Caliphal Finances Research Fellow

Job Description Grade UE07: £41,064 - £48,822 College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences / School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures / Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies Full time- 35 hours per week, fixed term to 31 st December 2027 Number of posts: 1 Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies, part of the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures are looking for a Caliphal Finances Research Fellow to join the ERC funded project Caliphal Finances- The Finances of the Caliphate: Abbasid Fiscal Practice in Islamic Late Antiquity. The Opportunity The Caliphal Finances Research Fellow will join the ERC funded project Caliphal Finances. The Finances of the Caliphate: Abbasid Fiscal Practice in Islamic Late Antiquity. This project, funded by the European Commission through its European Research Council Starting Grant Scheme, offers an ambitious new account of a seminal period in Islamic history. It will provide a view from below on Abbasid fiscal history through a study of papyrus documents in Greek, Coptic and Arabic written in Egypt. The Research Fellow will EITHER be a specialist of Coptic and Greek papyrology OR a specialist of Abbasid History and Historiography. They will lead various work-packages in collaboration with the PI. This post is full-time (35 hours per week); We are also open to considering requests for hybrid working (on a non-contractual basis, and must be based in the UK) that combines a mix of remote and regular on-campus working. Your Skills And Attributes For Success A PhD in a relevant discipline Research expertise in working with Arabic or Greek and Coptic sources datable to the early Islamic period. Good organisational skills and ability to prioritise tasks and deadlines Ability to communicate complex information clearly, both orally and in writing Willingness to fit in with a team orientation coupled with ability to work independently Click to view a copy of the full job description (opens new browser tab) Application Information Please ensure you include the following documents in your application: CV Cover letter As a valued member of our team you can expect: A competitive salary An exciting, positive, creative, challenging and rewarding place to work. To be part of a diverse and vibrant international community Comprehensive Staff Benefits, such as a generous holiday entitlement, competitive pension schemes, staff discounts, and family-friendly initiatives. Check out the full list on our staff benefits page (opens in a new tab) and use our reward calculator to discover the total value of your pay and benefits Championing equality, diversity and inclusion The University of Edinburgh holds a Silver Athena SWAN award in recognition of our commitment to advance gender equality in higher education. We are members of the Race Equality Charter and we are also Stonewall Scotland Diversity Champions, actively promoting LGBT equality. Prior to any employment commencing with the University you will be required to evidence your right to work in the UK. Further information is available on our right to work webpages (opens new browser tab) The University may be able to sponsor the employment of international workers in this role. This will depend on a number of factors specific to the successful applicant. Key dates to note The closing date for applications is 9 December 2025. Unless stated otherwise the closing time for applications is 11:59pm GMT. If you are applying outside the UK the closing time on our adverts automatically adjusts to your browsers local time zone. About Us As a world-leading research-intensive University, we are here to address tomorrow’s greatest challenges. Between now and 2030 we will do that with a values-led approach to teaching, research and innovation, and through the strength of our relationships, both locally and globally. About The Team The School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures (LLC) is one of the largest Schools in the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Edinburgh. We are an international community at the heart of the main University campus, drawing connections between people and cultures both within and beyond our School, and thriving on our place in a global festival city. Based in George Square, we are surrounded by world-class resources and collections. Teaching and Learning We offer one of the widest range of languages of any UK university, teaching all six official languages of the United Nations, and eight of the languages of the European Union. Based in the first UNESCO City of Literature, we are home to the oldest department of English Literature in the UK - one of the longest established in the world - and the oldest Celtic department in Scotland. Arabic has been taught here for over 260 years. With over 100 undergraduate programmes, many offered with partner Schools in our College, we encourage flexible, interdisciplinary learning. Our four-year undergraduate degrees are specifically designed to enable choice and broaden minds. Our large postgraduate community comprises students on taught and research masters programmes, as well as a highly active group of PhD candidates. At postgraduate level, we are a leading centre for the study of film, including exhibition and curation, and for comparative literature, intermediality, and translation studies. Research LLC is home to many research centres and networks. Often highly interdisciplinary, these groups bring together researchers at all career stages with partners and stakeholders on a range of activities. In the last Research Excellence Framework (REF) over 70% of the School's research activity was rated world leading or internationally excellent (3* or 4*).