Are you an emergent scholar interested in doing research in a creative team? Do you have a background in data work? Do you also have ethnographic experience or an ethnographic sensibility? This opportunity may be for you!

Job Description
The Department of Society Studies is looking for a Postdoctoral Researcher to undertake exciting research about hospital practices. You will be part of a new team doing research helping to address the escalating issue of clinical waste. The project is called The Upcycled Clinic: A global ethnography of material creativity in contemporary medicine (Make Do Medicine for short). The focus of this European Research Council funded project is on hospitals and clinics, which have become sites of disposability in recent years. Attempts to address this can be top-down and technocratic, often still reliant on a mode of further production. Make Do Medicine takes a different route into the problem. It focuses on creative practices already happening in the clinic, involving making the most of existing materials. You will be part of a team conducting research around the world where such improvisations are highlighted due to different constraints.

The project focuses on the unexplored yet potentially insightful practices of material creativity where existing materials are being repurposed for another use. The pandemic's disruptions offered the world’s scientists a fascinating natural experiment for looking at innovations in times of crisis and has important lessons for understanding the role of creative repurpose. But how to study this some years later?

The ambitious goal of this postdoc will be look further into the early period of the pandemic to draw lessons and insights from existing data and material gathered by other researchers in and about clinical settings. In your role you will first locate this data and then undertake a qualitative analysis of the material. Initially the research will involve working with datasets from Dutch settings, however this will likely expand to other countries. Methodologically the research means working with an ethnographic sensibility (see McGranahan 2018), where you will study these datasets curious about improvisations with materials, noticing details of the hospital practices. Data analysis can be enhanced through conducting interviews, object analysis and fieldwork where needed.

Relatedly, you will also work with the team to develop novel ways of reusing and sharing the project’s research material, that rethinks current research norms. Data reuse is common in some disciplines, but less so in the social sciences, especially ethnography. Ethnographic material is challenging to share with other team members and more broadly in ways which match current expectations of Open Science. One of the goals of this Post-Doc will be to contribute towards developing an approach to reusing and sharing ethnographic data that is not only ethical and legal, but also considers how creative and sensory methods might help make data more meaningful and contextualised for others.

You will work in a team environment led by the Principle Investigator (PI) (Professor Anna Harris), along with another post-doc, a PhD, a project manager and research assistants. You will also receive guidance with your work by an external advisor with expertise in big data and ethnography, Kathleen Gregory. Sharing research material and comparison with the other cases within this team environment will be part of the project.

As a postdoc on the project you will specifically be involved in:

• Finding relevant datasets, qualitative data analysis of this material and, as necessary, conducting additional interviews and fieldwork;
• Co-writing ethics applications with the team;
• Writing single-authored and co-authored publications;
• Compiling datasets and taking a leadership role in catalogue of findings, liaising with the Faculty Data Steward on project data management;
• Participating in and helping to organise group meetings, events and workshops;
• Optional: teaching 0.1 - 0.2 fte such as tutoring in Bachelor courses and/or Bachelor or Masters theses supervision.

Thus in this role you will have the opportunity to develop further in ethnographic skills, writing and teamwork and have access to further trainings as necessary and according to interest. There is also the option to undertake, if desired, teacher training and take Dutch language classes.

In sum, you will be able to do a post-doc project with considerable scope for creativity, in an exciting team project with inspiring colleagues conducting cutting edge research. You will be conducting research with the potential for significant societal impact in relation to sustainability in healthcare, while working on furthering and strengthening the role of open science and FAIR principles in ethnographic research.

Requirements

What we are looking for
All team members hired in the Make Do Medicine project will be chosen because they have evidence of the ability to carry out or be sensitive to qualitative research skills (especially ethnography), so that we can quickly build together the more innovative methodological elements of the team project.

