Before Copyright

A Doctoral Research Fellowship (SKO 1017)  is available at the Department of Archaeology, Conservation and History, University of Oslo.

The position is associated with the 5-year Starting Grant 101042034 “Before Copyright: Printing privileges and the politics of knowledge in early modern Europe” funded by the European Research Council and led by Principal Investigator Marius Buning, Associate Professor of Early Modern History at the University of Oslo.

“Before Copyright” examines the long-term history of printing privileges from a cross-disciplinary perspective. The intimate relationship between legal frameworks and the politics of knowledge is the primary focus of the project.

We invite applications for PhD research on any aspect of the history of printing privileges in the period 1500-1800.

Potential candidates may wish to focus on a particular period, person, archive, or location. For example, one might consider political alliances and conflicts, but also scientific and commercial networks, media strategies and censorship, or the cultural dynamics of specific places in a globalizing world. Applicants are expected to state in their project proposal why they have chosen a particular approach and what sources they intend to use (e.g. printed literature, engravings, court records, maps, newspapers, chancellery archives, etc.). Preference may be given to projects on France and Scandinavia, and to projects dealing with the (legal) Enlightenment.

The selected candidate will be affiliated with the faculty’s organized research training. The academic work is to result in a doctoral thesis that will be defended at the Faculty with a view to obtaining the degree of PhD. The successful candidate is expected to join the existing research milieu or network and contribute to its development. Read more about the doctoral degree.

The appointment is for a duration of 3 years. All PhD Candidates who submit their doctoral dissertation for assessment with a written recommendation from their supervisor within 3 years or 3 ½ years after the start of their PhD position, will be offered, respectively, a 12 or 6 month Completion Grant.

The expected start date for the position is between October and December 2024.