen.uni-freiburg.de

Application documents are to be addressed to the director of the GS Professor Monika Fludernik. The application deadline is the 1 April 2015.
The application must contain the following materials:
a cover letter; a research proposal (eight pages maximum in 12 point script, including a work plan and time schedule; in German or English); signed CV, copies of certificates of earned university degrees, transcripts and two letters of recommendation by professors of your choice.

The application materials have to be sent both by snail-mail to the address under 3. and additionally in digital form to the following e-mail address (all in one pdf document, except the letters of recommendation, e-mail subject: GS „Factual and Fictional Narration“): sebastian.finger@anglistik.uni-freiburg.de.

Professors should send the letters of recommendation to sekretariat.fludernik@anglistik.uni-freiburg.de via e-mail (as scan) or by mail to:
Prof. Dr. Monika Fludernik
Englisches Seminar
Kollegiengebäude IV
Rempartstr. 15
79085 Freiburg
Germany

Short-listed candidates will be invited for interviews in Freiburg for Monday, 4th of May and Friday, 8th of May.
After May 11th applicants will be informed via e-mail about the final decision of the committee.