For this particular position we are looking for someone who is open, willing, and excited about doing interdisciplinary research in a team and willing to engage in opening up ethnography both in the way that ethnographers use existing datasets and make ethnographic datasets more meaningfully accessible. Specifically we are looking for someone who has:

• A completed doctoral degree (with a defense scheduled, or assessment concluded no later than end of November 2024) in relevant fields such as critical data studies, data ethics, data care or data science, OR on a related topic in fields such as anthropology, sociology, science and technology studies OR in one of the social science fields mentioned where data management skills were important and developed (necessary);
• Data mining experience, working with existing large datasets and creating datasets (necessary), with experience in developing conceptual/theoretical frames for such data work appreciated;
• English language competency, C1 level, academic English (necessary);
• Is willing to move to Maastricht or the nearby area (necessary);
• Is willing to engage in creative methods, meet deadlines and work towards shared goals (necessary);
• Either ethnographic fieldwork experience or demonstration of an ethnographic sensibility (preferred);
• Experience drafting data management plans (preferred);
• Ability to read Dutch or ability to learn the language quickly (preferred).

What we offer
As a Post-Doctoral Researcher at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, you will be employed by the most international university in the Netherlands, located in the beautiful city of Maastricht. In addition, we offer you:

• Good employment conditions. The position is graded in scale 11 according to UFO profile Researcher, level 3, with corresponding salary, based on experience, ranging from €4492,00 and €6148,00 gross per month (based on a full-time employment of 38 hours per week). The exact amount will depend on factors such as previous experience and time from PhD. In addition to the monthly salary, an 8.0% holiday allowance and an 8.3% year-end bonus apply.
• An employment contract for a period of 12 months with a scope of 0.8 FTE (with an option to make this 1.0 fte with teaching tasks). Upon a positive evaluation, an extension of a further 2.5 years will follow.
• At Maastricht University, the well-being of our employees is of utmost importance, we offer flexible working hours and the possibility to work partly from home if the nature of your position allows it. You will receive a monthly commuting and internet allowance for this. If you work full-time, you will be entitled to 29 vacation days and 4 additional public holidays per year, namely carnival Monday, carnival Tuesday, Good Friday, and Liberation Day. If you choose to accumulate compensation hours, an additional 12 days will be added. Furthermore, you can personalize your employment conditions through a collective labor agreement (CAO) choice model.
• As Maastricht University, we offer various other excellent secondary employment conditions. These include a good pension scheme with the ABP and the opportunity for UM employees to participate in company fitness and make use of the extensive sports facilities that we also offer to our students.
• Last but certainly not least, we provide the space and facilities for your personal and professional development. We facilitate this by offering a wide range of training programs and supporting various well-established initiatives such as 'acknowledge and appreciate'.

The terms of employment at Maastricht University are largely set out in the collective labor agreement of Dutch Universities. In addition, local provisions specific to UM apply. For more information, click here.

Maastricht University
Why work at Maastricht University?

At Maastricht University (UM), everything revolves around the future. The future of our students, as we work to equip them with a solid, broad-based foundation for the rest of their lives. And the future of society, as we seek solutions through our research to issues from all around the world. Our six faculties combined provide a comprehensive package of study programmes and research.

In our teaching, we use the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) method. Students work in small groups, looking for solutions to problems themselves. By discussing issues and working together to draw conclusions, formulate answers and present them to their peers, students develop essential skills for their future careers.

With over 22,300 students and more than 5,000 employees from all over the world, UM is home to a vibrant and inspiring international community.

Are you drawn to an international setting focused on education, science and scholarship? Are you keen to contribute however your skills and qualities allow? Our door is open to you! As a young European university, we value your talent and look forward to creating the future together.

Click here for more information about UM.

Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences FASoS is a close-knit community of approximately 250 staff members and 2100 students. During breaks and before meetings, you can often find us at our favourite local coffee spot Bandito Espresso.

Communication lines within our faculty are short and colleagues are always ready to assist each other. FASoS consists of a highly international student population and a significant part of our staff comes from abroad. Our faculty offers four bachelor programs, eight masters programs and two research master programs that are all characterized by their interdisciplinary approach.

