Call for applications - FAn Postdoctoral Contract "Museums"

The Grand Programme de Recherche PSL “Les fabriques de l’antique” (FAn) is offering two postdoctoral contracts "Museums" for the 2026 calendar year (six months).

The museum-focused postdoctoral project must be developed in close collaboration with one of FAn’s partner museums and should involve either a research initiative related to the museum-based “fabriques” of antiquity and/or an innovative mediation initiative addressing the same themes.

The project must align closely with the thematic scope of the “Les fabriques de l’antique” program, and more specifically with one of its three research areas. The recipient of the museum-focused postdoctoral contract will contribute to the program through their research and active participation in its activities (conferences, study days, etc.). A strong interest in interdisciplinary and comparative exchange is required.

The postdoctoral contract is a fixed-term agreement between a PSL member institution and a postdoctoral researcher, enabling the latter to devote themselves fully to in-depth and original research. The duration of the contract is six months, with the start date to be determined. The selected candidate will carry out their research in one of FAn’s partner museums, with which a hosting agreement will be established for the duration of the contract: the Musée National du Louvre (Department of Near Eastern Antiquities and Department of Egyptian Antiquities); or the Petit Palais – Musée des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Paris.

They will also be affiliated with one of the following research laboratories: AnHiMA (UMR 8210), AOrOc (UMR8546), Archéosciences-Bordeaux (UMR6034), CRCAO (UMR 8155), Centre Jean Pépin (UMR 8230), GREI (EA2120), GSRL (UMR8582), LEM (UMR 8584), Orient et Méditerranée (UMR8167), PROCLAC (UMR 7192), SAPRAT (EA 4116), SYRTE (UMR 8630).

The research work will be conducted under the joint supervision of a researcher or faculty member from Université PSL and a curator from the host museum. A scientific publication or a public outreach initiative is expected upon completion of the contract.
 

Postdoctoral Recruitment Conditions

Candidates must hold a doctoral degree. It is not necessary to have defended the thesis at the time of application, provided that the defense is scheduled no later than December 2025. Proof of completion may be submitted after the interview, but failure to obtain the degree will result in the cancellation of the postdoctoral contract. The PhD must not have been awarded more than three years prior to the start of the contract, i.e., before January 1st, 2023.

Application File

The application file must consist of a single PDF file, clearly labeled with the candidate’s last and first name in the format: “LASTNAME_firstname_pcd FAn 2025.pdf”, and must include, in the following order:

• Personal information sheet
• Cover letter explaining the candidate’s motivation to participate in the FAn program
• Curriculum vitae
• Letter of recommendation from the researcher or faculty member of Université PSL (HDR) who will serve as the project supervisor
• Letter of commitment from the FAn partner museum involved in the postdoctoral project, confirming the availability of the resources necessary for its completion (workspace, access to collections, supervision, and other support).
• Approval from the director of the host research unit
• A four-page research proposal, including at least one page highlighting the relevance of the topic and the proposed research question in relation to one of the three thematic areas of the “Les fabriques de l’antique” program.
• Certificate of completion of the doctoral degree; if unavailable, a formal statement authorizing the thesis defense and indicating its scheduled date (in this case, the completion certificate must be submitted upon receipt, for final validation).

Candidates have until Thursday, October 16, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. (Paris time) to submit their application electronically in PDF format to the following address: contact@fab-antique.fr. 

Late submissions will not be considered. All applications will receive an acknowledgment of receipt no later than one week after submission.

The audition

Eligible candidates will receive a convening to the interview on Tuesday, October 28th, 2025.

The interviews will take place in Paris, before the postdoctoral jury of the “Les fabriques de l’antique” program, on Saturday, November 29, 2025.

A remote interview via videoconference is possible for candidates residing outside mainland France and not enrolled in a university program within mainland France.

Candidates will be selected based on the following criteria:

• The relevance of the thesis project to the themes of the “Les fabriques de l’antique” program and its fit within one of its three research axes

• The quality of the candidate’s academic background

• The quality of the thesis project and the candidate’s oral presentation

Results will be communicated by email only, starting December 1, 2025.