Postdoc position in computational social science with a focus on scientific elites

The Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Copenhagen (UCPH), invites candidates for a postdoctoral position in computational social science from April 1, 2022 or as soon as possible thereafter.

The position is for 18 months.

Introduction
The Department of Sociology is an international department with an ambitious and friendly atmosphere comprising at present 30 faculty, 15 Post Docs, 15 Ph.D. students, and 10 administrative staff. We pursue problem-oriented research and investigate topics such as social mobility, culture and climate change, education, social movements, health and science. We value qualitative and quantitative methods highly and have in recent years invested a significant amount of resources in the area of social data science. The Department is in the very center of the old city of Copenhagen and shares a campus with the other departments of the Faculty of Social Sciences: Anthropology, Economics, Political Science and Psychology with whom we have close collaborations.

Duties and Responsibilities
The Postdoc will collaborate with Associate Professor Mathias Wullum Nielsen and team members from Aarhus University on the project “Scientific Elites”, funded by the Independent Research Fund Denmark. A project description is available here: http://scientificelites.org/. As part of a small research team, the postdoc will help lead efforts in developing and maintaining large-scale relational databases of science-related data and designing and conducting network analyses of gate-keeping mechanisms and social stratification in science. The selected candidate will be expected to contribute substantially to publications in the research group, both as first and secondary author.

Your Competencies and Opportunities
Applicants must have research qualifications at least corresponding to what can be achieved as part of a successfully completed PhD. The ideal candidates will have a PhD in sociology, economics, political science, management, network- and data science or related fields. We seek applicants with strong statistical skills and experience with managing large datasets and relational databases. Familiarity with commonly used scientific scripting languages (e.g., SQL, R, or Python) will be a plus. We also seek candidates with good communication skills in spoken and written English, and an ability to produce state-of-the art social-science research.

Contact information

Information about the recruitment process is available from HR Mette Christensen, e-mail: [email protected], please refer to ID number: 211-0937/21-2I.

Additional information about the position can be obtained from Mathias Wullum Nielsen, e-mail: [email protected].

How to apply
Submit a complete application at our online portal. Click on the “Apply now” icon at the bottom of the page to apply. The documents must be in Adobe PDF or Word.

Your application must be written in English and include the following documents:

• Motivated application (max. 2 pages). The motivated application should specify how the applicant’s qualifications and experiences match the project’s focus on studying gatekeeping mechanisms and processes of social stratification in science using network analysis and quantitative methods.
• Curriculum vitae (with the applicant’s email & telephone number)
• Documentation of qualifications (examination certificates/PhD diploma, etc.).
• Complete list of publications. The enclosed publications must be marked with *.
• Publications. Applicants may choose a maximum of three publications for assessment and the PhD thesis (if applicable). The selected publications must be uploaded as attachments. Should any of the submitted publications consist of work with named co-authors, or work that is otherwise the result of collective academic endeavours, the extent of the applicant’s contribution to the work must be clearly stipulated. The Faculty may ask for a signed statement from the co-authors stipulating the extent and nature of each individual’s contribution.