Research Fellow (Curatorial/Art and Cultural Studies/Museum Studies/Visual Anthropology/Humanities)

The Max Planck–NTU Singapore Centre for Biocultural Worlding (CBCW) is seeking to appoint Research Fellows (Curatorial Research and Practice)—a Research Fellow and a Senior Research Fellow—for a two-year term (renewable), based at the NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore. The fellow(s) will be embedded in an interdisciplinary environment, hybrid in nature, with the Centre jointly operating across Singapore and Germany. As the CBCW functions as a research centre where curatorial and artistic research methods, legal inquiry, and diverse knowledge traditions converge to explore new forms of collaboration and stewardship of biocultural worlds, applications from candidates whose research interests align with CBCW’s concerns are welcomed. The focus is on biological, cultural, and epistemic diversity, with an approach that works relationally with, alongside, and across situated, grounded initiatives of novel research, experimentation in the fields of curatorial and artistic practices, and local and indigenous knowledge traditions.

Key Responsibilities: 

The fellow(s) will conduct independent and collaborative curatorial and artistic research on relevant biocultural worlding topics and forge mutual connections with other CBCW projects. From within the CBCW to public platforms, institutional partnerships, and interventions beyond academic boundaries and museological frameworks, the fellow(s) will advance curatorial and artistic research methods of inquiry to expand epistemic (and material) possibilities, developing new protocols and toolkits for conducting research.

Job Requirements:

• PhD degree in fields of curatorial, art and cultural studies, museum studies, visual anthropology, or other related humanities fields.

• Minimum of 4 years’ postdoctoral/ professional experience for the Senior Research Fellow, with a proven track record.

• Knowledge of and practice in curatorial studies, contemporary art, visual culture and cultural anthropology, art history, or other relevant research methods.

• Outstanding publication achievements in relevant artistic journals, publications, exhibitions and proven visibility in creative projects, whether of international scope or locally specific.

• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines. Proven ability to work independently and collaboratively in an international, interdisciplinary team.

• Excellent academic writing skills with high literacy of artistic and scientific vocabularies that extends beyond text-based forms of knowledge.

• Critically attuned to current curatorial and museological discourse and landscape.

• Familiarity with how injustices result from imbalances among biological, cultural, and epistemic diversity.

• Familiarity with, and research experience in Singapore and/or the Asia-Pacific region would be an asset.

Please submit your application on Workday, accompanied by the following supporting documents:

• Cover letter (one-page) and curriculum vitae, including list of publications, conference presentations, creative projects and exhibitions curated or participated in (in a single PDF).

• A two-page curatorial research proposal (excluding references and annexes) outlining:

  • Proposed topic of the biocultural research.

  • Methodology (specifying key collaborators and knowledge-holding communities)

  • Description of activities and outcomes of the project.

  • Elaboration on how the proposed research will augment the CBCW’s mission and vision.

• Scanned copies of qualifications (in a single PDF).

• Two letters of recommendation.

For more information, visit the website https://ntu.ccasingapore.org/. For any inquiries about the position, contact us at CBCW@ntu.edu.sg.

We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

Hiring Institution: NTU