PhD Studentship in Conservation and Restoration of Early Keyboards

University of Rome La Sapienza

and

University of Pavia
Department of Musicology and Cultural Heritage

 

  • Start date: 1 October 2025
  • Application Deadline: July 21  2025, 23.59 noon (Rome time)
  • Interviews: September 15, 2025

The University of Rome, La Sapienza and The Department of Musicology and Cultural Heritage are pleased to invite applications for a fully funded PhD studentship as part of the ERC Synergy Project REM@KE(Reconstructing Embodied Musical Knowledge at the Keyboard). The successful candidate will join an interdisciplinary research team based in Italy, Sweden, and the UK, collaborating with leading scholars in organology, empirical and historical musicology, music cognition, artistic research, psychoacoustics, and digital humanities.

The studentship is offered within the  Doctoral Program in  Heritage Sciences. The wide variety of disciplines represented by the board members favours a strongly interdisciplinary approach.

 

The Research Project

The REM@KE project, a collaboration between the Universities of Pavia, Gothenburg, and York, explores how embodied knowledge has shaped keyboard musicianship and instrument building throughout history. The project combines historical analysis, organological study, empirical research, practice-based exploration, and physical and digital reconstruction. It investigates the diverse ways in which musicians, instrument builders, listeners, and educators engage with historical keyboard instruments and their replicas, inspiring innovative approaches to their reconstruction.

The Doctoral student will conduct original research on materials, tools and building techniques, elaborating conservation and restoration plans to be used during the research project. They will also collaborate on developing and testing a documentation protocol for keyboard instruments, participate in research trips to museums, and help design experimental settings for single components relevant to sound production.

The doctoral student will be supervised by PI Guido (UniPV), working in a team with doctoral students and other researchers within the Doctoral Consortium and the Research Project Network.

Supervision and Research Environment

The PhD student will be based at the Department of Musicology and Cultural Heritage, University of Pavia, under the supervision of Prof. Massimiliano Guido. The candidate will have the opportunity to collaborate with international scholars and performers across the three hubs of the REM@KE project. Doctoral seminars will be offered within the Doctoral Program’s general curriculum and the Research Project network.

The project’s working language is English.

Funding and Benefits

The studentship is fully funded for three (full-time) years  and includes:

  • Tax-free stipend of € 16.243,00  per year.
  • An extra stipend of up to 50% of the monthly stipend for research periods spent abroad.
  • Travel allowance for conferences, workshops, and research trips will also be provided up to 20% of the annual stipend.
  • An extension of one year is possible if required by the research project.

Eligibility

The studentship is open to both EU and international applicants. Candidates should meet the following criteria:

Essential Criteria

  • A Master’s degree in Conservation and Restoration of Musical Instrument (Laurea Magistrale a ciclo unico in Conservazione e Restauro dei Beni Culturali, pfp 6 or equivalent).
  • Exceptional research and analytical skills, with specific experience in instrument restoration and building.
  • Ability to work both independently and collaboratively within an interdisciplinary team.
  • Strong understanding of keyboard organology and research into material culture.
  • Familiarity with museum-level documentation protocols

Desirable Criteria

  • Interest or experience in early music
  • Interest or experience in music cognition.
  • Interest in practice-based research and digital humanities
  • Understanding of acoustics
  • Experience in photogrammetry, 3D scanning, and other analytical approaches

 

How to Apply

To apply, follow the instructions in the main call, available at https://www.uniroma1.it/it/pagina/ammissione-ai-corsi-di-dottorato   (Select “Bando aggiuntivo”). Further details at https://phd.uniroma1.it/web/concorso41.aspx?i=4200&l=IT

  • CV (max 4 pages).
  • Personal statement (max 1,500 words)
  • Master thesis abstract
  • Research proposal related to conservation issues for early keyboard instruments (max 5,000 characters) in English.
  • Degree transcripts and certificates (for completed and ongoing qualifications).
  • Two academic references (contact details required).

 

Either or both of:

  • Sample of written work (7,000–10,000 words, e.g., thesis chapter or research paper)
  • Sample of conservation treatments and/or restoration work.

 

Shortlisted candidates will be invited for an interview on  September 15, 2025. For international applicants, the interview will be online.

Informal Enquiries

For an informal discussion about the opportunity, please contact:

We encourage applications from diverse backgrounds and are committed to fostering an inclusive research community.