Postdoctoral Researcher Position in Sociology

The employment is for 2 years and starts on October 1st 2024 or by agreement.

Project description and work tasks

The project, which will analyse the contemporary commemoration and contestation of the Holocaust on social media during its anniversaries in English, Swedish and German linguistic settings, is led by Associate Professor Samuel Merrill. The project will also study the role that social media platforms play in these matters in terms of their technical design and underlying algorithms. It will generate new knowledge, of relevance to a range of societal stakeholders, at a time when memory of the Holocaust is not only being eroded by the passing of its living survivors but also faces risks associated with a contemporary political landscape characterised by increasing polarisation, especially online.

The recruited employee, who will be supervised by Merrill at Umeå University’s Department of Sociology and Centre for Digital Social Research (DIGSUM), is expected to conduct and publish academic research related to the project’s objectives.

The employee is ideally expected to be able to understand and analyze German, Swedish and English language material and to strengthen the project’s use of interviewing methods and/or computational methods to collect and analyze relevant data.

For more information about the project: https://www.umu.se/en/research/projects/neverforget/

Competence

For this position, applicants must have a PhD in sociology or another discipline that is deemed relevant in relation to the research being conducted within the current project (e.g. Media and Communication Studies, Computer Science, Political Science, etc.). The degree must be completed at the latest by the time the employment decision is made.

Since employment as a postdoctoral fellow is a qualifying position for junior researchers, we are primarily targeting those who have a doctoral degree that is no older than three years at the time of the application deadline. In special conditions earlier doctoral degrees can be considered. Special conditions include leave due to illness, parental leave, clinical service, positions within trade unions or other similar circumstances, as well as service/assignments relevant to the subject area.

Importance will be placed on previous and planned research of relevance to the project. The assessment is based primarily on the relevance and quality of the submitted research plan and secondarily on other scientific merits.

Given the character of the research project knowledge of German, English and Swedish is desirable. Experience of computational and/or interview methods for data collection and analysis are also highly desirable.

The ability to collaborate as well as work independently is required.

The employment

The position is a full-time employment on a fixed term of two years and includes research time amounting to a minimum of 80% of full time. Teaching and supervision at the undergraduate/advanced level can amount to a maximum of 20% of full-time.

The employment as a postdoctoral fellow follows the Agreement on fixed-term employment as a postdoctoral fellow which applies from February 1, 2022.

The employees are expected to carry out their work in Umeå and participate in common departmental activities.

Application

The application must contain:

• A research plan (maximum two pages including references) that describes research that you could conduct within the framework of the project.
• A cover letter regarding your scientific interests and your motives for applying for the position (maximum one page)
• CV / curriculum vitae with a list of publications
• Maximum 5 scientific publications relevant for the position
• Certified copies of grades and diplomas
• Any other merits of relevance for the position (optional)
• If you plan to complete your doctoral degree after the deadline for applying, please upload information about the planned examination and expected examination date.
• Name and contact information to 2-3 references

Apply via the recruitment system Varbi. The deadline for applying is August 23, 2024.

The Department and DIGSUM

The Department of Sociology offers a stimulating environment with good career opportunities. At present the department employs about 60 persons.

DIGSUM is an interdisciplinary academic research centre for the study of the relationship between digital technology and society. Composed of a community of senior scholars, post-doctoral fellows, and doctoral candidates, DIGSUM’s research projects and interests connect with local, national, and international networks of leading researchers and practitioners in the field of the study of digital society.

For more information about the Department: https://www.umu.se/en/department-of-sociology/

For more information about DIGSUM: https://www.umu.se/en/centre-for-digital-social-research/