Ad Astra Fellow - Assistant Professor in Digital Technologies - Art and Material Culture of Antiquity

We seek an Ad Astra Fellow who is a dynamic research leader in the field of digital and/or AI development and its application to the material culture or iconography of the Classical World. The successful candidate will be based in the  School of Classics, one of the oldest Classics departments in the country and home of a unique national resource, the UCD Classical Museum. The School is developing a new strategic research theme in alignment with the UCD ‘Breaking Boundaries’ strategy and will appoint a researcher who combines in-depth knowledge of the art and material culture of the Classical world with expertise in cutting-edge digital technologies.

The appointee is expected to have significant research project(s) already under way and/or planned, and to contribute to and advise on international best practice for digital projects already in progress under way in the School, including the development of a virtual Classical Museum, the digitisation of the Museum’s collection, and the analysis of archaeological datasets from our fieldwork projects. They will be expected to apply for external research funding annually and to develop a high-impact research cluster of PhD students and postdoctoral researchers within the School of Classics. The Fellowship includes one funded PhD studentship and an annual research budget of €5000. Potential areas of research include:

• Big Data analysis by Machine Learning on artefact or iconographic assemblages
• digital restoration/simulation of ancient buildings, monuments, objects and art
• development of digitisation technologies
• predictive modelling and archaeological sites
• digital technologies for pedagogy and public engagement, including XR
• digital reunification and repatriation, and decolonisation of collections
• ethics and digital cultural heritage data
• AI and collections management
• generative AI and creativity in cultural heritage

It is intended that the Fellow’s activities will augment the current close working relationship between Classics and the School of Art History and Cultural Policy. In addition to complementary research expertise, AHCP will provide access to state-of-the art photogrammetry equipment and other technical, administrative and research support. The appointee will also develop strategic research and teaching links with other relevant centres of expertise across the university, such as the planned AI and Digital Technologies Institute, the Centre for Digital Policy, the Centre for Applied Data Analytics, the Inclusive Design Research Centre, Cultural Heritage Collections of the library, and with academic units such as History, Archaeology, and Architecture, and relevant external bodies as appropriate.

The Fellow will support and enhance the undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes of the Schools of Classics and AHCP (particularly the Classics, Art History and Archaeology BA Humanities degree) by contributing to and developing modules on ancient art and material culture, as well as on methods and theories in digitisation and AI to equip students with key skills in these developing fields. They will be expected to contribute to the public engagement programmes of the Schools, including the award-winning Access Classics. The successful candidate will be appointed for five years with the possibility of permanency after a four-year performance review.

95 Lecturer/Asst Professor Above the Bar (7943) Salary Scale: €62,855 - €99,533 Per Annum

Appointment will be made on scale and in accordance with the Department of Finance guidelines.

Closing date: 12:00 noon (local Irish time) on the 21st February 2025. 

Applications must be submitted by the closing date and time specified. Any applications which are still in progress at the closing time of 12:00 noon (Local Irish Time) on the specified closing date will be cancelled automatically by the system. UCD are unable to accept late applications.

Please note: the eRecruitment system only requests the names of two referees. The full list of 3 referees should be included in the text of your application.

UCD do not require assistance from Recruitment Agencies. Any CVs submitted by Recruitment Agencies will be returned.

Note: Hours of work for academic staff are those as prescribed under Public Service Agreements. For further information please follow the link; https://www.ucd.ie/hr/t4media/Academic%20Contract.pdf