Organisation/Company ICCMU Research Field History » Music history Cultural studies » European studies Arts » Performing arts Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions PhD Positions Application Deadline 29 Nov 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Madrid) Country Spain Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 37.5 Offer Starting Date 1 Jan 2027 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Reference Number PID2025-169808NB-I00 Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? NoOffer DescriptionProject:Spanish Early Music Manuscripts III (SEMM III)Funding Body: Spanish State Research Agency (AEI) / Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, "Knowledge Generation Projects" Call 2025 and actions for the training of predoctoral research personnel associated with these projects, within the framework of the State Plan for Scientific, Technical and Innovation Research 2024-2027, co-funded by the European Union through the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+).Contract Duration:48 months (4 years, full-time), including the possibility of a Postdoctoral Orientation Period (POP) of up to 12 months within this timeframe, in accordance with applicable regulations.Type of Contract: Spanish Predoctoral Employment Contract (in accordance with Article 21 of the Spanish Science Law 14/2011, of June 1st, and Royal Decree 103/2019, of March 1st, approving the Statute of Predoctoral Research Personnel in Training – EPIF).Working Hours: Full-time (37.5 hours/week).The Instituto Complutense de Ciencias Musicales (ICCMU) is Spain's leading academic centre dedicated to music. As part of the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, the ICCMU boasts over 30 years of experience in scientific research, the recovery and dissemination of musical heritage, and specialized music education. We are committed to promoting activities related to the creation, performance, and dissemination of music. The ICCMU is currently a partner in several major research projects, including ERC Grants and the new synergistic project ChordIA-CM, funded by the Comunidad de Madrid.About the SEMM Project (Spanish Early Music Manuscripts)The Spanish Early Music Manuscripts (SEMM) is an open-access database and Digital Humanities research initiative dedicated to the preservation, cataloguing, and study of medieval Spanish liturgical music. Founded in 2015 as an integral member of the international Cantus Index network, SEMM provides scholarly access to primary sources that illustrate Spain's unique and rich contribution to Western chant and liturgical history. Directed by Carmen Julia Gutiérrez, the project brings together an interdisciplinary team from institutions such as UCM, USAL, and ICCMU. SEMM catalogues hundreds of historical manuscripts—including antiphoners, breviaries, graduals, and others—spanning a wide array of musical notations such as Old Hispanic (horizontal and vertical), Silense, Aquitanian, Catalan, and square notation. The third phase of the project (SEMM III)



broadens this scope by combining paleographical and codicological indexing with computational analysis tools and digital encoding formats to maximize international interoperability.Doctoral Thesis Objectives and Project ScopeThe predoctoral fellow will develop a doctoral dissertation directly integrated into the SEMM III project. The research focuses on the preservation, codicological description, neumatic and paleographical analysis of Iberian medieval liturgical chant sources, and their integration into the SEMM digital infrastructure and the Cantus Index network.Key Research Areas:Codicological and liturgical examination of Iberian medieval manuscript sources: antiphoners, breviaries, graduals, and liturgical compilations.Medieval musical palaeography: study of Hispanic/Visigothic notations (vertical and horizontal), Silense notation, Aquitanian, Catalan, and square chant notations.Melodic indexing, liturgical chant cataloguing, and the development of standardized neume taxonomies.Digital Humanities applied to early music: Volpiano and MEI encoding, HTR models, and computational melody analysis.Interoperability and connection of Iberian medieval chant with international repositories (Cantus Index, Chant Editing and Analysis).Key Activities and Responsibilities:In situ archival examination, codicological analysis, and palaeographical transcription of medieval chant manuscripts from ecclesiastical and public archives.Curation, ingestion, and quality assurance of metadata within the Spanish Early Music Manuscripts (SEMM) platform.Critical handling of international scholarly literature (English, French, Italian, German) and reading liturgical medieval Latin texts.Use of computational and digital tools for data indexing, musical edition, and comparative chant study.Active contribution to scientific outreach, research seminars, and technical support to the project coordination team.Where to applyE-mail [email protected] Field Arts » Performing arts Education Level Master Degree or equivalentResearch Field History » Music history Education Level Master Degree or equivalentResearch Field Cultural studies » European studies Education Level Master Degree or equivalentSpecific RequirementsAcademic RequirementsHold a university degree that provides legal access to an official doctoral programme in Spain, in accordance with current legislation. Special consideration will be given to candidates with an academic background in Musicology, Medieval History, Philology, Digital Humanities, or related disciplines,



as well as accredited training in musicology and historical manuscript sources.Legal eligibility to enroll in an accredited doctoral programme at the time of contract execution.Candidates who already hold a PhD degree from any university are strictly ineligible.Prior employment under the Spanish predoctoral contract scheme (Article 21 of Law 14/2011) cannot exceed 48 months in total across all institutions (any prior periods will be deducted proportionally from the maximum contract duration).Languages SPANISH Level ExcellentLanguages ENGLISH Level GoodResearch Field History » Music historyArts » Performing arts Years of Research Experience NoneAdditional InformationRemuneration:1st and 2nd year: 21,070.00 € gross per year, paid in 12 monthly instalments (with prorated extra payments) of 1,755.83 € gross.3rd and 4th year: 22,650.00 € gross per year, paid in 12 monthly instalments (with prorated extra payments) of 1,887.50 € gross.The grant also includes an additional allowance of up to 7,000.00 € for short research stays at other R&D centres and the full coverage of official PhD academic tuition fees.Eligibility criteriaSelection and Evaluation Criteria (Official AEI Evaluation System)Criterion 1. Academic and/or scientific-technical trajectory (up to 50 points):Sub-criterion 1.A): Scientific-technical contributions (up to 45 points). The candidate's academic record/transcripts and other curricular merits will be evaluated, as well as their suitability to the tasks to be carried out based on training and professional experience.Sub-criterion 1.B): Mobility and internationalisation (up to 5 points). The relevance and impact on the candidate's research trajectory of stays in national and international centres and/or in the industrial sector will be evaluated, considering the prestige of the host institution and the activity carried out there.Criterion 2. Suitability of the candidacy to the research activities to be carried out (up to 50 points): Suitability of the candidate's previous experience and training to the objectives of SEMM III (musical palaeography, codicology, Digital Humanities, medieval Latin), added value for their research career, and contribution to the ICCMU host team.Selection process Shortlisted candidates in the curricular merits phase will be invited to a personal interview (in-person or online/videoconference) which will serve to clarify information, learn about research interests, and verify aspects of the curriculum vitae, without modifying the score assigned to accredited merits. The committee will draw up formal minutes with the score broken down by sub-criteria. A reserve employment list may be created.Additional commentsSubmission of ApplicationsApplicants must submit a standardized CV (CVA FECYT format recommended), full official academic transcripts (bachelor's and master's), and a motivation letter to: [email protected] Deadline: 23:59 CET on November 29, 2026.Number of offers available 1 Company/Institute Instituto Complutense de Ciencias Musicales Country Spain State/Province Madrid City Madrid Postal Code 28040 Street C. de Manuel Bartolomé Cossío, s/n, Moncloa - Aravaca, 28040 Madrid, Spain Geofield#J-18808-Ljbffr

📌 Predoctoral Researcher In Training (Madrid)
🏢 ICCMU
📍 Madrid