| Publication date | 1 October 2021 |
|---|---|
| Closing date | 1 November 2021 |
| Level of education | PhD |
| Hours | 38 hours per week |
| Salary indication | €3,807 to €5.211 gross per month |
| Vacancy number | 21-789 |
The University of Amsterdam’s (UvA) Research Priority Area Communication is looking for a three-year post-doctoral researcher for the Digital Communication Methods Lab. The Lab focuses on innovative research and bringing together existing and new projects with digital communication methods as its cornerstone. Its primary objective is to expand innovative work on methods, analyses, and scientific practices critical to Communication Science, including work on mobile communication and AI, not only as research topics, but also as data collection modes.
This postdoctoral position focuses on the area of AI and Communication. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and related technologies are reshaping our media landscape in an extremely fast pace. This brings drastic changes to our communication environment, including the digitization, personalization and automation of media and communication in a wide variety of contexts – from interpersonal communication to news, health or politics, commerce, entertainment, and everything in between. AI and related technologies – and the increasing availability of digital trace data – also open promising avenues and methods for communication research, which is much needed in such a complex environment. This postdoctoral position will contribute to advance the Lab’s methodological and substantiveresearch in this area, and actively collaborate with interdisciplinary research in affiliate labs within the university – including the RPA Human(e) AI, the AI, Media & Society Lab, and the Communication in the Digital Society Initiative. Ideal starting date is 15 January, 2022 or as soon thereafter as possible.
What are you going to do
You will conduct research on Communication and AI within the broader approach of the Research Priority Area (see website). This research should be methodological in nature – i.e., make use, develop, and extend state-of-the-art digital communication methods – while making a strong substantive contribution for Communication Science.
The postdoc researcher will:
- develop, conduct, and publish research in AI & Communication;
- contribute to the overall RPA in terms of events, research meetings, and general activities;
- collaborate with other faculty members within the lab;
- contribute to new grant applications;
- help co-supervising research projects of students working on relevant topics;
- engage in educational activities (max 20% teaching, pending).
What do we require of you
- A clear research interest in the topic of the position (documented by publications and/or grant applications).
- A relevant background in computational social science, communication science, social science, human-centered approaches to AI or similar.
- Strong methodological skills in computational social science or related fields, as demonstrated by research papers in relevant values. This includes baseline skills in programming as applied for communication science (e.g., Python and R) and, more broadly, the application of computational methods for the collection and/or analysis of communication data.
- Strong methodological skills in social-scientific (quantitative) research methods.
- Strong research interest in AI and communication as witnessed by research papers in relevant venues.
- The ability, willingness, and commitment to do autonomous work in a multidisciplinary team.
- Experience with organising workshops, lecture series, or other events that facilitate knowledge dissemination and valorisation.
- Strong communication skills and experience with working with partners within and outside academia.
- Excellent written and spoken command of English, as demonstrated by publications in English-language journals (written and spoken command of Dutch is a plus).
- A relevant PhD degree.
Our offer
We offer a challenging work environment with a variety of duties and ample scope for individual initiative and development within an inspiring organisation. The Communication department at the UvA is highly respected internationally. To work at the UvA is to work in an independent, creative, innovative and international climate characterised by an open atmosphere and a genuine engagement with the city of Amsterdam and society.
The position concerns a temporary employment contract of 38 hours per week for a term of maximum three years. The second and third year are pending a positive evaluation at the end of the first year. Salary depends on past education and relevant work experience, with a minimum salary of €3.807 and a maximum salary of €5.211 gross per month based on a full-time employment contract for a 38-hour working week (scale 11). The Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities is applicable.
We additionally offer an extensive package of secondary employee benefits, including a generous holiday scheme and year-end bonus. Because we value your continued personal development and professionalisation, we also offer excellent opportunities for study and development.
Questions
Do you have any questions or do you require additional information? Please contact:
- Dr Theo Araujo or Dr Judith Möller, Lab co-directors
About us
The Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences (FMG) is the largest social-science educational and research institution in the Netherlands. The Faculty serves around 9,000 students in numerous Bachelor and Master programs in Political Science, Sociology, Anthropology, Communication Science, Psychology, Human Geography, Urban and Regional Planning, International Development Studies and Educational Sciences. The academic staff is employed in education as well as research. There are over 1,200 employees at the Faculty, located in a number of buildings in the center of Amsterdam.
Job Application
The UvA is an equal-opportunity employer. We prioritize diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for everyone. We value a spirit of enquiry and perseverance, provide the space to keep asking questions, and promote a culture of curiosity and creativity.
Does this profile sound like you? If so, we are eager to receive your CV and cover letter. Please provide, in your application, a link to one of your research papers which is most representative of your work and relevant for this application. We also ask you to provide the names of two researchers who can provide a letter of reference for your application.
The deadline for applications is 1 November 2021.