News  >  All News

Postdoctoral Research Fellow Opportunity at the University of Texas at Austin

The School of Information at the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) announces a Postdoctoral Research Fellow opportunity with the Data Afterlives project (NSF SES-2020183), with a special focus on the data management and digital preservation of National Science Foundation (NSF) funded research. To start on September 1, 2021, this one-year postdoctoral position is renewable for a second year. The salary will be $54,000 per year, plus a standard package of benefits.

Working with professors Amelia Acker (UT iSchool) and Megan Finn (UW iSchool), the Data Afterlives Postdoctoral Research Fellow will explore how the NSF’s data management policy mandate and data management plans have shaped cultures of data sharing and the data life-cycles of federally funded science.

Responsibilities

The Fellow will be expected to pursue individual research and collaborative research, collecting and analyzing data; writing up results, attending regular meetings and reporting progress to PIs, supervising and directing GRAs on the collaborative project. Approximately 40% of the fellow’s time will be spent on independent research, and the fellowship does not include the obligation to teach. In addition to research, the fellow will assist in project-related administration, events, and public communication of results. The School of Information encourages applicants with a PhD or equivalent degrees in information science, science and technology studies, history of science, or sociology.

Qualifications

The UT iSchool is seeking applicants with the following qualities:

  • Interest in long-term scientific data management practices, standards, and preservation
  • Experience with qualitative research, particularly data policy analysis and ethnographic interviewing
  • Excellent writing skills
  • Record of published research
  • Background in productive collaborative research relationships
  • Curiosity about different epistemic cultures
  • Familiarity with science and technology studies, information science, and/or histories of science in the United States
  • Experience with archival work and digital collections either as a researcher or archivist
  • Knowledge about scientific data management, digital preservation and data curation

Applicants must be located in and eligible to work in the US.

Application Instructions

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. The UT iSchool will begin to review applications and interview candidates starting on April 1, 2021.

Applicants should either have completed a doctoral degree within the past three years, or be able to convincingly demonstrate that they will complete the degree before they intend to start this post-doctoral fellowship (e.g. by documenting a scheduled viva/final defense). Required materials:

  • Current CV
  • Cover letter of approximately 2-4 pages (1,000 – 2,000 words). Please provide a clear articulation of your fit with the Data Afterlives project, addressing how your expertise overlaps with, enhances, or expands upon this research agenda.
  • One sample of your writing, preferably a pre- or post-print of a first-authored publication, and
  • Names and contact details of 3 references

Feel free to contact Amelia Acker (aacker@ischool.utexas.edu) or Megan Finn (megfinn@uw.edu) with any questions about the position. Questions about the opportunity or the job responsibilities will not reflect negatively on your application.

 

More information on the application process can be found at : https://apply.interfolio.com/83729

The UNIL-EPFL dhCenter ceased its activities on December 31, 2022. The contents of this site, with the exception of our members' pages, are no longer updated. Thanks to all of you for having kept this space alive! More information