Postdoctoral Researcher in Investigating Practices of Interdisciplinary Research and Education (0.8 FTE)

• Employment: 0.8 FTE
• Gross monthly salary: € 2,846 - € 4,490
• Faculty of Science
• Required background: PhD
• Application deadline: 11 April 2022

Today, interdisciplinarity in research and education is a hot topic. But how do we ensure that this collaboration between different fields is actually successful in science and in the classroom? As a postdoc, you will look at how interdisciplinary research projects and education function in practice and what the added value is. A position with a lot of freedom, in a relaxed and open environment.

We are looking for a postdoctoral researcher to carry out a research project on interdisciplinary research and education. The project's aim is to clarify the nature of and challenges for interdisciplinary research and interdisciplinary education. The project will employ both empirical and philosophical methods, corresponding with the variety of expertise present at the Institute for Science in Society (ISiS).

While it is often claimed that solving today's complex societal and scientific problems requires an interdisciplinary approach, it is still not clear how effective interdisciplinary research can be realized. A similar question concerns academic education: there is a growing number of so-called interdisciplinary programmes, but the conditions for successful interdisciplinary education remain unclear. Our research project (two intertwined projects to be carried out in tandem by a postdoctoral researcher and a PhD candidate) aims at investigating both aspects of interdisciplinarity - research and education - and their interaction.

Important research questions of the project are, regarding research: How do interdisciplinary research projects function in practice? What are the merits and pitfalls of interdisciplinary work? What role do disciplinary identities play? How do scientists with different backgrounds, skills and expertise communicate and interact in interdisciplinary contexts? Regarding education: How does existing interdisciplinary education look like? What are the experiences of students in interdisciplinary programmes? What are the conditions for successful interdisciplinary education? Regarding interaction between research and education: What is the added value of interdisciplinary education for interdisciplinary research projects, and vice versa?

These research questions will be approached by means of a combination of empirical and philosophical methods, which may include: qualitative social scientific methods, literature review, document analysis, and conceptual analysis. For the empirical part of the project, the researchers will select case studies of interdisciplinary research projects and educational programmes.

As a postdoctoral researcher in this project you will be expected to write and publish first-author papers, contribute to related projects as a co-author and present your work at international conferences and workshops. You will collaborate closely with a PhD candidate in the same project. Part of your workload will consist of teaching activities at our institute, assisting staff members in their courses at the BSc and/or MSc level. In addition, you may be involved in the supervision and mentoring of junior researchers (PhD candidates, Master's students and interns).

Profile

• You hold a PhD degree in science and technology studies, social sciences, philosophy of science, or a related field.
• You have an affinity for the natural and/or life sciences.
• You have experience with qualitative empirical social scientific research.
• You have an analytical and philosophical mind.
• You have excellent communication skills and the willingness to work in a dynamic, international research team.
• You have a good command of spoken and written English.

We are

You will be part of the Institute for Science in Society (ISiS) at Radboud University (Nijmegen, Netherlands). ISiS is an interdisciplinary research institute at the Faculty of Science , whose aim is to encourage the societal and philosophical reflection on science through dialogue and collaboration between the various research institutes at the faculty. Its mission is to analyse, assess and improve the societal embedding of new developments in science and technology through research, education and outreach, and to understand how society is shaping science and vice versa.

Radboud University
We want to get the best out of science, others and ourselves. Why? Because this is what the world around us desperately needs. Leading research and education make an indispensable contribution to a healthy, free world with equal opportunities for all. This is what unites the more than 24,000 students and 5,600 employees at Radboud University. And this requires even more talent, collaboration and lifelong learning. You have a part to play!

We offer

• Employment for 0.8 FTE.
• The gross monthly salary amounts to a minimum of € and a maximum of €4,474 based on a 38-hour working week, depending on previous education and number of years of relevant work experience (salary scale 10 ).
• You will receive 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus.
• It concerns a temporary employment for 3 years.
• You will be able to use our Dual Career and Family Care Services . Our Dual Career and Family Care Officer can assist you with family-related support, help your partner or spouse prepare for the local labour market, provide customized support in their search for employment  and help your family settle in Nijmegen.
• Working for us means getting extra days off. In case of full-time employment, you can choose between 29 or 41 days of annual leave instead of the legally allotted 20.

Additional employment conditions
Work and science require good employment practices. This is reflected in Radboud University's primary and secondary employment conditions . You can make arrangements for the best possible work-life balance with flexible working hours, various leave arrangements and working from home. You are also able to compose part of your employment conditions yourself, for example, exchange income for extra leave days and receive a reimbursement for your sports subscription. And of course, we offer a good pension plan. You are given plenty of room and responsibility to develop your talents and realise your ambitions. Therefore, we provide various training and development schemes.
Would you like more information?

For questions about the position, please contact Henk de Regt, Professor at +31 24 365 20 38 or [email protected] Alternatively, you can contact Noelle Aarts, Professor at +31 24 365 27 31 or [email protected]

Practical information and applications
You can apply until 11 April 2022, exclusively using the button below. Kindly address your application to Henk de Regt. Please fill in the application form and attach the following documents:

• A letter of motivation.
• Your CV, including the names and contact details of three referees.
• A writing sample.

The first round of interviews will take place on Thursday 21 April. You would preferably begin employment as soon as possible.
We can imagine you're curious about our application procedure . It offers a rough outline of what you can expect during the application process, how we handle your personal data and how we deal with internal and external candidates.

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