项目介绍

2026年3月2日

The Institute of Philosophy at KU Leuven invites applications for a four-year PhD position as part of the ERC-funded project TRANSFORM: “The Late Scholastic Transformation of Hylomorphism. Philosophical Discussions of Form and Matter in Context, 1400-1600” (grant agreement no. 101201130), directed by Prof. Russell Friedman.
The project’s overall aim is to study issues that dominated hylomorphic discussions in the 15th and 16th centuries, such as prime matter’s actuality and dimensionality, corpuscularianism, and substantial form’s causality, with an eye towards a more accurate assessment of the novelty of 17th-century matter and form theories.
The successful applicant will prepare a dissertation that focuses on the development of hylomorphic theories in Italy in the 15th and 16th centuries or on the transfer of hylomorphic theories from Italy to the Iberian peninsula in the same period.
More information on the project can be found here:

Website van de eenheid

Project

In addition to conducting the research leading to their own PhD as a member of the TRANSFORM team and in accordance with the aims of the project, the successful applicant will be expected to both organize and participate in common project activities, including team meetings, seminars, workshops and conferences, and in the research activities of the De Wulf-Mansion Centre for Ancient, Medieval and Renaissance Studies, in which the project is embedded. The working language will be English.

Profile

The candidate has  

• (or will have before the start of the employment) a Master’s degree in Philosophy (or another relevant subject but with documentable training in philosophy) with excellent study results.
• met the admission requirements for the doctoral program of the Institute of Philosophy (hiw.kuleuven.be/en/research/phd)
• Excellent knowledge of especially later-medieval scholastic Latin
• Proficiency in later-medieval Latin paleography will strengthen your application
• Proficiency (good reading knowledge) in French, German, Italian, and/or Spanish will strengthen your application
• Proficiency with database and/or website management will strengthen your application
• Willingness to work in a collaborative research environment and to work predominantly on the topic of the project

Offer

The successful applicant will be employed at KU Leuven under the standard conditions for doctoral fellowships. The four-year fellowship provides for social and health benefits, office space, and a research budget.

Interested?

Please submit your application by using the application tool. The application should include – a short cover letter- CV (including degrees obtained, relevant experience and skills, and the names and contact details of two referees)- all available higher education transcripts.- English as second language proficiency test results, when applicable- A motivational statement (1 page max.) that explains your interest in and background for writing a dissertation and obtaining a PhD-degree on this specific research topic
Starting date (preferably): October 1, 2026For further information, please contact Prof. Russell Friedman (russell.friedman@kuleuven.be)You can apply for this job no later than April 06, 2026 via the online application tool