The University is committed to enabling all our colleagues to achieve their full potential. Durham University's Career Development Fellowships are fixed term positions, which include structured development support for early career academics to deliver outstanding education, innovative research/scholarship, and to engage in citizenship activities. The post-holder will be a full academic member of the Department, working alongside world-class colleagues, with the support of a designated mentor.

Career Development Fellows will benefit from tailored support to strengthen their skills, will be provided with a range of academic opportunities, and will benefit from protected time to foster different aspects of their career. The Career Development Fellowships will enable early career academics to acquire a strong and well-rounded foundation to support future applications for substantive academic roles at Durham or elsewhere (no guarantee can be given that a permanent role at Durham will be available for the CDF to apply for at the end of the Fellowship).

The Department of History at Durham University seeks to appoint a talented individual to the 24-month fixed term role of Career Development Fellow in Modern European History (1.0 FTE).

The Department of History is widely recognized as a leading centre of historical research and teaching, consistently ranked among the top history departments in the UK and internationally. (4th in the UK according to the Complete Universities Guide for 2025, 38th in the world according to the QS World University Rankings for 2023.) The Department has particular strength in the political, social, and cultural history of modern Continental Europe, with specialists in French, German, and central and eastern European history, in fascism and communism, and in the history of propaganda and visual and material cultures.

The successful candidate will be responsible in their first year for teaching the Level 3 undergraduate module 'Revolution and History', examining the historiography and memory of the French Revolution, and its impact in shaping modern Europe. They will also be asked to contribute to the Level 1 module 'Modern Times: a Cultural History of Europe, 1860-1960', and to undertake some undergraduate dissertation supervision.

This post offers an exciting opportunity to develop internationally excellent research/scholarship and teaching while providing unrivalled, tailored support for your career progression at an exciting and progressive institution. For more information, please visit our Department pages at www.durham.ac.uk/departments/academic/history/

Given the developmental nature of this role it is not anticipated that the post will be extended beyond the initial fixed term. Following the end of the term, the role-holder will be in a strong position to apply for relevant permanent academic roles, should they arise, at Durham or elsewhere.

Successful applicants are normally expected to be within 8 years of completing their PhD, although career breaks for parental leave and/or health reasons will be considered. This is because the roles are aimed at early career academics who would benefit from a structured development programme and provision of both formal and 'on the job' training. The posts are also open to those who are returning to academia after a career in another sector.

Successful applicants will, ideally be in post by September 2024.

The University provides a working and teaching environment that is inclusive and welcoming and where everyone is treated fairly with dignity and respect. Candidates will be expected to demonstrate these key principles as part of the assessment process.