[Air-L] Open Position: Post-Doc Fellow in Internet Research, Infrastructures and Governance in Berlin

[Christian Katzenbach]

Hi everyone, 

this job announcement might be of interest to you: At our internet research institute in Berlin (http://www.hiig.de, co-hosting IR 17), we are looking for a post-doc in Internet Research, Infrastructures and Governance in Berlin.

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Post-Doctoral Research Fellow
Internet Infrastructure and Governance
12 Months

http://www.hiig.de/en/open-position-post-doctoral-research-fellow/

The Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society (HIIG) seeks applications from post-doctoral researchers for the position of a research fellow in Internet Policy and Governance. The candidate is expected to develop a research program focussing on governing infrastructures in digital societies.

This post is a 0.75 FTE position and is available immediately for 12 months in the first instance, with the possibility of renewal thereafter, funding permitting. The salary is based on public sector wages (salary grade: TV-L 14, approx. € 35-40k p.a. gross salary, depending on your working experience, plus child allowances).

Applications are invited from outstanding candidates with a PhD in social sciences. The succesful candidate will join the Internet Policy & Governance research team which investigates public and private forms of ordering from a social science perspective with a focus on the interplay between socio-cultural, technical and legal norms shaping the development of the Internet. In order to complement these research activities we seek a post-doctoral research fellow who investigates questions at the intersection of technologies, regulation, discourses and culture (in short: society) with regard to internet infrastructure. Along these lines, the research perspective shall not be restricted to a regulatory perspective on infrastructure but rather represent an articulate sensibility for “governing infrastructures” taking the the politics of infrastructures and technologies into account.

Job Description

	• The succesful candidate is expected to develop and carry forward a research strategy addressing the governance of internet infrastructure and relevant discourses (eg. Net Neutrality, Routing, Big Data, Politics of Platforms).

	• A core task of this position is the acquisition of third-party funding facilitating the sustainable developement of this research agenda.

	• The successful candidate will develop and implement empirical case studies taking the lead in project management, data collection and analysis, and the dissemination of results.

	• The ideal candidate enjoys working with a multidisciplinary team of researchers and actively contributes to the intellectual exchange but also the management and administration of the research unit; the fellow will also mentor junior researchers and support the director.

	• The succesful candidate is expected to publish in top-rated journals and open-access outlets and to give presentations at national and international conferences. 

	• There are no teaching obligations attached to this position, but teaching agreements with Berlin’s Universities are possible.

This position is an ideal opportunity for a scholar whose work draws on a diverse set of disciplines (eg. political science, STS, media and communication studies, sociology, computer science) to bring empirical and analytical perspectives to complex socio-technical issues. It allows for the development of an outstanding academic profile that combines empirical and theoretical originality, multidisciplinary perspectives and management expertise on an international level.

Qualifications

	• A completed PhD or doctoral degree in a subject relevant to the position (preferably social science). 

	• Expertise and experience in writing research proposals.

	• Research focus on infrastructural and/or technological aspects of Internet Policy and Governance.

	• Academic ambition and curiosity grounded in a solid methodological, analytical, and theoretical foundation.

	• A strong academic record with theoretical contributions and empirical projects reflected in academic publications in key outlets and paper presentations at international conferences.

	• Proficiency in English is expected. An advanced level of German is desired but not obligatory.

Working Environment
The research activities of the growing Institute in Berlin provide excellent conditions to develop your own research ideas and to advance a range of research projects related to the study of Internet and Society. Our interdisciplinary-oriented projects are planned and implemented in small teams, working in an office located in the heart of Berlin. The Institute has a strong international focus and is currently, together with the Berkman Center at Harvard, the co-lead of a Global Network of Interdisciplinary Internet & Society Research Centers bringing together leading academic institutions from all across the world. 

For more specific information about the Institute and the research area Internet Policy and Governance, please visit our website http://www.hiig.de/en/research/internet-policy-governance/.

Application
The application should contain 

	• a letter of motivation,

	• an academic CV (incl. complete list of publications, presentations and projects),

	• a research statement (max. 3 pages) that sketches a research agenda relevant to the position, ideally connecting it to your previous research and the research conducted by the HIIG and/or the Internet Policy and Governance team,

	• one or two publications or excerpts relevant to the position (as pdf),

	• and list of two referees including contact details.

Please submit your application electronically via the application form provided on the website of the Institute: http://www.hiig.de/en/open-position-post-doctoral-research-fellow/

Application review will begin 04 August 2014 and continue until the position is filled. You are welcome to direct your questions to Research Coordinator Christian Katzenbach (katzenbach at hiig.de).


-- 
Christian Katzenbach 
Alexander von Humboldt Institut für Internet und Gesellschaft

katzenbach at hiig.de
Tel: +49 (0)30 2093 3490