Postdoctoral Researcher in Chinese Buddhist Philosophy

The Institute for the Cultural and Intellectual History of Asia (IKGA) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (OeAW), Austria’s leading non-university research and science institution, is offering a

POSTDOC POSITION (F/M/X)
(part-time, 36 hours per week)

in the European Research Council project “The Ethics of Empty Beliefs: Chinese Buddhist Philosophy in the ‘Period of Disunity’” (CHINBUDDHPHIL) (ERC-2022-StG-101077136). The successful candidate will contribute to the project, principally by conducting research on the philosophy of the Sanlun 三論 school of Chinese Buddhism in relation to Western philosophy.

Your tasks:
• Conduct research as part of a sub-project concerned with the relevance of Sanlun Buddhist ideas to the philosophical study of the ethics of belief (broadly understood).
• Take a lead role in organizing an international workshop on the sub-project topic.
• Publish research results in leading scholarly venues.
• Present research results at workshops and international conferences.
• Support the principal investigator as needed in project implementation.

Your profile:
• PhD degree in the field of Buddhist studies, Chinese studies, or a related field (by the start date).
• Excellent knowledge of Classical (and ideally Modern) Chinese.
• Very good knowledge of written and spoken English.
• Demonstrated expertise in Chinese Buddhist philosophy during the period under study.
• Ideally, familiarity with other relevant research languages (e.g., Sanskrit, Pali, Tibetan, Japanese, Korean, Greek, Latin, German, French).
• Ideally, familiarity with Western philosophy (of any period or school) and interest in the ethics of belief.

We offer:
• A part-time position at 90% for two years, starting on or around September 01st, 2025, and foreseen to end on August 31st, 2027 (pending budgetary availability, there is a possibility of extension until June 30th, 2028).
• An annual gross salary of € 59.851.26 according to the collective agreement of the Austrian Academy of Sciences.
• Attractive working conditions at the IKGA, a well-established and dynamic research institution, as part of the international team of the CHINBUDDHPHIL project.

The successful applicant is expected to take up residence in Vienna, a city consistently rated as having a particularly high quality of life. Questions regarding the position can be addressed to the principal investigator, Rafal K. Stepien ([email protected]).

Please send your application materials as a single PDF document to the project manager, Hermine Huber ([email protected]), indicating the Job ID IKGA166PD224 in the heading. Applications should include a cover letter explaining your research interests and motivation for applying, a full CV including list of publications (if applicable) and contact details of three referees, a research proposal (ca. 2–3 pages), and a copy of degrees and transcripts. Two writing samples should also be included, either as separate PDFs or via download link. The call is open until the position is filled; applications received before December 15th, 2024 will be assured full consideration.

The Austrian Academy of Sciences (OeAW) pursues a non-discriminatory employment policy and values equal opportunities, as well as diversity. Individuals from underrepresented groups are particularly encouraged to apply