Postdoc in the Study of Misinformation

The Amsterdam School for Cultural Analysis (ASCA) currently has a vacant Postdoc researcher position as part of the Horizon Europe funded research project vera.ai: VERification Assisted by Artificial Intelligence, led by main researcher Prof. dr. Richard Rogers. ASCA is one of the five Research Schools within the Amsterdam Institute for Humanities Research .

What are you going to do

You will join the Digital Media Lab, part of the new Humlabs, Faculty of Humanities, University of Amsterdam. You will be a part of a research team working on digital methods within New Media & Digital Culture in the Department of Media Studies. You will work on vera.ai, a 3-year project funded by the European Union, Horizon Research and Innovation Actions. Your research focuses on misinformation, especially concerned with OSINT, or open source intelligence as well as digital methods. You will be expected to liaise with open source intelligence researchers, (data) journalists and practitioners, studying their methods and techniques. You will organize co-creation activities, learn and train users in software tools. You will author academic and professional articles and other project outputs.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Design and develop research strategies to undertake open source intelligence analysis, using digital research methods, resulting in publications in academic journals and professional outlets;
• Design and develop co-creation activities with open source practitioners and data journalists, resulting in project software documentation, how-to guides and training materials;
• Actively co-organise Digital Methods Summer and Winter Schools and facilitating vera.ai projects;
• Document the vera.ai project for the purposes of EU project reporting through the organization, coordination and reporting of regular project milestones;
• Develop edited volume or special issue on misinformation research using open source intelligence.

What do you have to offer 

You are a dynamic and ambitious researcher working on misinformation, digital methods, open source intelligence and/or data journalism, with academic training. Your background shows affinities with the study of digital media culture as well as digital research methodologies. You are familiar with co-creation activities and working in data sprints or similar formats. You are able to write up project descriptions and findings for academic and professional audiences.

Your experience and profile

• holds PhD in the humanities or social sciences with a research focus on digital culture, digital research methods or affiliated area;
• provides research output commensurate with the level of the position;
• active and ambitious researcher with a strong publication record;
• has demonstrable experience working with analytical software and open source intelligence tools;
• good team worker and versatile at all levels, capable of working in multidisciplinary teams of computational, information design and humanities or social science researchers;
• has experience in co-creation activities such as data sprints or similar formats;
• excellent organisational experience and skills.

Research that entails collaboration with non-academic institutions and agencies in the Netherlands, Europe, and beyond is highly welcome.

What can we offer you

The Postdoc researcher will be appointed at the Media Studies department of the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Amsterdam and will conduct the research at the Amsterdam School for Cultural Analysis. The employment contract will be for one year. Contingent on a positive performance evaluation the contract will be extended with 2 years. The employment contract is for 19 hours (0,5 fte) a week. The preferred starting date is 1 September 2022.

The gross monthly salary, based on 38 hours per week and relevant experience, ranges between € 3,703 to € 5,439. This sum does not include the 8% holiday allowance and the 8,3% year-end allowance. A favourable tax agreement, the ‘30% ruling’, may apply to non-Dutch applicants. The Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities is applicable.

What else do we offer

• Excellent possibilities for further professional development and education;
• An enthusiastic, inspiring and professional academic team in the centre of Amsterdam;
• The opportunity to collaborate with leading researchers at research institutes that – partly as a result of their interdisciplinary approach – are world renowned.

Disclaimer: contracting is subject to the signature of the grant agreement of the vera-ai project with the European Commission, which is expected to happen in the next coming months.

About us

The University of Amsterdam (UvA) is the Netherlands' largest university, offering the widest range of academic programmes. At the UvA, 30,000 students, 6,000 staff members and 3,000 PhD candidates study and work in a diverse range of fields, connected by a culture of curiosity.

The Faculty of Humanities provides education and conducts research with a strong international profile in a large number of disciplines in de field of language and culture. Located in the heart of Amsterdam, the faculty maintains close ties with many cultural institutes in the capital city. Research and teaching staff focus on interdisciplinary collaboration and are active in several teaching programmes.

Want to know more about our organisation? Read more about working at the University of Amsterdam.

Questions 

Do you have any questions or do you require additional information? Please contact:

Job application

If you feel the profile fits you, and you are interested in the job, we look forward to receiving your application. You can apply online via the link below. Interviews will be held on 14 July.

Applications should include the following information (submitted in one pdf file) :

• A letter, motivating your reasons for applying, and detailing why you are an excellent candidate for the position (no more than 1,000 words);
• A full academic CV, including a list of publications and an indication of language proficiencies;
• One relevant writing sample (totaling no more than 8,000 words);
• The names and contact details of two references who may be approached by the selection committee.

Only complete applications received within the response period via the link below will be considered.

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.

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