22.11.2024

Research Associate (m/f/d, E13 TV-L, 80-100%, 3 years fixed-term)

Faculty of Economcis and Social Sciences, Institute for Research on Far Right Extremism (IRex)

Application deadline: 10.01.2024

At the Institute for Research on Far Right Extremism (IRex) of the Faculty of Economcis and Social Sciences at the University of Tübingen, the following position is to be filled by the start of the summer semester of 2025 in the division of the Professorship for Far Right Extremism Research with focus on Media and Public Spheres (Prof. Dr. Annett Heft):

Research Associate (m/f/x) 
80 % (advanced pre-doc) or 100 % (post-doc), 3 years fixed-term, TV-L E13

IRex is a fundamental and application-oriented, permanent university research institute that investigates the political and social dimensions of far-right extremism and its embedding in society as a whole inter- and transdisciplinarily at regional, national and international level, thus scientifically addressing one of the core contemporary challenges.

The Chair of Far-Right Extremism Research with Focus on Media and Public Spheres is concerned with the emergence, dissemination, use and impact of far-right extremist, right-wing populist and anti-democratic communication and mobilization in networked digital public spheres. The Media and Public Spheres division research program is focused on media infrastructures and the role of platform functionalities for the structures and content of public debates, strategies of mobilization and manipulation of public opinion formation through disinformation, coordinated campaigns and (trans)national networks, as well as dynamics of topic adaptation and diffusion in networked, hybrid public spheres. The research program is characterized by internationally comparative designs, the consideration of political and media opportunity structures as well as a multi-methods and interdisciplinary approach. The application and further development of innovative computational social science methods for data collection and analysis are of particular interest.

We are looking for a research associate in this division. The position is designed to contribute to the research projects of the division and the independent planning and implementation of research projects in one of the following subject areas: (1) Media infrastructures and platform characteristics, (2) Strategies and networks of mobilization, (3) Discourses and dynamics of diffusion in hybrid public spheres. In addition, independent teaching and supervision of students, as well as participation in the department’s overarching tasks, such as the transfer of scientific knowledge and academic self-administration, are part of the position.
We offer the opportunity to work in an innovative and internationally networked research team, responsible, interesting and diverse tasks with a high degree of creative freedom, as well as a variety of further training opportunities.

Key responsibilities include:

• Planning and conducting of research projects in cooperation with the professorship and further academic qualification (doctorate or habilitation)
• National and international publications and lectures
• Independent teaching and supervision of students (100% position: 4 SWS, 80% position: 3,2 SWS)
• Participation in departmental activities such as exams, workshops, applications for third-party funding, etc.
• Participation in the planning and organization of transfer formats and conferences
• Participation in academic self-administration

We expect:

• Very good completed academic degree (Magister, Diplom, Master) in the field of media and communication science, political science, sociology, social sciences, computer science, data science, computational social science or similar.
• In-depth experience in the field of researching the (political) public sphere, analyzing political communication in digital media or international comparative communication
• In-depth knowledge of computational and data-intensive methods of the social sciences (computational social science), in particular, knowledge of one or more of the following methods: Network analysis, automated text analysis, machine learning
• Programming experience, preferably in R and/or Python, and very good application knowledge in the field of statistical data analysis
• Very good English skills

Desirable qualifications:

• PhD or timely completion of a PhD in media and communication science, political science, sociology, social science, computer science, data science, computational social science, or related fields.
• Proven interest in interdisciplinary work and a strong interest in methodological questions
• A high degree of teamwork and communication skills
• Ability to work independently
• Willingness to engage in further training

Your application should include the following documents:

• Application Letter
• Informative curriculum vitae, including details of your research focus, projects, publications and presentations
• Outline of a research project in one of the above-mentioned subject areas of the professorship (maximum 1 page)
• Proof of required qualifications
• A writing sample (publication, research paper, etc.)

Please summarize your application documents in a single PDF file and upload it by 10.1.2025 at the latest: https://nc.irex.uni-tuebingen.de/index.php/s/heft_postdoc

For content-related inquiries, please contact Pr Prof. Dr. Annett Heft (annett.heftspam prevention@uni-tuebingen.de). For formal inquiries, please contact Michaela Hardiman at (michaela.hardimanspam prevention@uni-tuebingen.de). Please note our Christmas break from 21.12.2024 up to and including 6.1.2025. Interviews are expected to take place from week 5/2025. Your personal data will be handled confidentially and used exclusively for the application process. After the conclusion of the process, the application materials of unsuccessful candidates will be deleted.

The University of Tübingen is committed to equity and diversity and actively promotes equal opportunities. The University is committed to increasing the percentage of women in research an teaching and thus encourages women with adequate qualifications to apply. Equally qualified candidates with disabilities will be given preference in the hiring process.

The employment will be made by the Central Administration.