The Department of Social Anthropology, with funding provided by the Wellcome Trust is sponsoring a project entitled The Global War Against the Rat and the Epistemic Emergence of Zoonosis

The project, led by Dr Christos Lynteris (PI), will run at the University of St Andrews from 1 October 2019 to 30 September 2024. The project team will consist of two postdoctoral research fellows who will work independently and in collaboration with each other and the director of the project.

The post will be held for 52 months, starting 1 June 2020 to 30 September 2024.

The Research Fellow will examine rat-proofing practices and campaigns as these unfolded in colonial and metropolitan contexts (including but not limited to British India, the USA, and Argentina) so as to understand how they led to the emergence of new forms of human-rat interaction, and how they contributed to the development of scientific understandings of zoonosis.

Applicants must hold a good first degree and have been awarded or be close to be awarded a PhD in a relevant field of research (history, anthropology, regional studies, animal studies). Applications are encouraged with regard to any relevant field of studies, including medical history, medical anthropology, regional studies and animal studies. Applicants who can demonstrate experience in a) medical historical/anthropological research on animal-borne diseases; and/or b) historical/anthropological research on medical epistemology, are also encouraged to apply regardless of regional research experience.

Applicants must submit a letter of support and a writing sample in support of their application. This can be any published work up to 10,000 words or a thesis chapter.

Applications are particularly welcome from women and ethnic minorities, who are under-represented in Arts posts at the University. You can find out more about Equality & Diversity at https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/hr/edi/.

The University is committed to equality for all, demonstrated through our working on diversity awards (ECU Athena SWAN/Race Charters; Carer Positive; LGBT Charter; and Stonewall). More details can be found at http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/hr/edi/diversityawards/.

School of Philosophical, Anthropological & Film Studies

Salary: £33,797 - £40,322 per annum

Fixed Term: 52 months

Start: 1 June 2020 or as soon as possible thereafter