[Air-L] Call for Applications: Visiting Postdoctoral Fellowships “Algorithmed Public Spheres” (Hamburg)

[Cornelius Puschmann]

Dear colleagues,

Please allow me to share the call for applications pasted below -- do pass
it on to any postdocs you know who might be interested.

All best (and apologies for cross-posting),

Cornelius


***Visiting Postdoctoral Fellowships “Algorithmed Public Spheres”
(Deadline: April 1st)***

SUMMARY:
The Hans Bredow Institute for Media Research  in Hamburg, Germany, invites
applications for international postdoctoral research fellows who will
conduct innovative research on the social and cultural impact of algorithms
during stays of 3-12 months in Hamburg in the academic year 2017/2018.

DESCRIPTION:
The Hans Bredow Institute for Media Research is a publicly funded research
institute that focuses on the study of mediated public communication. Its
research encompasses both broadcast and digital communication from an
interdisciplinary and comparative perspective.

The postdoctoral research network Algorithmed Public Spheres was
established to study the relevance of algorithms for the constitution of
the public sphere. We emphasize in particular the importance of algorithms
for filtering, ranking and selecting media content and for structuring
digital communication. In contrast to the use of data mining in areas such
as healthcare, credit scoring and general business analytics, where such
techniques have a long tradition, the impact of algorithms on the public
sphere poses novel challenges. How are communication, media, and public
discourse impacted by transferring the dominant logics of consumption from
other industries to news, information, and political deliberation,
implemented in social media platforms, search engines, and on news websites?

Research in this area could include:
- Measurement of algorithmic bias and discrimination
- Feedback effects in recommender systems
- Assessment of potential filter bubbles
- Algorithms in news production, distribution and consumption processes
- User interaction with and rationalization of algorithms

We invite applications for international postdoctoral research fellows from
fields including, but not restricted to, computer and information science,
communication and media studies, law, sociology and philosophy, who will
conduct innovative research on the social and cultural impact of algorithms
during stays of 3-12 months in Hamburg in the academic year 2017/2018. We
particularly welcome cross-cutting research proposals that integrate
technical and social perspectives and result in concrete outcomes, for
example in the form of peer-reviewed research articles or proposals for
externally funded projects.

Up to two funded fellowships will be awarded as result of this call. The
fellowships cover airfare and a contribution to the accommodation and
subsistence in Hamburg. In specific cases, we may offer a temporary
employment contract instead of a scholarship.

To apply, please send a cover letter (one page), a project proposal (up to
three pages) and your CV (up to four pages), including a list of your most
relevant publications (maximum of five), to Cornelius Puschmann (
c.puschmann at hans-bredow-institut.de). Please note that applications
submitted after the deadline will not be considered.

IMPORTANT DATES:
Application deadline: April 1, 2017
Announcement of 2017/2018 Fellows: May 1, 2017

-- 
Dr. Cornelius Puschmann
Research Associate
Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society
Französische Straße 9
10117 Berlin, Germany
www.hiig.de

Senior Researcher
Hans Bredow Institute for Media Research
Rothenbaumchaussee 36
20148 Hamburg, Germany
www.hans-bredow-institut.de

p: +49 40 450 217 55
e: cornelius.puschmann at hiig.de
w: cbpuschmann.net

*Recent paper:*
Puschmann, C., & Scheffler, T. (2016). Topic modeling for media and
communication research: A short primer (*HIIG Discussion Paper Series* No.
2016–5). Berlin. Retrieved from
http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2836478