The Department of Political Science at the University of Vienna invites applications for four positions in the FWF (Austrian Science Fund) START project “Valuing Vaccination: a multi-sited policy valuography” (VALUE-VACC), headed by Katharina T. Paul. The project examines how different societal actors value vaccination. In particular, the project explores valuation practices of governmental and industry actors, researchers, parents, and a collection of actors on social media. A more detailed abstract can be found here. The basic starting point of this project is that valuations of vaccination are intrinsically linked with valuations of its governance. The project consists of five workpackages that correspond to five sites of governance: policy (WP1), primary care (WP2), industry (WP3), research (WP4), and social media (WP5). At this point, positions are available in three workpackages as advertised below.
Starting date for all positions is fall/winter 2022 (with some degree of flexibility).
The deadline for applications is Wednesday June 22, 2022.
Position 1 (PhD, 30hrs/week, 4 years) is situated in workpackage 2, CARE. The PhD researcher will have a strong interest in health policy and vaccination, solid skills and experience in conducting qualitative research (especially in-depth interviews). The PhD project should be developed in close connection to the overall project. A very good command of German is a prerequisite for this position. To apply for this position, please submit a CV and motivation letter laying out any relevant experience and previous research, as well as your interest in doing a PhD.
Position 2 (Postdoc, 40hrs/week, 3 years) is situated in work package 3, PHARMA. The candidate is expected to examine valuation practices in the pharmaceutical industry regarding the development and sales of vaccines. This research requires a strong background in interpretive policy analysis/Science and Technology Studies/political economy/ and extensive experience with qualitative methods in sensitive settings. To apply for this position, please submit a CV (max 3 pages) and motivation letter (max 2 pages) laying out your experience and expertise in relevant areas, and briefly address how you would explore valuation practices of industry actors, e.g. potential case studies, methods, links with other workpackages etc.
Position 3 (Postdoc, 40hrs/week, 3 years) is situated in work package 4, RESEARCH. The candidate is expected to examine valuation practices by researchers working on vaccine development, with COVID19 as one envisaged case study. This research requires a strong background in STS/science studies and extensive experience with qualitative methods. To apply for this position, please submit a CV (max 3 pages) and motivation letter (max 2 pages) laying out your experience and expertise in relevant areas, and briefly address how you would explore valuation practices, e.g. potential case studies, methods, links with other workpackages etc.
General job description PhD & postdoctoral positions:
- Conducting and publishing high-quality research
- Collaborating closely with other researchers in the project
- Presenting results at international conferences and in high-quality outlets
- Participation in departmental seminars and teaching activities
- Help with organizing events
Your profile:
- For the PhD position: MA/MSc degree (or equivalent) in political science/policy studies or a related discipline (completed or close to completion), e.g., sociology, science and technology studies, medical anthropology
- For postdoctoral positions: a PhD (completed or close to completion) in political science/policy studies or a related discipline e.g., sociology
- General research interests as described above, experience with public health (policy) research welcome
- Strong qualitative skills and evidence of conducting research in an autonomous fashion
- Excellent command of English
- Very good command of German for the PhD position and the student assistant
You can find the full version here.