[Air-L] JOBS: Four postdoc positions at CITAP (UNC-CH)

[Alice E. Marwick]

The Center for Information, Technology, and Public Life (CITAP) has four
postdoc opportunities open for the 2020-2021 academic year. All positions
require PhD in hand by July 2020 and are located in Chapel Hill, North
Carolina.

CITAP is a bold initiative at the University of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill dedicated to researching, understanding, and responding to the growing
impact of the internet, social media, and other forms of digital
information sharing. Center goals include: tackling broad research
questions with real-world implications for information gathering, social
media regulation, democratic governance, journalism, and civic
understanding; developing a comprehensive understanding of information
environments that will serve as a baseline for emergent research focused on
the interaction of information and technology, particularly in the context
of misinformation, partisanship, polarization, propaganda, and political
institutions; and making subsequent research and data publicly available to
inform technological development, journalistic best practices, and
policymaking.

The successful applicants will join a vibrant research community anchored
by CITAP’s four principal researchers—Deen Freelon (Hussman School of
Journalism and Media), Daniel Kreiss (Hussman), Alice Marwick (Dept. of
Communication), and Zeynep Tufekci (School of Information and Library
Sciences)—as well as a fifth principal who will join us in August 2020.
CITAP affiliates will meet regularly for research updates and internal
presentations, as well as travel to present their work at domestic and
international conferences. All postdoc positions feature a complete
benefits package including health, vision, and dental insurance.

If you are interested please apply now - listings are open until position
filled.

Postdoc 1: Knight Postdoctoral Research Fellow

https://unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/177305 - PhD in any related field
required

The CITAP invites applications for postdoctoral research fellows interested
in the relationship between information and public life, with a particular
focus on algorithms, misinformation, polarization, propaganda, political
institutions, and platform companies. Successful applicants will be
mentored by one or more of the CITAP’s principal investigators, but will be
expected to conduct their own independent research projects as well as
assist on pre-existing center studies. The positions require no teaching,
but fellows may opt to teach up to one class per academic year. Strong
research, analysis, and writing skills are used and required for this
position.

Duties include:
1) Conceptualizing and carrying out an independent research project related
to CITAP’s core mission (1-2 year in scope)
2) Assist PIs with pre-existing research projects and streams as appropriate
3) Write reports and briefs aimed at journalists, the tech policy
community, and the general public.
4) Write academic publications (papers, books, conference papers) as
appropriate.

Postdoc 2: Hewlett Postdoctoral Research Fellow

https://unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/177994- PhD in communication,
political science, information science, sociology, or a related social
science field required

CITAP is broadly focused on the intersection of misinformation,
partisanship, polarization, propaganda, political institutions, and
journalism. One of its major long-term projects, supervised by Dr. Deen
Freelon, is the development of a next-generation media monitoring tool that
will allow researchers to better understand internet users’ content
consumption patterns. The successful candidate will assist in the
development, testing, deployment, and evaluation of this tool, as well as
design and lead research studies based on the data it will generate. This
person will collaborate closely with Dr. Freelon and the full-time
programmer who will be hired to develop the system’s technical
infrastructure.

The successful candidate will demonstrate skills and a sustained interest
in media monitoring, public opinion, survey design and analysis, and/or
secondary analysis of administrative records (e.g. US Census data). More
specifically, we are looking for a scholar who believes that the future of
social media analysis is individual-centered rather than platform-centered,
and whose research record amply reflects this commitment. Accordingly, a
promising body of relevant peer-reviewed publications and/or external
funding is strongly preferred. The position will run for up to three years
with renewal contingent upon performance.

Postdoc 3 & 4: AI/Machine Learning/Encryption Postdoctoral Research
Associates (2 positions)

https://unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/173657 - PhD in Computer Science
Required
https://unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/173589 - PhD in Social Science Field
Required

This position will assist the PI (Zeynep Tufekci) in studying how digital
connectivity, artificial intelligence and the technology industry intersect
in terms of social, political and cultural dynamics, with emphasis on
Global South but also including Western nations and liberal democracies.
There will be special emphasis on the role of surveillance, security and
encryption in mediating these dynamics.

Duties include:
1) Carry out research on artificial intelligence and digital technologies,
including data analytics, machine learning and related fields. Interest,
work or understanding of encryption is a plus.
2) Show interest in, and ability to conceptually think about how technical
developments, practices and affordances interact with dynamics of human
societies, especially including conflict, violence and instability. This is
a core job requirement.
3) Researching relevant news and incidents on the above topics.
4) Assisting the PI in assessing literature and, conducting field and other
research.
5) Creation and writing of bibliographies, reports and papers based on the
research and investigations.




Alice E. Marwick, PhD (she/her)
Assistant Professor, Department of Communication
Principal Researcher, Center for Information, Technology and Public Life
(CITAP)
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
amarwick at gmail.com
http://www.tiara.org  <http://www.tiara.org>
http://citap.unc.edu  <http://citap.unc.edu>