Call for Applications: 1 researcher position (TV-L E13 75-100%, 3 years, fixed term)
You can access and download this call for applications as .pdf here.
The Digital Media Lab at the Munich Center for Technology in Society, Technische Universität München is seeking a postdoctoral or advanced doctoral Researcher (TV-L E13 75-100%) for a position available immediately with a focus on MCTS & Digital Media as part of the Dataskop project.
1 researcher position (TV-L E13 75-100%, 3 years, fixed term)
About us: The Digital Media Lab at MCTS explores the ongoing digital transformation of our lives, our working environments and our institutions by focusing on the manifold entanglements between infrastructures, datafication and communication in digital societies. In approaching these questions, the digital media lab draws on insights from Science and Technology Studies (MCTS) and Media Studies. We pursue a number of empirical case studies and apply a wide variety of qualitative methods, taking a closer look at current ICT engineering projects reveals how contemporary digital societies are formed.
About the project: Dataskop is a research project that aims to strengthen the digital sovereignty of individual users, e.g. navigating in digital environments or contextualizing algorithms and their effects. Working with partners from interaction design, education and data advocacy organizations, the project will develop tools, methods and practices to strengthen citizen’s informed and sovereign interaction with digital platforms. By building an independent infrastructure, where data can be gathered and donated, the project develops methods to analyse the working of algorithms and their effects, exploring filter effects of recommendation algorithms on users’ information exposure based on organic data. Therefore, the project is developing and applying new and versatile forms of inventive and digital methods approaches to measure and qualify the emergence of filter effects on online platforms. Focusing on recommendation algorithms of platforms like YouTube, Dataskop also explores how users can be empowered to understand this technology by new forms of visualizations, explanations, and educational formats.
Your tasks as a researcher: Your task will include explorative empirical research and data analysis with a focus on platform bias by using and developing new digital and inventive methods. In addition it will include publications in international ranked journals, presentation of results at (international) academic meetings, contributions to the teaching portfolio of the group, and organizing academic events. In addition it is expected that you will prepare own applications for third-party funding in cooperation with PD Dr. Jan-Hendrik Passoth.
What we offer:
- an innovative and interdisciplinary working environment in one of Europe’s leading research institutions in the field of MCTS
- a lively and international research community at the MCTS and TUM, including many international visiting researchers and professors
- the possibility to work on your own research profile
- a challenging position with a high degree of responsibility at the MCTS
What we expect:
- Applicants hold a MA or PhD in the social sciences, humanities, computer/data science.
- Familiarity with MCTS concepts and theories.
- The willingness to explore and develop new inventive and digital methods.
- Interest in interdisciplinary work and engagement with other knowledge cultures.
- Capability of working both as part of a team and independently, including organizational skills
- Fluency in English (at least B2).
- High degree of social competence, communication skills, and team management
Application documents: Your complete application documents must include your CV, your degree certificate, a letter of motivation (max. 2 pages), 1-2 writing samples, and names and contact details of 2 references, including a brief statement explaining your relationship to each of the named references.
Interested? Please send your complete application as a single pdf document to digital@mcts.tum.de
We will accept and review all applications received up until and including 22.05.2020. We are committed to raising the number of women and gender-non-binary individuals in research and teaching, who are especially encouraged to apply. Applicants with disabilities are treated with preference given comparable qualification.
If you have questions about the application procedure or the work of the Digital Media Lab, please contact jan.passoth@tum.de or digital@mcts.tum.de.