Postdoctoral Research Fellow

• $75,193 to $125,043 (ALEV A-B) Plus 17% Super
• 3.5 Years Fixed Term, Full-time, Mount Lawley Campus
• Open to candidates with the relevant work rights

Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Academic Level A/B 
ARC Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child (ECU node) 
School of Arts and Humanities (SAH)-based
$75,193 to $100,797 (ALEVA) or $105,832 to $125,043 (ALEVB)
Plus 17% Super
Mount Lawley Campus
Full-time, 3.5 Years Fixed-Term. 

This highly motivated Postdoctoral Research Fellow will drive the node’s research program, connect across programs and partner universities, lead and mentor less experience staff, and support delivery of outputs. 

The Role
The Centre of Excellence Postdoctoral Research Fellow (RF) will work to support and facilitate research and research outputs that align with the Centre’s research programs and the node’s ‘Connected Child’ focus. Research into the Connected Child balances access to social and knowledge connections in the digital world against risks of surveillance, infringements of privacy and child rights. The RF will work semi-autonomously to engage with children and participant families, industry partners, other nodes and Centre researchers, and international colleagues. They will be mentored to develop their research proposal writing and leadership skills and offered opportunities to initiate and lead projects and publications, guided by one of ECU’s Centre of Excellence Chief Investigators (CI), Lelia Green.

Reporting to CI Green the RF will be responsible for a range of tasks including, but not limited to: conducting nationally leading ethnographic research with children and families; producing quality publications, other research outputs and community engagement; liaising with stakeholders to propose, develop, progress and acquit new research projects; leading and mentoring less experienced research officers including two part time roles specifically aligned with ECU’s Connected Child research; building an inclusive and supportive community both within the ECU node and across the Centre, with a special focus on liaising with other Early Career Researchers; and supporting the work of CI Green by, for example, deputising as appropriate on committees and in meetings.

The Successful Candidate
Essential criteria – the successful candidate will have:

• Demonstrated capability to conduct ethnographic research including in-depth interviews and focus groups;
• Evidence of leadership skills and engagement with stakeholders, or clear indicators of progress towards developing such skills;
• Excellent publication record, commensurate with opportunity and level of appointment;
• A PhD (or one on the brink of submission) compatible with the broad range of disciplines informing interdisciplinary research into young children’s connected lives;
• ARC-compatible Early Career Researcher status (within five years of PhD completion, taking into account COVID, life experiences and work-related/between employment impediments);
• Personal attributes congruent with Edith Cowan’s University’s values of integrity, respect, rational inquiry, personal excellence, and courage.

Desirable criterion:

• A track record of research with young children, their families, and expectant first-time parents.

The School of Arts and Humanities is one of the largest in the university, with diverse disciplines arranged into two main academic groupings: Creative Humanities; and Psychology and Social Sciences. The School operates across three campuses, with more than 100 academic and professional staff, and has a strong online education presence. The Centre of Excellence Research Team will be relocating to a vibrant city-centre campus in the heart of Perth in 2026. The diversity of the School is a strength, enabling interdisciplinary innovation, a sustainable financial platform, and many opportunities for collaboration with industry and community. The School seeks to advance social justice in the world and to improve the quality of life for all. Research and teaching focus on enabling more equal and positive social relations; fostering the realisation of individual human potential; and promoting diverse creative expression. Working together, students and staff increase the stores of human, social, and cultural capital as a foundation for progress towards a more just and inclusive society. This work clearly recognises that humanity must respect, and sustain itself within, the natural environment.

Benefits & Remuneration
This fixed-term position attracts a remuneration of $75,193 - $125,043 (depending upon level of appointment) plus 17% University superannuation contribution. Relocation support will be available.

ECU supports a work/life balance for staff. Benefits such as flexible working arrangements may also be negotiated to meet personal circumstances.

Contact
Professor Lelia Green, the ECU node leader, welcomes calls from prospective candidates on 0417 096 464.

About the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child  
The Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child is the world’s first research centre dedicated to creating positive digital childhoods for all Australian children. Funded through a $34.9M grant and an additional $32.2M in cash and in-kind contributions from national and international partners, the Centre delivers and disseminates evidence-based research for Australian children to be healthy, educated and connected in a digital world. There are three overarching programs:

Healthy Child: balancing the health risks of digital technologies against access to knowledge and social interactions that provide opportunity for positive physical, social and emotional wellbeing. 

Educated Child: harnessing digital technologies to optimise learning and access to knowledge through active interactions and development of engaging and thought-provoking technologies. 

Connected Child: balancing access to social and knowledge connections in the digital world against risks of surveillance, infringements of privacy and child rights. 

The ECU node is home to two ARC Chief Investigators: CI Lelia Green, Connected Child; and CI Lennie Barblett, Educated Child. The successful applicant will work with an established team of research officers and engaged academics from across four Schools: Arts and Humanities (where the role is based), Education, Nursing and Midwifery and Health and Medical Sciences. 

How to Apply 
Please upload your curriculum vitae along with a (max 3 page) statement. There is no need to address each criterion individually: you can use your statement to tell us why you are the best candidate for this role! 

Applications close:
Close of business Sunday 11 June 2023.

PLEASE NOTE: 

• APPLICATIONS WILL ONLY BE ACCEPTED FROM CANDIDATES WHO HAVE THE RELEVANT WORKING RIGHTS TO FILL THIS POSITION.
• SHORT-LISTED APPLICANTS WILL BE INVITED TO COMPLETE AN APTITUDE EXERCISE AS WELL AS ATTEND AN INTERVIEW.

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