Call for Applications
Two Junior Scholars
ERC (European Research Council) Consolidator Grant (No. 101229483)
MIRA: Manipravalam — Insight, Research, and Analysis
University of Hamburg (Host Institution) in partnership with the École française d’Extrême-Orient (EFEO), Pondicherry
Location: École française d’Extrême-Orient (EFEO), Pondicherry, India.
Start date: June 2026
Full-time positions (100%), one-year renewable contracts (until 2031)
The ERC-funded Consolidator Grant project MIRA invites applications for two full-time
positions as junior scholars, which will be based at the École française d’Extrême-Orient
(EFEO), Centre de Pondichéry. The research team will conduct, textual research, manuscript
study, and field-based scholarly activities. Successful candidates will be expected to reside
and work in Pondicherry. MIRA will be hosted at the University of Hamburg and carried out
in close institutional partnership with the EFEO Pondicherry, which will host a research team
and provide the main base for philological work, manuscript research, and so forth.
Project description
MIRA investigates Manipravalam, the Sanskrit–Tamil hybrid literary language that emerged
as a major intellectual medium in medieval South India. Far from being a marginal linguistic
phenomenon, Manipravalam—used by Śrīvaiṣṇavas, Jains, and Śaivas—functioned as a
bridge-language across religious communities, facilitating the transmission of theological
concepts, reshaping Tamil literary culture, and mediating between Sanskrit and Tamil
intellectual traditions. The project integrates philology, manuscript studies, linguistic analysis,
intellectual history, and digital humanities, including the creation of an open-access database,
lexicographic tools, and a Grantha-typing interface.
Required Qualifications (for both profiles)
• An ongoing PhD or a recent PhD
• Excellent knowledge of Tamil
• Excellent command of English
• Proficiency in Sanskrit
• Proficiency in IT skills (MS OFFICE typing skills in Tamil/English/Devanagari)
Desirable Expertise (for both profiles)
• Demonstrated familiarity with Indian religious traditions
• Experience in working in an international project
• TEI Text Encoding Initiative (TEI) skills
• Knowledge of the Grantha script + working knowledge with manuscripts
2
Research profiles
Applicants should clearly indicate which research profile they are applying for:
(A) Jaina Manipravalam
(B) Śaiva Manipravalam
Profile A: Jain Manipravalam
This position focuses on Manipravalam texts within the Tamil Jain tradition, including
narrative and commentarial literature.
Research Context
Tamil Jain authors adopted Manipravalam to participate in broader intellectual and
interreligious debates. Texts such as commentaries on the Nīlakeci and Jain hagiographic
narratives provide crucial insight into doctrinal positioning, narrative strategy, and lexical
borrowing across traditions.
Responsibilities
• Critical edition and translation of selected Jain Manipravalam texts
• Comparative analysis with Śrīvaiṣṇava and Śaiva corpora
• Study of doctrinal vocabulary and semantic adaptation
• Contribution to shared lexical and digital infrastructure
Desirable Expertise
• Specialization in Jain philosophy and/or Tamil Jain literature
• Experience with polemical or interreligious texts
• Training in manuscript studies
Profile B: Śaiva Manipravalam
This position focuses on Manipravalam texts in the Śaiva traditions, especially those
connected to Śaivasiddhānta and later medieval theological developments.
Research Context
Śaiva Manipravalam reflects complex engagement with rival doctrinal systems and displays
variability in its integration of Sanskrit vocabulary. The corpus includes commentaries and
poetic works that illuminate sectarian debates and the reshaping of Tamil religious discourse.