Our research institute studies societies and cultures as they have developed in the modern and contemporary periods. We adopt a radically interdisciplinary approach, analysing the interconnections between Europeanization, globalization, scientific and technological advancement, political change, and cultural innovation.

In addition to teaching and research, our colleagues enjoy expressing themselves creatively. They create podcasts, write poetry as well as fiction.

Working at FASoS means working in a challenging yet informal environment. We believe in crafting your own career path and are always ready to help you in making the most of your job. For more information about FASoS, you can visit our website FASoS

Department and Research Group
The Post-Doc will be embedded in the Department of Society Studies at FASoS. This department brings together scholars with a social science and humanities profile. It plays a key role in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences as a provider of knowledge and expertise in the interdisciplinary fields of Science, Technology and Society studies (STS) and Globalisation, Transnationalism and Development research. Department members across these fields share an interest in sociological, anthropological and/or mixed-methods approaches, with a strong tendency towards ethnographic methodologies. You will also be a member of the Arts, Media and Culture (AMC) research group. Researchers in the AMC research program are interested in the dynamics of cultural change, both historically and contemporaneously. Researchers in this creative community work on material, digital, and bodily practices in which cultural artefacts are produced, distributed, and received.

Applying from abroad?
Maastricht is itself a warm and welcoming city. The city is known for its excellent food and shops, and cultural scene. The founding city of the EU is an international hub with inhabitants from around the world. English is widely spoken, as are other languages, creating a unique and vibrant international community. Thanks to Maastricht’s central position in Europe, it is only a short distance away from Belgium, Germany, France and the rest of the Netherlands with dense public transport networks. The city is family-friendly and possesses excellent schools. Candidates who need to relocate may be eligible for compensation and international candidates may be eligible for the 30% rule which reduces tax paid. Read more at: https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/faq-life-netherlands

Maastricht University is committed to promoting and nurturing a diverse and inclusive community. We have staff and student networks like Female Empowerment UM FEM, LGBTQ+ student and staff network UM Pride, Parents and Carers PAC network, and UnliMited Network for students and staff with a disability and/or chronic conditions, or who are neurodiverse. We believe that diversity in our staff and student population contributes to the quality of research and education at UM, and strive to enable this through inclusive policies and innovative projects led by teams of staff and students. Please let us know if you have any accessibility needs and how/if we can facilitate the application process for you.

Curious?
Are you interested in this exciting position but still have questions? Feel free to contact Ludovica Pagliara at ludovica.pagliara@maastrichtuniversity.nl for more information. Do you have any questions regarding the procedure, please contact Manon Souren at manon.souren@maastrichtuniversity.nl or +31 6 3457 7732.

Applying?
Or are you already convinced and ready to become our new colleague? Apply now, no later than November 15th, 2024 for this position.

Please upload:

1. A max. 2-page CV (no photo) including publication details and the contact information of 2 referees, including at least one PhD supervisor.
2. A max. 2-page document clearly addressing each of the 3 questions below:

• How does this particular post-doc connect to your PhD and previous work, you interests and/or future career aspirations?
• What does engaging with datasets with an “ethnographic sensibility” mean to you? In your answer please expand on how you consider yourself to have the required interdisciplinary skills, background, curiosity or disposition to be part of an ethnographic project.
• What do you consider are the biggest challenges to opening up ethnographic data, and what are the opportunities?

The first interviews take place on December 4th - please keep this date in mind. We will inform you by November 25th whether you have been selected for an interview – at this stage a short assignment and a reference check may be part of the application procedure.

The vacancy is open for internal and external candidates. In case of equal qualifications, internal candidates will be prioritized.

Maastricht University is committed to promoting and nurturing a diverse and inclusive community. We believe that diversity in our staff and student population contributes to the quality of research and education at UM, and strive to enable this through inclusive policies and innovative projects led by teams of staff and students. We encourage you to apply for this position.