Vacancy: post-doc (f/m, 1.0 fte, 3 years)
Responsible Research and Innovation as a global challenge
Responsible research and innovation (RRI) aims to anticipate and assess societal challenges and implications of research-driven innovations, with the aim of making them more sustainable and inclusive. The objective of RRI is to enable societal actors (researchers, citizens, policy makers, business, non-governmental organisations, etc.) to work together during the whole research and innovation process in order to better align both the process and its outcomes with the values, needs, concerns and expectations of society. RRI was initially developed as a European research approach. This post-doc position is part of European research projects which aim to develop RRI on a global level, through mutual learning and interactions with similar initiatives emerging on other continents.
Context: two Horizon2020 – projects:
(a) Grounding RRI practices in research performing organisations (GRRIP); Work-package 8: RRI: mutual learning, reflection and evaluation.
(b) Responsible Research and Innovation Networked Globally (RRING): Work-package: global state of the art in RRI
Job description
We are looking for a post-doc candidate who is interested in contributing to developing and assessing RRI globally, via interdisciplinary and interactive research. The post-doc will be active in two European projects committed to these objectives, namely RRING and GRRIP, will be based at Erasmus University Rotterdam (Erasmus School of Philosophy), but also collaborate with Radboud University (Institute for Science in Society) and other partners at more than 30 European universities and research institutes.
Project description
The focus of RRI is on knowledge deficits of producers and experts of new technologies: the difficulty of anticipating whether and how techno-scientific innovations will work or be adopted in practice. The aim is to explore possible scenarios and co-create the future via mutual learning exercises which function as discursive and imaginative laboratories. The RRI approach was developed in Europe, but as technoscientific innovation evolves globally, our projects aim to assess how responsible research works on a global level.
Research duties
- Conducting Postdoc research within the framework of the GRRIP and RRING projects;
- Review results of previous RRI projects and their methodologies;
- Develop and monitor methodology for a global RRI approach;
- Interact with research performing organisation (RPOs) and research funding; organisations RFOs) for training, reflection and evaluation of RRI;
- Identify barriers and challenges of RRI on the institutional level;
- Implementation of RRI in RPOs and RFOs via mutual learning;
- Establish a platform for mutual learning cycles;
- Establish and implement monitoring processes and indicators;
- Publishing research results via articles in international peer-reviewed journals and present papers at international conferences in cooperation with co-authors.
Requirements
- A PhD degree in philosophy, social science or STS;
- Expertise and interest in societal embedding of research-driven innovation;
- Strong social and organisational skills and willingness to collaborate, notably internationally;
- Proficiency in spoken and written English;
- Candidates can be of any nationality. We are committed to increasing the diversity of our organisations and strongly encourage members of groups underrepresented in academia to apply.
Conditions of employment
The position is fulltime, starting date: March 1, 2019. The initial contract will be initially running for a term of one year, with the possibility of one extension of two more years. A part-time appointment (0,8 fte) is negotiable. Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU) with a maximum of € 4.462,- gross per month (scale 11), based on a full-time working week of 38 hours per week. Erasmus University Rotterdam offers an attractive benefits package, with additional holiday and end-of-year bonuses. Candidates from outside the Netherlands may be eligible for a substantial tax break. Erasmus University Rotterdam is an equal opportunity employer.
Erasmus School of Philosophy – ESPhil
Erasmus School of Philosophy of the Erasmus University Rotterdam is a leading research and teaching institution in the Netherlands. The faculty has a broad international orientation, with many international students and staff members and strong connections with universities abroad. The research programmes of the academic staff members (roughly 20 in total) are leading in their field.
Erasmus University Rotterdam
The expertise of Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) is concentrated in the fields of Business Administration, Economics, Medicine and Health Sciences, Law, Social Sciences, History, Culture, Communication and Media, and Philosophy. In addition to the initial degree programmes and scientific research, the University offers specific postgraduate study programmes and courses. Erasmus University has around 25,000 students and some 2,500 faculty and staff members.
Institute for Science in Society (ISiS)
ISiS is a special research unit of the Faculty of Science, Radboud University Nijmegen. Its aim is to encourage societal and philosophical reflection on science via education, research and societal dialogue in collaboration with the institutes of the Faculty of Science. The mission of ISiS is to understand how society is shaping science and vice versa and to analyse, assess and improve the societal embedding of new developments in science and technology through interdisciplinary research, education and societal outreach.
Additional information about the vacancy can be obtained from
Prof. Dr. H.A.E. Zwart ([email protected]) and / or Dr. L. Landeweerd ([email protected])
How to apply
To apply, please send your application package, no later than January 15 by e-mail to [email protected]. “Postdoc RRI” in the subject line. The application package should include:
- Motivation letter;
- Your CV;
- Your publication list;
- 3 relevant academic papers;
- 2 reference letters.