3
Responsibilities
• Critical edition and translation of selected Śaiva Manipravalam texts
• Linguistic analysis of hybridity and vocabulary formation
• Study of theological argumentation and intertextuality
• Contribution to the Manipravalam glossary and database
Desirable Expertise
• Specialization in Śaivasiddhānta or related Śaiva philosophical systems
• Experience with hybrid Sanskrit–Tamil prose
What We Offer
• Full-time (100%) research position based at the EFEO Centre in Pondicherry
• One-year contract renewable annually (until 2031)
• Monthly salary: INR 60,000
• Employer-provided social security benefits according to EFEO regulations
• Integration into a major ERC-funded international research project
• Access to EFEO manuscript collections and scholarly networks
• Participation in the development of a foundational digital resource for Manipravalam studies
Application Materials
Applicants should submit:
1. Cover letter outlining relevant experience and indicating clearly the profile applied for (A or B)
2. Curriculum vitae
3. Writing sample (maximum 30 pages)
4. Contact details of two referees
Shortlisted candidates may be invited for interview, online or in-person.
Application deadline: 15 April 2026
Applications should be sent electronically to:
administration@efeo-pondicherry.org with copy to erc.projectMIRA@gmail.com
Please indicate in the subject line of your email:
MIRA Application – Junior Scholar [Profile A/B] – [Applicant’s Name]
Call for Applications
One Postdoctoral Fellow
ERC (European Research Council) Consolidator Grant (No. 101229483)
MIRA: Manipravalam — Insight, Research, and Analysis
University of Hamburg (Host Institution) in partnership with the École française d’Extrême-Orient (EFEO), Pondicherry
Location: École française d’Extrême-Orient (EFEO), Pondicherry, India.
Start date: June 2026
Full-time positions (100%), one-year renewable contracts (until 2031)
The ERC-funded Consolidator Grant project MIRA invites applications for several full-
time research positions, which will be based at the École française d’Extrême-Orient
(EFEO), Centre de Pondichéry. The research team will conduct, textual research, manuscript
study, and field-based scholarly activities. Successful candidates will be expected to reside
and work in Pondicherry. MIRA will be hosted at the University of Hamburg and carried out
in close institutional partnership with the EFEO Pondicherry, which will host a research team
and provide the main base for philological work, manuscript research, and so forth.
Project description
MIRA investigates Manipravalam, the Sanskrit–Tamil hybrid literary language that emerged
as a major intellectual medium in medieval South India. Far from being a marginal linguistic
phenomenon, Manipravalam—used by Śrīvaiṣṇavas, Jains, and Śaivas—functioned as a
bridge-language across religious communities, facilitating the transmission of theological
concepts, reshaping Tamil literary culture, and mediating between Sanskrit and Tamil
intellectual traditions. The project integrates philology, manuscript studies, linguistic analysis,
intellectual history, and digital humanities, including the creation of an open-access database,
lexicographic tools, and a Grantha-typing interface.
Profile: Śrīvaiṣṇava Manipravalam
This position focuses on Manipravalam texts within the Śrīvaiṣṇava tradition, including
commentarial, theological, and hagiographic literature.
Research ContextŚrīvaiṣṇava Manipravalam played a central role in the medieval
interpretation of the Nālāyira Divya Prabandham, particularly the Tiruvāymoḻi, and in the
articulation of Viśiṣṭādvaita Vedānta. The corpus includes extensive prose commentaries,
polemical treatises, and guru-paramparā narratives.
Responsibilities
• Preparation of critical editions from manuscripts and early printed sources
• Translation into English with philological annotation
2
• Analysis of Sanskrit–Tamil interaction in theological prose
• Study of technical terminology and conceptual transmission
• Contribution to the Manipravalam glossary and digital database
Required Qualifications
• A PhD and a good experience as a research scholar
• Excellent knowledge of Tamil
• Excellent command of English
• Proficiency in Sanskrit
• Proficiency in IT skills (MS OFFICE typing skills in Tamil/English/Devanagari)
Desirable Expertise
• Demonstrated familiarity with Indian religious and philosophical traditions, especially
Viśiṣṭādvaita Vedānta
• Experience in working in an international project
• TEI Text Encoding Initiative (TEI) skills
• Knowledge of the Grantha script + working knowledge with manuscripts
What We Offer
• Full-time (100%) research position based at the EFEO Centre in Pondicherry
• One-year contract renewable annually (until 2031)
• Monthly salary: INR 85,000 for Postdoctoral Fellows and INR 60,000 for Junior
Scholars
• Employer-provided social security benefits according to EFEO regulations
• Integration into a major ERC-funded international research project
• Access to EFEO manuscript collections and scholarly networks
• Participation in the development of a foundational digital resource for Manipravalam
studies
Application Materials
Applicants should submit:
1. Cover letter outlining relevant experience
2. Curriculum vitae
3. Writing sample (maximum 30 pages)
4. Contact details of two referees
Shortlisted candidates may be invited for interview, online or in-person.
