TRIFECTA Postdoc Semantic Web

For the TRIFECTA Postdoc Semantic Web position, we're looking for a postdoctoral researcher to strengthen our team. We are looking for a person with the following profile:

• You have an open-minded and collaborative attitude towards doing groundbreaking digital humanities research;
• You have a firm grasp on computational methods and are willing to achieve proficiency in historical research methods;
• You have a Ph.D. degree in semantic web or a related field by the starting date of the project;
• Your English is excellent and you have or are willing to obtain a working proficiency in Dutch.

• Location: Amsterdam.
• Minimum number of hours per week: 32.
• Maximum number of hours per week: 40.
• The position is for 12 months.

In this use case, you will work on Tracing Contentious Entities and Concepts in Maritime History. This entails developing and evaluating language and semantic web technology to identify and trace concepts such as 'Dutch East India Company' and 'East India'. On the digital methodological strand, this sub-project will study the impact of digital processing tools on the hermeneutical practice of historical research. Your work will intersect with the food history use case on shared concepts and entities.

Why you should consider working with us:

Location, location, location: Our offices are located in a historical building in downtown Amsterdam. Researchers work together in projects and a shared office space and can choose to spend part of their time at home.

The team: We value a social, open and inquisitive, safe work environment where your input counts, not your job title, this means open conversations about pros and cons of a particular idea and approach based on content, not status. We also brew a mean cup of coffee and the office has a cooking club.

Good to know: The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences is not an educational institution, this means that you can focus on building your research profile without a teaching load. We do work together with various Dutch universities so some teaching is an option.

Starting date & duration: the ideal starting date is 1 January 2027 as the project team prefers to fill the vacancy sooner rather than later. The position is for 12 months.

About HuC

The KNAW Humanities Cluster stands for innovative and interdisciplinary research in the humanities and heritage sector.

The KNAW Humanities Cluster is a collaboration of three KNAW institutes: the Huygens Institute for the History of the Netherlands, the International Institute of Social History (IISH) and the Meertens Institute. In these institutes, we conduct pioneering and excellent humanities research (history, ethnology, literature, linguistics) using innovative methods in which informatics plays an important role. The business office of the KNAW Humanities Cluster supports these three institutes, as well as the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study (NIAS) and the Netherlands Institute for War Documentation (NIOD), in their operational management. The KNAW Humanities Cluster has placed its operational management in a central business office and has a joint department for Digital Infrastructure, a Digital Humanities Lab and NL Lab.

Terms of employment

Depending on education and experience the minimum salary is 4.925 and the maximum salary is 6.682 gross per month for a full-time appointment (scale 11 cao Nederlandse Universiteiten/KNAW). This is exclusive of 8% vacation allowance, 8.3% year-end bonus, travel allowance, internet allowance, home working allowance and pension accrual with ABP.

The KNAW offers its staff an excellent package of secondary benefits. A package that meets the different needs of employees depending on their stage of life, lifestyle or career ambitions. For example, by working an extra two hours a week, it is possible to increase the number of days off from 29 to 41 days a year (with full-time employment).

Applying for a Certificate of Good Conduct can be part of the employment procedure.