Two NOMIS Fellowships in Image Studies at the University of Basel University of Basel in Switzerland

eikones – Center for the Theory and History of the Image at the University of Basel is inviting applications for two one-year NOMIS Fellowships beginning 1 September 2027. The fellowships are open to outstanding junior and senior researchers from the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences whose work connects to the central theme of images as models or paradigms in scientific and aesthetic contexts.

The program is hosted by the University of Basel in Switzerland and is part of eikones, a long-standing center for graduate and postgraduate research on images. The center focuses on the interdisciplinary study of images as instruments of human knowledge and cultural practice, examining their functions and effects across history and in contemporary society. The fellowship topic asks how images make complex structures visible and interpretable, and how they support epistemic, evidential, didactic, and symbolic forms of knowledge.

Possible research directions include the history and theory of imaging techniques in the natural sciences, the ideals and stereotypes shaping social and political contexts, and the formation or dissolution of canons, iconographies, character types, and styles in the arts. Successful projects should be rooted in a specific discipline while also reflecting on the relation between that discipline and image studies.

Fellows will be expected to be in residence at eikones in Basel and to participate in selected institutional events. In return, they will be free from teaching and administrative duties and will receive a generous salary, travel funds, conference funds, and access to excellent academic infrastructure.

Eligibility is selective and based on scholarly achievement, promise, and the relevance of the proposed project to images as models. Applicants must hold a doctoral degree and must have previously published either a monograph (for example, the dissertation) or three journal/edited-volume articles. Applications are welcome from all academic fields as long as the project relates to the fellowship theme. Applications may be submitted in German or English.

The application package requires a cover letter, CV, contact details for two references (without letters), a copy of the doctoral diploma, a 2–3 page project description plus references, and a published writing sample of around 20 pages. Applicants must submit their materials via the University of Basel online portal by 13 September 2026. The instructions specify two uploads only: all materials 1–6 combined into a single PDF in the resume field, plus the cover letter uploaded separately in the cover letter field. Inquiries may be directed to [email protected].

This is a strong opportunity for researchers working at the intersection of image theory, visual culture, and disciplinary research, especially those interested in the role of images in science, art, knowledge production, and interpretation.