Transformations of Latin Astronomy, 1000-1250

The research aim of this Fellowship is to advance scholarly and public understanding of Europe’s role in the history of pre-modern science and the precise nature of its intellectual debts to the Islamic world.

It will do so thorough investigating the development of medieval European astronomy in the watershed period from 1000 to 1250 based on an analysis of unpublished or neglected sources.

The two interlocking themes of this investigation will be (i) the role of observation in medieval astronomy and (ii) the ways in which Latin astronomers assimilated new knowledge from Islamic sources as well as their motivations for doing so.

In order to address these questions, the Researcher, Philipp Nothaft, will be based at the History Department of Trinity College Dublin, where he will work under the supervision of Dr. Immo Warntjes, an expert in medieval scientific manuscripts.

The duration of the fellowship is 24 months, during which time the Researcher will acquire transferable skills in the areas of Digital Humanities, manuscript research, and research project management.

He will also be able to gain experience in academic teaching and receive further training through programmes provided by TCD’s Centre for Academic Practice & eLearning (CAPSL) and Research Development Office. Together, these measures will fundamentally improve his career prospects and employability.

The fellowship will be critical in enabling the Researcher to acquire the research and professional expertise necessary to attain his career goal of becoming an international leader in research on the history of science in pre-modern Europe.