Postdoc Position in the ERC CONSPIRATIONS Project

The Institute for Sociology of Slovak Academy of Sciences in Bratislava is inviting candidates to apply for the position of postdoc in the ERC project CONSPIRATIONS. 

About ERC CONSPIRATIONS project

In recent years, conspiracy theories have become an important issue not only to the people who propagate them, but also to those who fear their consequences and design initiatives to push back against the ‘post-truth’ era. The objective of CONSPIRATIONS is to analyse this growing tension over conspiracy theories in Europe. The project proposes an innovative approach which moves beyond an exclusive focus on ‘truthers’ to examine the perspective of ‘truth defenders’ as well. This approach goes beyond the question of who is wrong and what to do about it. Instead, it offers a deeper understanding of the conflicts themselves, which are clearly of urgent importance for contemporary Europe. The premise of this project is that the answer lies not in addressing the content of the conspiracy theories themselves, but rather the kinds of conditions that give rise to them. The secondary goal is to understand how these conflicts are influenced by social contexts, and how they unfold across diverse European settings. The objectives of this project will be achieved through ethnographic case studies.

As a postdoctoral researcher you will be responsible for conducting research in and on Bulgaria.

CONSPIRATIONS is led by Dr Drazkiewicz. The project is co-hosted by Department of Arts and Cultural Sciences at Lund University and the Institute for Sociology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (IS SAS). This position is anchored in IS, SAS in Bratislava. As a postdoctoral researcher you will have an opportunity to collaborate with other scholars working on conflicts over conspiracy theories in Sweden, Germany, Poland, Belgium, and Estonia. 

Your duties

• In your work you will be responsible for contributing to the ERC CONSPIRATIONS project. You will be responsible for implementing the subproject on Bulgaria and contributing to the subproject on the EU institutions.
• You will conduct a multi-disciplinary literature review.
• You will conduct field research, collect and analyze data (this position might include long periods of fieldwork and extensive travel).
• You will be responsilble for presenting the findings of your work in (inter)national conferences.
• You will be expected to publish your research findings in academic outlets and contribute to joined publications in English.
• You will be responsible for coorganising academic events (conferences, workshops, seminars).
• You will be responsible for communicating research findings with non-academic audiences.
• You will be expected to collaborate with other CONSPIRATIONS researchers in accordance with the overall research plan.
• You will be expected to delivering research that allows to fulfil the objectives of the ERC CONSPIRATIONS project. 

Qualifications 

• A candidate should have a Ph.D. or an International degree deemed equivalent. The ideal candidate will have a background in Anthropology or other related discipline (for instance, Ethnology, Sociology, Cultural Studies, Human Geography, Political Science, Gender Studies, Folklore Studies, Semiotics etc.).
• A candidate should have language skills that allow for conducting in-depth ethnographic research in Bulgaria. Thus, a candidate should be proficient in Bulgarian language. As you will be expected to publish in English-language outlets, proficiency in academic English is also required.
• A candidate should have a demonstrated ability to conduct ethnographic research, and use qualitative research methods.
• A candidate should have a strong track record of publishing in English in academic journals (appropriate to career stage).
• A candidate should be able to work independently and as a member of the team.

Additional skills:

• Demonstrable familiarity with research concerning conspiracy theories, disinformation, misinformation, rumours etc. will be an additional asset.
• Some knowledge of Bulgarian conflicts over conspiracy theories is recommended.
• Previous experience of working on political extremism,
• Familiarity with digital research methods. 

Conditions of the employment: 

This is a fixed-term, research only position. The duties are expected to be an equivalent of the 2 years of full-time employment. However, there is a possibility of turning this position into a part-time employment stretched over 3 years. We offer a possibility of remote work and generous annual leave. The salary will depend on skills and the experience of the selected candidate (between 25000 – 32000 euro annual gross income for a full time employment). 

How to apply: 

Applications must be submitted by 15 June 2024.

The application, which is to be submitted in English, must include:

• A CV
• A copy of the Ph.D. degree (pdf scan).
• A list of publications (including DOI, ISBN or ISSN numbers).
• A cover letter
• A plan of no more than 1500 words (not including list of references) of the research project the candidate intends to pursue during the project. The project should focus on conflicts over conspiracy theories in Bulgaria. It should be relevant to the CONSPIRATIONS project. For more information about the project please visit project website https://projekt.ht.lu.se/conspirations 

All documents, should be submitted via email to ela.drazkiewicz@savba.sk by 15 June 2024, by 23:59. In the subject of the email please write: ERC CONSPIRATIONS Bulgaria 

Shortlisted applicants will be invited for an (online) interview in late June 2024. The earliest possible starting date for this position is 1 of August, 2024. In some circumstances, there is a possibility of negotiating a later starting date.