PhD in Medieval Literature and Consent in European Narrative Songs Radboud University in Netherlands

Radboud University is advertising a PhD position in Medieval Literature for the ERC-funded CONSENT project, focused on how sexual consent was represented in medieval European narrative songs (c. 1300–1550). The project is based at the Radboud Institute for Culture & History (RICH) in Nijmegen, Netherlands, and is embedded in the research group Intercultural Dynamics.

The PhD project specifically investigates consent in the courts of the Rhine–Maas–Lorraine region (c. 1300–1430), using medieval manuscripts and song corpora to explore how love songs and narrative songs shaped ideas about relationships, mutual consent, and social interaction. The work combines medieval literature, history, philology, manuscript studies, and digital humanities, including network analysis and visualisation tools such as Nodegoat and Gephi.

The selected PhD candidate will conduct independent research, write a dissertation, publish in scholarly journals, present at conferences in the Netherlands and abroad, and contribute limited teaching and training duties. The project also involves collaboration with an international research team and a postdoctoral researcher.

Eligibility highlights: a Master’s degree in Dutch Literature, Medieval Studies, Comparative Literature, Cultural History, or a related field; strong knowledge of Middle Dutch and Middle Low German; good English and Dutch; excellent writing skills; and an interest in codicology, palaeography, and digital humanities. Knowledge of High German and Middle French is an advantage.

Funding: fully funded employment contract, 1.0 FTE, with a gross monthly salary of €3,059 in the first year rising to €3,881 in the fourth year, plus holiday allowance, end-of-year bonus, leave days, and development opportunities. The contract is initially 1.5 years and is extended to 4 years after positive evaluation.

Deadline: 1 May 2026. Applications must be submitted through the university vacancy portal.