Postdoctoral Positions Available at Cambridge

Two postdoctoral positions at Cambridge with the Minderoo Centre for Technology & Democracy, one of which can be made at the Senior level. Of particular interest is hiring in the area of the environmental impact of digital technologies and/or the future of work. Professor of Technology and Society, Gina Neff, is on the hiring committee and happy to answer your questions. Information is included below, and the full ad is available at the following URL:

Research Associate/Senior Research Associate x 2 (Fixed Term)

Applications are invited for two Research Associates for the Minderoo Centre for Technology and Democracy (MCTD), with the possibility of one or both of these posts made at the Senior Research Associate level. The posts are advertised for 2 years in the first instance, with the possible option to extend for a further year. It is hoped that applicants can be in post as soon as possible, ideally no later than 1 October 2021.

The mission of the MCTD is to conduct research that provides evidence for increased policy interventions and expanding public engagement that addresses the most pressing challenges in the digital technology ecosystem. MCTD’s mission centers on the following thematic areas:

  • Understanding and mitigating the environmental impact of digital technologies
  • The future of work in a digitally dominated world
  • Trust and accountability with the rise of technologically-mediated social life
  • Public understanding of digital technology
  • Building journalistic capacity to interrogate the tech industry
  • Identifying and fostering creative uses of digital technology for the following:
    • revitalizing democracy
    • supporting diverse publics

There is particular interest in hiring people who have demonstrated expertise of the first two areas listed above. People are sought who can demonstrate that they can work with a wide variety of communities. Successful candidates will be expected to carry out fundamental research for the goal of public impact with support and mentoring from the MCTD team. They will be responsible for conducting independent empirical research or critical theoretical scholarship as well as working collaboratively with the MCTD group to produce public-facing scholarship in the form of writing public-facing reports, in conjunction with partners, stakeholders and teams on ongoing MCTD projects.

Ideal applicants demonstrate expertise in at least one of the areas of direct relevance the Centre’s work. As a multidisciplinary research institute, Cambridge welcomes applications from Social Sciences, Humanities and Information Sciences disciplines, including (but not limited to) Anthropology, Communication and Digital Media Studies, Computer and Information Sciences, Environmental Studies, History, Law, Politics, Policy and Sociology. All applicants must hold, or have submitted for examination, a PhD by the time of appointment.

MCTD is hosted within Cambridge’s Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (CRASSH) and is supported by Frontier Technology Initiative of the Minderoo Foundation. Click the ‘Apply’ button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online. The closing date for applications is midnight (GMT) on Sunday 6th June 2021 and interviews will be held week commencing 14th June 2021, subject to confirmation.

If you have any questions about this vacancy or the application process, please contact Molly Carrick, HR Coordinator, at sahhr@admin.cam.ac.uk. Please quote reference VM26496 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy. The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society. The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK. Thank you for your consideration.

Gina Neff, Professor of Technology & Society, Oxford Internet Institute, UK