The following position at the Heidelberg Center for Ibero-American Studies (HCIAS) of Heidelberg University is to be filled as soon as possible, with a limited contract of two years.
Research Associate (f/m/d) (Postdoc) Full-time
The position is part of the Observatory of Spanish in Europe at the Heidelberg Center for IberoAmerican Studies (HCIAS), Heidelberg University, Germany. The Observatory is an interdisciplinary research unit for the innovative and evidence-based analysis of the outcomes of migration-induced contact between Ibero-American communities, European societies, and the Spanish-speaking world against the backdrop of digitalization and new communication technologies. By bringing together linguistics, human geography, sociology, and cultural studies, the Observatory aims to provide information, monitoring, and empirical analyses that address central issues and emerging trends of the Spanish language, its speakers, and cultures in Europe.
The postdoc research associate will develop their own project and support the Observatory's monitoring activities within the framework of one or more of the following research areas:
• Mobility and the construction of Spanish-speaking transnational communities;
• Education and the dynamics of intergenerational transmission and maintenance of Spanish;
• Communication and the spaces for the reception and circulation of culture and knowledge created by the Spanish-speaking communities and their transcultural linkages.
Projects addressing digitalization, information technologies, and artificial intelligence, and how they affect and transform mobility patterns, educational spaces, and the interaction of communities and cultures on the move are highly welcome.
Your tasks:
⎯ Conception, management, and implementation of own project addressing one of the topics of the research areas with a special focus on digitalization, communication technologies, and/or artificial intelligence;
⎯ Development of the monitoring instruments of the Observatory;
⎯ Support of proposals for joint projects and grant applications;
⎯ Writing scientific articles for renowned journals and book chapters, organizing panels, and presenting papers at conferences and seminars to disseminate research findings along with other members and collaborators of the Observatory.
Your profile:
⎯ Completed Ph.D. in social sciences, humanities, or cultural studies related to the research program (e.g., Communication Studies, Latin-American Studies, Linguistics, Sociology, Human Geography)
⎯ Experience in empirical research and digital data (digital corpus, digital humanities, digital databases, etc.);
⎯ Expertise in one or more of the topics of the research program;
⎯ Very good knowledge of English and Spanish, both written and spoken;
⎯ Willingness to assist with grant applications.
Also welcome are:
⎯ Good knowledge of German, Portuguese, or other Ibero-American languages;
⎯ Regional connections between Europe and Ibero-America are especially welcome.
We offer:
⎯ Work in a nationally and internationally connected research context
⎯ A pleasant and productive working atmosphere
⎯ Intensive, individual supervision and support of scientific work
⎯ A wide range of opportunities for further training and career development (e.g., heiTRACKS) Remuneration is based on pay group 13 TV-L.
Further information on the project and the research institution can be found at: https://www.hcias.uniheidelberg.de/en. Please contact Dr. Héctor Álvarez Mella (h.alvarez@uni-heidelberg.de) for further questions regarding the position.
We look forward to receiving your application, which should be submitted no later than June 30, 2023, including (1) a cover letter, (2) a two-page exposé of the research project (in English), (3) a CV with a list of publications, (4) references (university degrees only), and (5) contact information of two people who can send a reference, all together as one coherent PDF file addressed to Prof. Dr. Francisco Moreno-Fernández and sent by email to Ms. Mariel Elizondo Romo (mariel.elizondo@uniheidelberg.de).
Selection interviews will take place shortly after the application deadline. Heidelberg University stands for equal opportunity and diversity. Qualified female candidates are especially invited to apply. Persons with severe disabilities will be given preference if they are equally qualified. Information on job advertisements and the collection of personal data is available at www.uni-heidelberg.de/en/job-market