Two Start-up Grants for the Doctoral Program in Literary Studies
One-year start-up grants to support junior researchers in developing a competitive PhD project.
Best for:Recent MA graduates in philology or literary studies seeking to secure long-term funding for their PhD research.
Overview
The Doctoral Program in Literary Studies at the University of Basel is offering two one-year start-up grants to support promising junior researchers. These grants are intended to provide financial support during the initial phase of developing a dissertation project. The primary goal is for recipients to prepare and submit a successful application for long-term doctoral funding or project-based employment within six months. Successful candidates will join an international, interphilological research community and participate in seminars, colloquia, and academic retreats.
What you'll do
- Develop a competitive dissertation project proposal for external funding applications.
- Actively participate in the Doctoral Program in Literary Studies, including seminars and colloquia.
- Engage in academic exchange and receive feedback on work-in-progress.
- Submit applications for long-term PhD funding or project employment within six months.
- Enroll as a doctoral student at the University of Basel.
Requirements
Degree required: MA degree or equivalent in a philology or related field
Degree offered: PhD
Language: English, German, French, or Italian
Instruction: English, German, French, or Italian
- Outstanding academic record in a relevant philological discipline
- Well-developed dissertation project concept
- Ability to secure confirmation of supervision from a professor at the Department of Languages and Literatures
- Proficiency in English, German, French, or Italian
- Must not already hold a doctoral degree
- Must not be at an advanced stage of doctoral studies
- MA grade of at least 5.0 in the Swiss system (or equivalent)
Funding & terms
How to apply
Deadline: 2026-11-15 (Europe/Zurich)
Submit all required documents as a single PDF file via email to the coordinator of the Doctoral Program. Ensure you have contacted potential supervisors and conducted orientation interviews prior to submission.
- Letter of motivation
- CV
- Dissertation project outline
- MA degree certificate with final grade
- Text samples
- Letter of reference
Contact
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