Postdoc position (social sciences - STS, information science, or other related disciplines) ACUMEN project Amsterdam

Mon Feb 7 10:29:58 EST 2011

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DANS is the national organisation for digital storage and dissemination of research data in the Humanities and Social Sciences and. DANS is involved in various national and international projects aimed at improving the availability of research data.

With effect from March 1st there is a vacancy for a

Post-doc ACUMEN
38 hours a week (1.0 fte)

(Vacancy number DANS-2011-ACUMEN)

DANS in collaboration with the e-Humanities Group of the KNAW is working on an EU FP7 -funded project ‘Academic Careers Understood through Measurement and Norms’ (ACUMEN).

Project Background
Assessment of the performance of individual researchers is the cornerstone of the scientific and scholarly workforce. It shapes the quality and relevance of knowledge production in science, technology and innovation. Currently, there is a discrepancy between the criteria used in performance assessment and the broader social and economic function of scientific and scholarly research. Additional problems in the current evaluation system are: lack of resources for qualitative evaluation due to increased scale of research; available quantitative measures are often not applicable at the individual level; andthere is a lack of recognition for new types of work that researchers need to perform. As a result, the broader social functions of the scientific system are often not included in its quality control mechanisms.

ACUMEN addresses these problems by developing criteria and guidelines for Good Evaluation Practices (GEP). These will be based on an ACUMEN Portfolio for individual researchers throughout the sciences, social sciences and humanities combining multiple qualitative and quantitative evidence sources. The ACUMEN Portfolio will be based on: a comparative analysis of current peer review systems in Europe; an in-depth exploration of novel peer review practices; an assessment of the use of scientometric indicators in performance evaluation; the development of new web-based indicators and web-based evaluation tools; and a comparative analysis of the implications of current and emerging evaluation practices for the career development of women researchers. ACUMEN is an integrated, comparative study in which a set of proven methods will be used on the basis of selections from one shared data set: a sample of European Research Area personnel from bibliographic and web databases as well as data harvested from websites, and data gathered through interviews and from citation indexes.

The consortium includes partners from the Netherlands, Israel, Spain, Germany, Denmark, Estonia and the UK.

Information on the position
You will work with Dr Andrea Scharnhorst and Professor Sally Wyatt, on a review of current evaluation practices in Europe and how they are experienced by researchers across different disciplines, countries and career stage. You will conduct desk-based research regarding peer review (academic analysis as well as guidelines issued by funding and other research organisations). In addition, you will also conduct a small number of case studies in order to understand how evaluation methods are experienced, addressing in particular what kinds of research work are more or less visible in different evaluation frameworks. You will also contribute to the work packages led by other consortium partners.

Position requirements
You preferably should have the following qualifications:

 *   A completed PhD in a relevant social science discipline (STS, information science, or other related discipline)
 *   Skills or demonstrable interest in the substantive area of research evaluation
 *   Training in and experience of using qualitative research methods
 *   Clear evidence of or potential for international excellence in published research
 *   Fluency in spoken English and excellent written and verbal communication skills
 *   Knowledge of one or more other European languages would be an advantage
 *   Willingness and proven ability to work in a team and to liaise with colleagues in an international and interdisciplinary research environment
 *   Ability to develop contacts and participate in internal and external networks for the exchange of information and collaboration
 *   Experience with EU FP7 projects

Appointment
The position involves a temporary appointment for 3 years and will be located with DANS and the e-Humanities Group. Applicants should have the right to work in the Netherlands for the duration of the contract.

Salary
Depending on training and work experience, the gross monthly salary coming with a fulltime appointment will amount to a maximum of € 3.755 per month (scale 10 Collective Labour Agreement Dutch Universities), excluding 8% holiday payment and 8.3% year end payment. A comprehensive package of fringe benefits is included.

Place of employment: Place of employment will be the national research data archive DANS, close to train station Laan van NOI in The Hague, The Netherlands. The successful applicant will also be associated with the e-Humanities Group of the KNAW, and will be expected to regularly participate in meetings held in Amsterdam (location Meertens institute).

Information:
For further information, please contact: Professor Sally Wyatt at + 31 (0)20 850 0282 sally.wyatt at vks.knaw.nl<mailto:sally.wyatt at vks.knaw.nl> or Dr Andrea Scharnhorst andrea.scharnhorst at dans.knaw.nl<mailto:andrea.scharnhorst at dans.knaw.nl>

Applications

Please send a letter of application including
1.    letter of motivation
2.    CV
3.    the names and addresses of two referees
4.    full citation of two international publications

before February 24th to DANS, t.a.v. Hetty Labots, Personnel Department, P.O. Box 95366, 2509 CJ Den Haag, The Netherlands or by e-mail to sollicitaties at dans.knaw.nl.
Interviews will take place in the week of 7-11 March, 2011 in Amsterdam.

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