Application deadline: 15 April 2026
Applications should be sent electronically to:
administration@efeo-pondicherry.org with copz to erc.projectMIRA@gmail.com
Please indicate in the subject line of your email:
MIRA Application – Postdoc – [Applicant’s Name]
Call for Applications
IT Specialist / Web and Database Developer
ERC Consolidator Grant (No. 101229483)
MIRA: Manipravalam — Insight, Research, and Analysis MIRA
University of Hamburg (Host Institution) in partnership with the École française d’Extrême-Orient (EFEO), Pondicherry
Location: École française d’Extrême-Orient (EFEO), Pondicherry, India
Start date: June 2026
Full-time (100%), one-year renewable contracts (until 2031)
The ERC-funded Consolidator Grant project MIRA (Grant No. 101229483) invites
applications for a full-time IT Specialist / Web and Database Developer based at the École
française d’Extrême-Orient (EFEO), Pondicherry.
MIRA investigates Manipravalam, the Sanskrit–Tamil hybrid literary language that
emerged as a major intellectual medium in medieval South India. A core component of the
project is the development of a sustainable digital infrastructure, including:
• An open-access online database of Manipravalam texts
• A word-searchable corpus
• Linked lexicographic tools
• Integration of manuscript images
• A specialized interface for typing and displaying the Grantha script
The IT Specialist will play a central role in designing, implementing, and maintaining this
digital ecosystem.
Responsibilities
• Design and development of a web-based research platform
• Front-end and back-end web development (including JavaScript-based frameworks)
• Database architecture and management for textual corpora and lexical data
• Integration of searchable text corpora and metadata
• Implementation of content management systems
• Ensuring long-term sustainability, scalability, and data security
• Technical collaboration with philologists and researchers
• Maintenance, updates, and documentation of software tools
Required Qualifications
• Strong proficiency in JavaScript
• experience working with XML
• Demonstrated experience in web design and web development
• Experience with content management systems
• Solid background in database design and management
• Good command of English (written and spoken)
• Good knowledge of Tamil
• Familiarity with Indic scripts, particularly Tamil, Devanāgarī, and Grantha
• Ability to work collaboratively in an interdisciplinary academic environment
Desirable Qualifications
• familiarity with the TEI XML encoding guidelines
• Experience in graphic design and user interface development
• Familiarity with digital humanities projects
• Experience handling Unicode-based multilingual text environments
• Knowledge of Sanskrit
What We Offer
• Full-time (100%) position
• One-year contract renewable annually (until 2031)
• Monthly salary: INR 85,000
• Employer-provided social security benefits according to EFEO regulations
• Participation in a major ERC-funded international research project
• Direct involvement in building a foundational digital resource for South Asian
intellectual history
• Interdisciplinary collaboration with scholars in philology, linguistics, and religious
studies
Application Materials
Applicants should submit:
1. Cover letter outlining relevant technical experience
2. Curriculum vitae
3. Portfolio or examples of previous web/database projects
4. Contact details of two referees
Shortlisted candidates may be invited for interview and/or a technical demonstration.
Application deadline: 15 April 2026]
Applications should be sent electronically to:
administration@efeo-pondicherry.org
Please indicate in the subject line of your email:
MIRA Application – IT Specialist – [Applicant’s Name]