At the University of Bremen the Collaborative Research Center 1342 "Global Dynamics of Social Policy" invites applications - under the condition of job release - for the following academic position
Post-Doctoral Researcher in Informatics / Human Computer Interaction
– Salary Scale TV-L 13 (100 %), start date: as soon as possible –
The position is a fixed term position until December 31, 2021.
Reference number: A 11/18
The position is part of the Collaborative Research Center "Global Dynamics of Social Policy" (Globale Entwicklungsdynamiken von Sozialpolitik) funded by the German Research Foundation and will be located within the project
A01: Measuring the global dynamics of social policy and cross-national interdependencies-Co-Creating the Global Welfare State Information System (WeSIS)
Responsibilities
As human-computer interaction researchers, our research question will focus on co-creation and the empowerment of social scientists. Our collaboration with world-class social scientists gives you the chance to work on exciting real-world problems. We position ourselves in the emerging field of computational social science, which is an umbrella term for the adoption of computational methods by social scientists. Together with a large group of social scientists, we will build the information system that gives a holistic picture of the global welfare state.
Your role is defined as building a bridge between technology and the user by improving the user experience of visualizations. For this, we are looking for a computer scientist interested in data science, i. e. machine learning and visualization. Your focus will be on the user-centered design and development of novel data visualization tools. Together with your project partners, you will be part of the development of the information system, which will be made available as a web platform. You will support creating the database management system and the basis system infrastructure.
As a postdoctoral researcher, you will be responsible for the system’s architecture, the co-creation processes and the support of doctoral and student researchers. Additionally, you will be able to pursue your own research activities to qualify for a future academic career.
Project Description
The CRC comprises 15 projects and is divided into two sections. Projects in section A mainly rely on macro quantitative techniques to analyse and explain social policy dynamics in a global perspective. In the projects of section B, the mechanisms that link international interdependencies and national determinants to the spread, inclusiveness, and generosity of social policy dynamics are analysed by applying qualitative case study analyses.
Project A01 aims to quantify the dynamics of socio-political interdependencies between countries on a global scale. For this, a web-based information system will be developed, which allows a comprehensive analysis of such interdependencies and which will empower social scientists to leverage state-of-the-art machine learning and visualization tools. This system will be co-created by an interdisciplinary team of political scientists, geographers, and computer scientists. Together, we will envision, implement and evaluate novel software tools and techniques. The web-based information system will be the first to enable the dynamic measurement of social policy and horizontal and vertical interdependencies between countries on a global scale. WeSIS will also aggregate the findings of the collaborative research center in a central space. Eventually, WeSIS will contain data on social policy, country-specific characteristics, and political, economic, and social interdependencies across states as well as the countries integration into International Organisations.
Requirements
- Ph.D. degree or equivalent in Computer Science, Human-Computer Interaction, Digital Media, Media Informatics, or a related field
- experience with user-centered and participatory design
- experience with computational social science
- experience in database design and development
- interest in advancing social science by envisioning novel visualization tools
- programming skills in Python, Ruby, Java, or equivalent object-oriented programming language
- Level C1 in English
- Level B2 in German and interest in extending to C1
Desirable
- proven experience with web development
- proven experience with co-creation
The University of Bremen has received a number of awards for its diversity policies and offers a family-friendly working environment as well as an international atmosphere.
The University is committed to a policy of providing equal employment opportunities for both men and women alike, and therefore strongly encourages women to apply for the positions offered. Applicants with disabilities will be considered preferentially in case of equal qualifications and aptitudes. The University of Bremen explicitly invites individuals with migration backgrounds to apply.
If you have any questions regarding the position, please contact Prof. Dr. Andreas Breiter (abreiter@uni-bremen.de).
Applications including a cover letter, a short letter of intent (up to three pages) explaining your own motivations and possible research questions, CV, as well as copies of degree certificates, should be submitted by May 18th, 2018, to
Information Management
Research Group
Prof. Dr. Andreas Breiter
Am Fallturm 1 (Entrance F)
D-28359 Bremen
or by Email: Miss Ewa Zoschke
The costs of application and presentation cannot be reimbursed.