Fellowship at British Museum

Mellon Postdoctoral Research Fellowship for Scientists
Department of Conservation and Scientific Research
The British Museum

Contract: Fixed Term, 3 years

UKP 26,820 pa

The Science Group at the British Museum is seeking an outstanding
postdoctoral scientist for a three-year research fellowship funded
by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The main purpose of the
fellowship programme is to attract outstanding scientists into the
disciplines of examination, conservation, preservation and technical
interpretation of artefacts, thereby strengthening these fields for
the future. The British Museum and Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
believe that postdoctoral training in museums and galleries offers
the most effective method of developing the next generation of
scientists and are committed to providing opportunities for these
postdoctoral fellows to obtain, by working in collaboration with
existing experienced staff, a breadth of knowledge about the
applications of scientific method to the examination of museum
collections and experience in planning and conducting original
research within cross-disciplinary teams. The fellowship will
provide the opportunity both to study the extremely broad range of
materials represented in the British Museum's collections and the
chance to conduct one or two focussed research projects in areas the
fellow has not previously explored, in each case working alongside
experienced scientists, conservators and curators in
interdisciplinary teams. We hope that the fellowship programme will
continue to open new fields of research, perhaps drawing on
developments in scientific disciplines that are not yet well
represented in the heritage sector.

The fellowship will include the following components: training in
the application of analytical techniques to answer curatorial and
conservation enquiries; time to conduct at least one substantial
research project and to publish the results; participation in
professional meetings and conferences; visits to other laboratories
in the London area and short-term placements in analogous
laboratories in the UK or abroad. In the final year the fellow will
organise and lead a workshop/symposium on a topic related to their
research.

Candidates should hold a PhD in a scientific discipline and will
have a high level of scientific achievement combined with a strong
interest in museum objects or archaeology. Experimental research
experience and an ability to plan and execute research are required.
The candidate should be able to communicate the results of their
work clearly and engagingly to a variety of audiences in oral and
written form. A strong publication record or other evidence of
written capabilities and strong team working ability is highly
desirable.

For further information and an application pack, please see

    <URL:http://www.britishmuseum.org/the_museum/jobs.aspx>

Closing date for applications: 12 noon, 10 June 2011

The British Museum is an Equal Opportunities Employer


                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 24:53
                   Distributed: Monday, May 30, 2011
                       Message Id: cdl-24-53-022
                                  ***