Postdoctoral Fellowship in Media and Materiality - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

Lund University invites applications for a Two-Year Postdoctoral Fellowship in Media and Materiality in the subject of Media History at the Department of Communication and Media (KOM).

Ref. no: PA 2017/1810

Starting date: 1 January 2018

For information on the post please contact Head of Department Mia-Marie Hammarlin (tel. +46 46 222 01 16, email mia-marie.hammarlin@kom.lu.se) and Associate Professor Marie Cronqvist (tel. +46 46 222 88 76, email marie.cronqvist@kom.lu.se).

For information on the terms of employment and salary please contact human resources manager Lena Kandefelt (tel. +46 46 222 72 24, email lena.kandefelt@kansliht.lu.se).

An increasing interest in materiality has provided the discipline of media studies with a productive point of departure for studying old, new and previously neglected media phenomena. Studies of media as machines, objects and techniques have resulted in knowledge that has expanded our understanding of the role and function of media in society, in the past as well as in the present. The theoretical basis in, above all, German media theory and in emerging fields such as media archaeology or the study of cultural technology has vitalised and broadened the field of media studies.

Since 2009, the subject of media history in Lund has developed into a hub for media history research in Sweden. The materiality perspective has been one – albeit of many – traits of the cultural historical media research conducted at Lund University, as evidenced and claimed in the anthologies forming the backbone of the publication series Mediehistoriskt arkiv (Media History Archives). Furthermore, materiality perspectives figure in the teaching from the first undergraduate modules to the Master’s and PhD programmes.

The media history research environment and the multidisciplinary and dynamic environment at KOM are now looking for a postdoctoral research fellow specialising in media and materiality. The fellowship is a full-time position and mainly comprises research.

KOM provides a large number of freestanding courses and study programmes in media history, media and communication studies, journalism and rhetoric. Approximately 45 researchers, lecturers, doctoral students and other staff work at the department. For more information, please visit the department’s website at http://www.kom.lu.se/en/research/

As part of his or her research, the successful candidate is to participate in and contribute to the research environment, for example by active participation in the research seminars and other research-related activities in the subject. By doing this, the candidate is to provide input to the theoretical discussion of media and materiality, contribute with his or her empirical studies in the field and add to the shared work of initiating new research ideas and projects. The successful candidate is expected to conduct the bulk of his or her research at the workplace in Lund. The duties may include teaching up to a maximum of 20 % of the post.

Qualifications: the candidate must have been awarded a PhD or an international degree deemed equivalent not more than three years before the application deadline. Candidates who completed a PhD over three years ago must provide certificates of parental leave, illness or similar reasons for leave in the application. Applicants with a first language other than a Scandinavian language must be able to document advanced proficiency in English.

Special qualifications are previous research in media and materiality from a perspective of cultural history. The candidate’s documented qualifications and project plan should both testify to his or her familiarity with previous media history research in the field.

The grounds for assessment are a good ability to develop and conduct high-quality research, and teaching skills. The main criterion for assessment for a postdoctoral fellowship is research expertise. In all other respects, the assessment will be based on the requirements specified for the post. As documentation for the assessment of qualifications, applicants are to submit a project plan of the research they intend to carry out during their appointment.  

The application must include

- a complete and signed CV and a certified copy of the PhD degree transcript

- a list of publications (including ISBN and ISSN numbers)

- a signed project plan of no more than 1500 words (not including list of references) of the research project the candidate intends to pursue during the fellowship  

The project plan is to have the following headings:

• Description of the project (issue and summary)

• Theory and method

• Relationship to the international forefront of research in the subject

• The most important international research in the area

• The applicant’s expertise and qualifications for the project

• Timetable and publication form for the project 

NB! The applicant is responsible for ensuring that the application is complete in accordance with the instructions above, that all documents are scanned (as a single PDF file) and that the file has reached the University through the e-recruitment portal MyNetwork no later than the application deadline.