Project description

The PhD project is expected to contribute to DigiBreak by undertaking research in the Greenlandic case involving fieldwork in north and east Greenland(2 x 1,5 months). The aim of DigiBreak is to investigate ethnographically how people experience and manage digital infrastructure breakdowns, specifically telecommunication breakdowns in Greenland and cybersecurity attacks in Denmark. Mobilizing literature in science and technology studies(STS), media studies and social anthropology, the project aims to redefine digital breakdowns as everyday “normal” occurrences rather than perpetual crises. The DigiBreak project focuses on mundane resilience and adaptability strategies at infrastructural peripheries. Shifting attention to such mundane practices fosters an understanding of breakdown and infrastructural edges in highly digitised societies.

The PhD student is expected to conduct ethnographic research and engage with the research done in DigiBreak. In the application, candidates are encouraged to state their particular interests within the broad field of everyday technological practices and infrastructures in the form of a brief project proposal(see below). The purpose is to demonstrate the candidate’s ability to pose relevant, original, and theoretically engaged questions within a specific focus area.

Themes for the proposal may include, but are not limited to, the following avenues:

• The use of aging or damaged digital devices
• The professional maintenance of telecommunication infrastructures
• The everyday community or individual practice of coping with breakdowns
• The role of public institutions such as schools and municipal offices in managing infrastructural disruptions

The research questions, methodology, and project plan for the PhD-project will be developed through supervision by PI Associate Professor Mette Simonsen Abildgaard and Postdoc Laura Kocksch in the project’s initial phase.

An online information meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 22^nd at 4 pm CET to provide potential applicants with further information about DigiBreak. To sign up and receive a link, contact PI Mette Simonsen Abildgaard at msab@ikl.aau.dk

Qualification Requirements

• Applicants should bring a curious mindset and strong interest in Arctic studies and/or Science and Technology Studies.
• Applicants must demonstrate the ability to conduct ethnographic research such as participant observation, attested by prior publications, or a relevant Master or Bachelor thesis.
• Priority will be given to applicants with knowledge of the project’s Arctic context, and Greenland in particular.
• Good written and spoken English language skills are mandatory.
• Greenlandic(Kalaallisut, Tunumiisut or Inuktun) language skills are considered an advantage.
• Master students currently writing their master’s thesis are welcome to apply.
• The candidate is expected to contribute to educational programs at the Department of Learning and Culture.
• The position requires interest in scientific work and publishing.

The position

The position guarantees a three-year, full-time(37 hours per week) engagement. The PhD fellow will be fully integrated into the award-winning research environment Techno-anthropology Lab(TANTlab) located on Aalborg University’s Copenhagen campus. TANTlab offers a creative and vibrant group of international scholars working with fieldwork methods, design interventions, and digital/computational methods to engage users, the publics, and partners in exploring dilemmas, controversies, and paths to sustainable and desirable futures. We strive towards creating the best possible conditions for PhD fellows, i.e., flexible work hours and opportunities for personal and professional development.

Qualification requirements
PhD stipends are normally for a period of 3 years. PhD stipends are allocated to individuals who hold a Master’s degree, or expect to have obtained the Master’s degree before the employment date(Statement from thesis supervisor, verified transcripts, thesis contract and documentation of the date of the exam must be enclosed). According to the PhD Order, the PhD study comprises among other requirements: Participation in active research environments, including stays at other, mainly foreign, research institutions, private research enterprises etc.
 
General information
It is a prerequisite for allocation of the stipend that the candidate will be enrolled as a PhD student at The Doctoral School of Social Sciences and Humanities, in accordance with the regulations of Ministerial Order No. 1039 of 27 August 2013(PhD Order).

Application
Please visit the website of the doctoral school for further information on the PhD programme, application procedure, and admission requirements.

The application must include the following and be written in English or Danish

• Application for enrollment
• A cover letter, incl. motivation to apply for the position(max. 2 pages)
• A project proposal incl. a research question, timeline, and possible relevant literature(max. 2 pages)
• Copy of diplomas/transcripts
• Curriculum vitae(CV)
• List of written work(optional)
• Sample of written work, e.g. Master's thesis(optional)
• Applicants who are planning to complete a doctoral thesis in English and who do not have English as a first language or who have not completed an English language-based Master's programme(or an equivalent educational achievement in English) shall provide documentation that they have passed one of the following official tests with the respective minimum score: IELTS(band score): 7, TOEFL(paper-based): 600, TOEFL(internet-based): 100. The language test must be no more than five years old at the time of the application.

Shortlisting will be applied. This means that after the deadline for applications, the head of the department supported by the chair of the assessment committee will select candidates for assessment. All applicants will be informed whether they will be assessed or not.

The application can only be submitted by using the link on AAU’s job portal https://www.stillinger.aau.dk/ (not other online job portals that may have reposted the position). Please note that zipped files are not supported by the recruitment system, please upload only Word or PDF files.

Contact
For further information on the doctoral research programme, please visit the website of https://www.en.culture.aau.dk/ - Aalborg University
For further information on the PhD stipend, please contact PI Mette Simonsen Abildgaard: msab@ikl.aau.dk 

For general information about the application process etc., please contact Lene Møller, e-mail: lml@adm.aau.dk. 

Wages and employment

Ref number

2024-224-05842

Deadline

07.06.2024