Postdoctoral Fellowships in Enlightenment Studies and Intellectual History (Turin Humanities Programme)

The Turin Humanities Programme (THP) at Fondazione 1563 per l’Arte e la Cultura announces its 6th call for applications, offering up to four postdoctoral fellowships for advanced research on the theme "After the Enlightenment: Histories, Debates, and Reinterpretations." This two-year programme (2026–2028) invites junior scholars to explore how the concept of the Enlightenment has been constructed, adapted, and contested from the 19th to the 21st centuries. Research topics may include civilization, colonization, Eurocentrism, public space, secularisation, and the interplay between national, transnational, and global dimensions of the Enlightenment. The programme encourages comparative and interdisciplinary approaches, welcoming proposals from all humanities disciplines, such as history, art history, cultural history, history of science, philosophy, literature, and political science. The Director of Studies for this cycle is Elisabeth Décultot, Humboldt Professor at Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg and Director of the IZEA Interdisciplinary Centre for Enlightenment Studies. Fellows will conduct independent research under her supervision and participate in seminars, conferences, exhibitions, and summer schools, sharing their work with academic and public audiences. The working language is English, and the programme is committed to diversity and inclusion. Eligibility requires a doctorate in the Humanities (or completion by September 30, 2026), typically within seven years of the PhD award, and fluency in English. Applicants must submit a research proposal (max 3000 words), CV, an article-length writing sample, and contact details for two referees. There are no nationality restrictions. Each fellowship provides a total grant of €60,000 (before taxes) for two years, with residency in Turin required for at least seven months per year. Grants cannot be held concurrently with other awards. Applications must be submitted online via the Fondazione 1563 website by February 16, 2026, 12:00 PM CET. For further information, contact [email protected]. This is an excellent opportunity for postdoctoral researchers in Enlightenment studies, intellectual history, philosophy, political science, and related fields to advance their research in a vibrant, international setting.