Call for Applications for ITSERR TNA fellowships 2024-2025

ITSERR launches its first call for applications for the Transnational Access (TNA) programme!

Foreign scholars (European and non-European) and PhD students – individuals or teams – within the fieldwork of Religious Studies or within the fieldwork of IT for DH can apply for a funded research fellowship to visit the special libraries, collections, archives and IT laboratories of the ITSERR TNA network of hosts.

ABOUT

ITSERR is the Italian project aimed at enhancing the RESILIENCE Research Infrastructure, whose high interdisciplinarity is finalized to meet the evolving needs of the Religious Studies scientific community by enriching the diversity, the quality and innovation of the knowledge in this specific domain. The project is developed thanks to the collaboration between humanists (experts on History, Philology and Christian, Islamic and Jewish Studies, but also archaeologists working on topics and sites related to the domain of Religious Studies) and IT engineers.

Through its Transnational Access Programme ITSERR offers support and expertise for research stays at leading Italian Universities and research centres holding relevant collections within libraries and archives for Religious Studies together with outstanding IT laboratories for the increasing of the development of Digital Humanities.

European and non-European scholars and PhD students are invited to apply for a funded research fellowship to visit the special libraries, collections, archives and IT laboratories of ITSERR TNA hosts.

The call will be open from June 30th to August 19th, 2024.

HOW ITSERR TNA WORKS?

ITSERR TNA funded programme foresees ingoing and outgoing mobility. 

  • Foreign scholars (European and non-European) and PhD students – individuals or teams – within the fieldwork of Religious Studies or within the fieldwork of IT for DH, can apply for funded TNA within the nodes of the ITSERR network (ingoing mobility).
  • ITSERR scholars and PhD students from programs of the ITSERR consortium can apply for funded TNA within the framework of the RESILIENCE TNA calls to stay in one of the TNA Hosts of the RESILIENCE RI (outgoing mobility). More detailed information on the next RESILIENCE TNA Call for Applications can be found here: https://www.resilience-ri.eu/cfa-tna/

Funded TNA for research teams are a specific feature of the ITSERR project as it ensure the collaboration and the development of the research leaded by each team. Please note that this opportunity is dedicated exclusively to ingoing mobility within the Italian network of hosts of ITSERR.

Please note that this first call for application is dedicated exclusively to ingoing mobility.

ITSERR TNA fellowships are funded by NextGenerationEU – National Recovery and Resilience Plan (Piano Nazionale di Ripresa e Resilienza, PNRR)  and awarded on a competitive basis, based on specific  eligibility criteria (see below).

WHAT OFFERS ITSERR TNA

Beyond the effective access, both physical and virtual, to the unique collections, IT laboratories and expertise of the leading Italian Universities and research Institutions ITSERR TNA covers the following costs:

  • Economy flights
  • Accommodation close to the Institutions (by booking full board accommodations also the cost of daily subsistence is covered) 
  • Free access to collections and services

Our founded TNA is featured by the following duration of the period of research at ITSERR TNA hosts:

  1. one/two weeks according to the kind of research leaded and  to the kind of instruments to use.
  2. Until one month for individual fellows or teams participating to the technical development of the project and in the making of the services.

SELECTION AND ELIGIBLE CRITERIA

To benefit from the support of funded ITSERR TNA, applicants are requested to submit proposals that will be evaluated by the Peer Review Committee  based on the following selection criteria:

  • Quality of the research conducted by the applicant
  • Scientific merit of the proposed project
  • Feasibility of the proposed project 
  • Personal statement

Proposals for accessing our programme are eligible if they meet the following criteria:

  • Transnationality: to promote transnational research the TNA fellows have to be affiliated to Institutions from countries other than that of the TNA site
  • All TNA fellows must ensure open access to publications arising from their stay during TNA
  • Balance of the heterogeneity of the applicants according to age, gender, provenance, research/professional status.
  • Team  applications: the interdisciplinarity and heterogeneity of the composition of the team members will be encouraged

To apply for funded ITSERR TNA is necessary to follow the procedure described at the bottom of this web page. 

Please note that: You will need an ORCID number. If you don’t already have one, please go to orcid.org to obtain your own in a few clicks.

ITSERR TNA HOSTS

ITSERR is a consortium of 5 partners including 4 Italian Universities and the National Research Council (CNR).

All these centres and libraries grant access to their collections , documents and rare books as well as to their virtual sources and to excellence IT laboratories. Within the consortium each partner participates with some specific Institutes and Departments to the development of the activities of the WP of the projects. To discover more about each WP see our website: https://www.itserr.it/index.php/itserr-its-work-packages/

Italian National Research Council (CNR)

The Italian National Research Council (CNR) is the largest public research Institution in Italy performing multidisciplinary activities of  excellence and dedicated to knowledge. As leading member of the Consortium, the CNR is involved within all WPs through the Institute “A. Faedo” (Pisa), particularly within the WP2, WP3, WP4, WP5, WP7, WP8 and WP12 of the ITSERR project.

 Institute of Information Science and Technologies (ISTI) “A. Faedo” – Pisa

The Institute of Information Science and Technologies (ISTI) is an institute located in the CNR Research Area of Pisa, committed to scientific excellence and to playing an active role in technology transfer. Here a crucial role is played by the  Laboratory of Artificial Intelligence for Media and Humanities, which investigates the advances in the state of the art in the Artificial Intelligence field, specifically addressing applications to digital media and digital humanities, taking into account issues related to scalability. 

https://www.isti.cnr.it/en/about

Library services: ISTI libraries

UNIVERSITY OF MODENA AND REGGIO EMILIA (UniMORE)

UNIMORE is a public university, a primary venue for free research and education and a place for the development and critical processing of knowledge. Moreover, it offers facilities with internationally sponsored research activities through its libraries, collections and laboratories.

