Job Announcement: Postdoctoral Researcher in Late Medieval/Early Modern Japanese History

[Joshua Batts]

Dear colleagues,

 

I hope the summer finds everyone well and not too warm.

 

I’m writing with a job announcement for distribution. I am looking for one postdoctoral researcher in late medieval/early modern Japanese history to join my ERC Horizon Project “Material Authority: Managing Mineral Abundance in Early Modern Japan” (MMA), based out of the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB). I ask that you circulate the following job announcement to prospective candidates within your networks, and to invite the applications of listserv members with relevant research interests and experience.

 

Please note that we are especially keen to attract candidates with a PhD from Japanese institutions. A final hiring cycle, geared more toward the North American market, is anticipated for later in the year.

 

The role is a three-year, fixed-term position, and comes with the medical care and social security benefits standard to employment in Spain. Applications are due on 15 September, end of day.

 

Below I’ve pasted a project abstract and summary information on the position. The summary includes links to briefs on the project and job profile.

 

For more information, please consult projectmma.uab.cat/job-announcement/.

 

Note that applications must be submitted through the UAB job portal at seleccio.uab.cat (call number 2025DILIFRUA72). Materials can be submitted in either English or Japanese.

 

Prospective applicants with questions are welcome to contact me directly off-list at joshua...@uab.cat.

 

Many thanks,

 

Joshua Batts

 

Project Abstract

Material Authority (MMA) puts mines and mining at the center of the political, commercial, and social transformations within Japan from the sixteenth through eighteenth centuries. Recognizing that a boom in precious metals proved instrumental in shaping early modern Japan’s domestic governance and foreign relations, the project proposes the first comprehensive study of Japan’s “mineral politics” during this time. Examining mines well-known (Iwami, Sado) and less-appreciated (Ikuno, Naganoburi) from across the archipelago, MMA departs from quantitative analyses prioritizing mineral production and investigates how authority materialized through mines, and how mines and mineral extraction authored power in Japan. Material Authority integrates and interrogates many of the landmark transitions in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries: protracted conflict yielding to political unification, a rapid expansion and curtailment of foreign relations. Mines are present in accounts of these transformations but have never been offered as an organizing principle by which to examine each and their effects on one another. To this end, the project team will pursue three lines of research: exploring how mines shaped authority, catalyzed management, and facilitated exchange. A paleography seminar will facilitate collaboration and develop skills honed by research in Japan conducted at archives and through on-site visits. A parallel research seminar will spotlight scholarship on mineral politics and resource management across geographical specialty and model a final goal of Material Authority: to inform inquiry into the entangled transformations in material extraction and human power across the early modern world.

 

 

Job Announcement

The ERC-funded project Material Authority (MMA) invites applications for a postdoctoral researcher (call number 2025DILIFRUA72) to join the research team under the supervision of Dr. Joshua Batts (PI). The position is for a full-time, three-year contract (non-renewable), expected to start in Spring 2026. The position is intended for and will prioritise applicants holding a PhD from a Japanese institution, granted within the past four years. Applications are due 15 September, 2025.

The successful candidate will implement an individual line of inquiry within the project’s three themes (Authority, Management, and Exchange) and will be responsible for coordinating a regular palaeography seminar for the team to build familiarity across core sources. They will also work with the PI to coordinate and run annual weeklong reading workshops for project members and affiliated researchers. Demonstrable prior experience conducting research on medieval or early modern Japan is essential, and the candidate should have a strong command of manuscript sources written in premodern Japanese. Direct experience in mining history is welcome but is not a pre-requisite to applying. The project welcomes scholars who are eager to examine issues of power, authority, resource management, and economic transformation through the lens of Japan’s mines and extractive industries. Candidates should be open to developing expertise in this area while contributing to the project’s broader thematic goals. 

The working languages of the project will be English and, to a lesser extent, Japanese. Knowledge of Spanish or Catalan is not a requirement of the position, although the acquisition of basic competency will aid in the researcher’s ability to participate in locally organized events.

A research brief introducing MMA project themes and research questions in more depth is available for download hereAbre en nueva ventana. Candidates are advised to consult this document to inform their application.

Required Documents: Application Stage

• CV
• Cover letter
• Contact information for three references
• Research Brief (400-500 words)

Required Documents: Interview Stage

• Writing sample
• Research proposal (1200-1500 words)

Candidates should also consult further particulars of the position and application process available for download here.

Note: The selection committee reserves the right to leave the position unfilled if no suitable candidate is identified.

To apply, submit your application via: seleccio.uab.catAbre en nueva ventana (call number 2025DILIFRUA72). Note that applicants will need to register for an account to apply.

Questions regarding the application process should be directed to Project Manager Rosa Puga Aranda (RosaMar...@uab.cat).

Questions regarding the position should be directed to the PI at joshua...@uab.cat.

We look forward to considering your application.