Call for applications Postdoctoral Position
Social Practices Cluster, CIGIDEN / Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
Communication and Emerging Technologies for Disaster Risk Reduction
The Research Center for Integrated Disaster Risk Management (www.cigiden.cl) is a multidisciplinary research center funded by CONICYT and located in Santiago, Chile. It brings together four universities and researchers from diverse fields (e.g., Anthropology, Design, Earth Sciences, Geography, Engineering, Psychology Sociology, and Urban Studies). The aim of CIGIDEN is to produce excellence-level and interdisciplinary research on all aspects of the disaster cycle (preparedness, response, participation, recovery, and mitigation) and to mitigate disaster impacts by building more resilient communities.
CiGIDEN is hosted by the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (www.uc.cl), ranked second in Latin America by the 2015 QS international ranking and third by the Times Higher Education Latin America University Ranking 2017.
Emerging Media Research for Disaster Risk Reduction
The candidate is expected to conduct research at the intersection of digital cartography, community mapping, and emerging media practices. Projects include the DroneLab, a team of researchers and volunteers developing a platform and protocols for developing and curating aerial drone data to support community efforts at disaster risk reduction. Community risk mapping projects undergoing offer the opportunity for participatory research interventions centered on understanding community participation at the intersection of digital data and emerging media. Candidates are expected to work along the objectives of the Social Practices cluster, which covers different topics dealing with methodologies, theories, and DRR policies aligned with increasing sociocultural complexity and diversity and the development of research protocols, theoretical frameworks, and policy recommendations that embrace emerging media, information, and communication technologies, for strengthening meaningful citizen participation in disaster risk reduction.
The position
CIGIDEN is opening a postdoctoral position for a 2 year period, starting preferably on June of 2018. The successful candidate will collaborate closely with Dr. Gonzalo Bacigalupe, PI of RL6.
She/he is expected to produce at least two indexed articles. The successful candidate is also expected to actively participate in the activities of RL6, the Social Practices Cluster, and CIGIDEN. The successful candidate will undergo an mid-term evaluation by the end of Year 1. She/he is also required to submit a postdoctoral proposal to FONDECYT1 by the end of Year 1.
[1]- Fondo Nacional Nacional de Desarrollo Científico y Tecnológico (National Research Fund for Scientific Research). FONDECYT postdoctoral fellowship program is expected to open in July 2018 http://www.conicyt.cl/fondecyt/category/concursos/postdoctorado/
Requirements
General:
- The candidate must hold a doctoral degree in social sciences and/or computer sciences (such as Anthropology, Computer Sciences, Psychology, Science and Technology Studies, Sociology, Geography or related fields).
- Spanish language skills (conversational and reading) for research purposes.
- Fluency in English, particularly for writing purposes.
Specific:
- Competencies in geographical information sciences, computer programming, social computing, robotics, open source software, and/or social media research, are desired
- Experience doing ethnographic and/or netnographic research.
- Knowledge of the literature in the fields of environmental anthropology, disaster studies, and media sciences, and technology is desired.
The successful applicant will reside in Santiago, Chile with fieldwork also encompassing the central coast area. She/he will receive a monthly salary of $ 1,800,000 Chilean pesos plus additional expenses for start up research activities.
Process
**Application deadline preference: April 20, 2018**
To apply, send a letter of intent, a tentative proposed research agenda, a sample of written work, a CV, and two letters of recommendation. The email message header should be titled “Postdoc RL6-CIGIDEN” and directed to Gonzalo Bacigalupe (gonzalo.bacigalupe@cigiden.cl). First selection of candidates will be conducted on the basis of the submitted application files. Candidates may also be invited for interview (via Zoom where necessary).
For further information please contact Professor Gonzalo Bacigalupe (gonzalo.bacigalupe@cigiden.cl).