Two departments of this prestigious university are involved within the ITSERR project  with WP4, WP5; WP6; WP8;  WP12.

Library services: Unimore – Libraries

Department of Education and Humanities (DESU)

This Department is featured by a wide transversality of its disciplines on the model of the most prestigious international School of Education through the advancement and dissemination of scientific knowledge. Its structure is open to the new challenges within the fieldwork of education by cooperating with the main organizations at a local, regional, national and international level.

https://des.unimore.it/en/department

Department of Engineering “Enzo Ferrari” 

This Department represents a prestigious center of research whose activities covers all the scientific and fundamental areas of Engineering. Particularly, some of the Department activities are dedicated to Computer Vision and Multimedia and to the analysis of digital images of manuscripts and other sources of cultural heritage. 

https://www.ingmo.unimore.it/it/dipartimento

UNIVERSITY OF PALERMO (UniPA) 

UniPa is the fifth University in Italy, covering all fields of studies, fostering an interdisciplinary approach. With its 16 Departments, 21 libraries and a museum system together with a campus close to the downtown Unipa offers many facilities to the researchers. 

As one of the leading member of the Consortium, Unipa is involved within all WPs and particularly five Departments of UniPA are involved with the research led by  WP3, WP4, WP5, WP6, WP7, and WP8 of the ITSERR project.

Library services: Libraries at UniPA

Department of Cultures and Societies

The Department is focused on the awareness of the need to broaden the research pathways in the “humanistic” field and to identify areas of intervention by strengthening the synergy between different disciplinary traditions. Fieldwork area are “classical” (archeology, antiquity sciences, art history) and ethno-anthropological (cultural anthropology, ethnology, ethnomusicology), with a strong connection to local territory and to the processes of conservation and enhancement of Cultural Heritage.

https://www.unipa.it/dipartimenti/cultureesocieta/en/department/presentation.html

Department of Law

The Department of Law (DiGi) is one of the Excellence departments of UniPA. The DiGi collects approximately 120 structured research projects, whose fields extend to all areas of law study, including bordering areas (political economy, sociology) whose study is crucial for legal disciplines. 

https://www.unipa.it/dipartimenti/di.gi./en/department/presentation.html

Department of Mathematics and Computer Science

The Department has developed research on text analysis, data driven AI, machine learning, deep learning, natural language processing, interaction design, human computer interaction, combinatorics on words, algorithms on strings, data structures and algorithms.

https://www.unipa.it/dipartimenti/matematicaeinformatica/en/places.html

Department of Engineering

The Department of Engineering is focused on the implementation of inter- and multi-disciplinary research, responding to the challenges posed by complex real life scenarios, by efficiently leveraging on the multi-disciplinary expertise of its staff. 

https://www.unipa.it/dipartimenti/ingegneria/en/department/presentation.html

Department of Architecture

The Department has a long tradition of studies in Industrial Design, on theories and methods of Design, including techniques and tools for the representation of its functional and formal characteristics. A great attention is given to the development of professional competences.

https://www.unipa.it/Faculty-of-Architecture-00002

UNIVERSITY “L’ORIENTALE” – NAPLES  (UniOR)

UniOr is the home of research teams working in the fields of antiquity studies, literature, philosophy, pedagogy, psychology, law, economics and social sciences with highly relevant libraries and collectionsthe fields of antiquity studies, literature, philosophy, pedagogy, psychology, law, economics and social sciences with highly relevant libraries and collections.

Library services: Libraries at UniOR

Department of Asia, Africa and Mediterranean 

This excellence Department is focused working in both education and research activities. Moreover, its  specialist libraries based at the sixteenth-century Palazzo Corigliano in Piazza San Domenico boast truly precious collections, including the ancient books of the original Chinese College. This department is involved within WP10 of the ITSERR project.

https://www.unior.it/en/departments/dipartimento-asia-africa-e-mediterraneo

UNIVERSITY OF TURIN  (UniTO) 

UniTo is one of the largest Italian Universities, open to international research and training. There are 22 libraries spread over 32 locations, together with 2 own museums. Unito is also connected to the network of local museums, whose subjects range from Egypt to contemporary Art.

Department of Historical Studies

This Department promotes an interdisciplinary approach to learning and research, being ranked top 5% of the national departmental structures. Teaching and research explore a wide range of areas of historical studies, from archaeology to the history of religions, with a global reach covering the ancient Middle East, the Mediterranean area, the origins of Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa. The Department is involved within WP9 of the ITSERR project.

https://www.historicalstudies.unito.it/do/home.pl

Library services: Historical Studies library

PUBLICATIONS

ITSERR TNA fellows should aim to publish the results of their researches within a clear timeline and preferably in open access ISI or SCOPUS refereed journals that have substantial academic impact. Moreover, the support of the EU and of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNNR) as well the use of ITSERR services must be clearly acknowledged in the academic publications.

WHO CAN APPLY?

European and non-European scholars and PhD students whose research is leaded within the fieldwork of Religious Studies or within the IT fieldwork, especially for the development of softwares and tools for Digital Humanities, can apply for a fellowship regardless of their academic status. 

APPLICATIONS

ITSERR TNA programme foresees to launch three calls for proposals on:

June 30th, 2024

December 10th, 2024

June 10th, 2025

The application process of the first call for proposals is closed per 19th of August, 2024.

Please note all applications will be processed after September 1st, 2024.

HOW TO APPLY

All the documents (application form and 2 pages CV – European pass template – all 1 PDF file) to be submitted to tna@itserr.it

To apply for our calls proposals, please download the application form:

ITSERR_TNA-application-form-2024-with-template-Download

QUESTIONS

For general questions about the application procedure and Transnational Access (TNA), please contact the ITSERR TNA team tna@itserr.it