Position Details

School of English, Drama and Creative Studies

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

As this vacancy has limited funding the maximum full time salary that can be offered is Grade 7, salary £36,333

Grade 7

Part Time (18.75 hours per week)

Fixed Term contract up to September 2024

Closing date: 29th May 2023

Background

The Collected Letters of Ford Madox Ford project (CLFMF) seeks a Part-Time Research Fellow (RF) to support the publication, contracted by Oxford University Press, of six volumes of letters by a figure central to the development of twentieth-century literature. The appointed RF will be involved in all aspects of editing a collection of letters and will be supported to develop their research and editing skills, and will receive a credit on the published volumes.

The appointment is funded by the Modern Humanities Research Association (MHRA), which exists to promote high-quality scholarship in English and the Modern Languages. It does this by publishing journals and monographs and by supporting major research projects. The successful applicant will hold the title 'MHRA Research Fellow’.

The appointment will be to a half-time 12-month post starting on 2nd October 2023 or as soon as possible thereafter. The RF will be line managed by Prof. Max Saunders and based and accommodated at the University of Birmingham (UoB), but will work with the full team of eight editors. The RF will play an essential role in the completion of work on the letters, undertaking research essential to annotations and paratextual materials in specific volumes, and the project Chronology, as well as making archival trips to source missing documents and completing the few remaining transcriptions. The appointed RF will therefore develop key knowledge and skills related to archival research, editing letters, and the principles of scholarly editing more generally, as well as those that are also more widely professionally applicable, such as proof reading and data management. The career interests of the appointee will be advanced, in addition, through a range of training opportunities, including support to gain teaching experience and to draft one or more publications resulting from their work on the project.

• Work within the specified research grant and project and contribute to writing bids
• Operate within area of specialism
• Analyse and interpret research findings and results
• Contribute to generating funding

Main Duties

The responsibilities may include some but not all of the responsibilities outlined below.

Further to a comprehensive introduction to the project in a series of meetings with Saunders and co-General Editor Prof. Sara Haslam (Open University), the RF’s supported work, starting with Volume 1 and then expanding to later volumes, will include:

• Checking the edited letters against the database, to ensure no omissions and correct any anomalies
• Archival research to source missing documents in, for example, the National Library of Scotland and the Parliamentary Archives collections
• Research to support the annotations and drafting of associated text
• Transcription of remaining letters, especially in Volumes 4, 5 and 6; and therefore, developing skills in modern palaeography
• Supplementing the draft chronology of Ford’s life to be published in each volume (already existing) through biographical and letters-based research and drafting text for inclusion
• Checking for editorial and annotation consistency across the volumes, with close reference to the project’s Manual for Volume Editor.
• Promotes equality and values diversity acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture.
  

The RF will have regular project meetings with Prof. Saunders, weekly for the first two months – with a particular focus on mastering the editorial principles in the project Manual – and then monthly, always with the possibility of additional informal discussion where necessary. Once familiar with the project, the RF will also collaborate with VEs from across the edition. We anticipate that after the work on Volume 1, the RF will focus on Volume 4. VEs meet formally every quarter; the RF will both feed questions into these meetings and be additionally supported by them.

The RF will undertake social media publicity and be encouraged to write occasional blogs for the project area of the Ford Society website on a relevant topic of her or his choosing – discussion of which will form part of the regular meetings with Prof Saunders. This activity will offer valuable experience in KE, public engagement and impact. The RF will attend Editorial Board meetings, and both organize and contribute to project and Modern Letter Editing network workshops at UoB, the Open University and elsewhere.

Finally, a large-scale bid to the AHRC for funding to move on to the collected edition of Ford’s published works is a vital part of our longer-term strategy. Discussions planning the bid for the subsequent edition will include the RF, contributing to their career development.

As well as publication credits in all the volumes on which they work, the RF will be supported to present at relevant conferences; to draft and submit an article to, for example, the Ford journal Last Post; and to guest-edit or co-guest-edit an issue of Last Post.

There will be opportunities to offer teaching for UoB’s Department of English Literature. In addition to mentoring by Saunders, support and engagement opportunities are provided by UoB’s Early Career and Research Staff Committee (ECARS). The RF would be encouraged to select from all relevant training for postdocs on offer by UoB, which provides a varied programme to support the professional development of early career academics and researchers through a number of routes.

Person Specification

• A doctorate in English literature of the period (1890s-1930s) will be essential.
• Expertise in working with modern letters, manuscripts and/or textual editing would be highly desirable.
• The successful applicant will also need detailed working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel and Wordpress.
• Ability to communicate complex information clearly
• Ability to assess resource requirements and use resources effectively
• Understanding of and ability to contribute to broader management/administration processes
• Contribute to the planning and organising of the research project
• Co-ordinate own work with others to avoid conflict or duplication of effort
• Knowledge of the Equality Act 2010, and how to actively ensure in day to day activity in their own area that those with protected characteristics are treated equally and fairly
  

Informal enquires to Max Saunders, email: m.saunders@bham.ac.uk

Valuing excellence, sustaining investment

We value diversity and inclusion at the University of Birmingham and welcome applications from all sections of the community and are open to discussions around all forms of flexible working .