PostDoc (Computational) Communication Science – TWON Project

Job title:

PostDoc (Computational) Communication Science – TWON Project

Company:

Job description

Offer DescriptionDo you enjoy

• engaging in cutting-edge research as part of a larger European team?
• answering theoretically and societally important communication science questions?
• applying computational approaches yourself and/or working closely together with computationally-minded colleagues?
• thinking about how platform design choices impact news, political information, and public debate?

Postdoctoral Researcher
Then the job as a Postdoctoral Researcher in our Horizon Europe project TWON (Twin of Online Social Network) is perfect for you. You will become a member of the part of the , as well as the .TWON is an EU-funded project that sets out to study the potentially harmful effects of online social networks (OSNs) on democratic debates. By creating a digital twin of an OSN and populating it using generative artificial intelligence, the TWON-team is spearheading a unique approach to studying democratic debates online that is independent from the good will of companies like Twitter, Meta, or TikTok.
Within TWON, you will participate in WP5 (Case Studies). Together with our academic and societal partners, you will contribute to studies on discussions around the conflict in Ukraine and COVID-19. Note that some of the studies, involving hybrid simulations in which human participants interact with LLM-based agents, already have been conducted. Your main tasks are to finalize a report on these studies, and to conduct additional case studies in consultation with the PI, to extend the previous work. It is important to note that our partners can contribute to the technical implementation.We expect thorough theoretical knowledge on the usage of social media in a political context, as well as the methodological expertise on to conduct advanced statistical analyses on large and complex datasets. We advise you to have a look at the project website, , for additional background information on the project.What are you going to doYou will:

• Develop, conduct, and publish research as described in the project descriptions above;
• Attend national and international conferences to present our research;
• Contribute to outreach activities;
• Collaborate with other consortium members from different disciplines and geographical origin, as well as with researchers in related projects;
• Prepare a report that summarizes the case studies conducted in the project.

What do you have to offer

• You are a team player who can work independently;
• You have a clear research interest in the topic of the position (documented by publications and/or grant applications);
• You have strong communication skills;
• You are interested in the methods applicable to TWON as witnessed by relevant publications.

Your experience and profile:

• A (nearly) completed relevant PhD degree, typically in communication science or a related (computational) social science field, but also in computational linguistics, information science, or similar;
• A strong affinity with the research topic, theoretical social-science concepts and models related to the specific project(s) you apply for, (computational) social science methods, and interest in working together with a team of people from different disciplines;
• Expertise with the tools used in the team, especially working with (large, textual) data in Python (potentially R);
• An excellent written and spoken command of English;
• First experience with high-quality publications in relevant journals and/or conference proceedings;

What else do we offer you
The position concerns employment between of 26 and 38 hours per week for a maximum term of – depending on the specific project and on the starting date – up to 8 months.The starting date is, in consultation with the candidate and PI, as soon as possible, with a fixed end date of 31-03-2026, which is when the TWON project is completed.What else do we offer

• a position in which initiative and input are highly valued;
• an enthusiastic and warm team that is open to new colleagues;
• an inspiring academic and international working environment in the heart of Amsterdam.

You will work here
The University of Amsterdam is the largest university in the Netherlands, with the broadest spectrum of degree programmes. It is an intellectual hub with 39,000 students, 6,000 employees and 3,000 doctoral students who are all committed to a culture of inquiring minds.About the faculty
A challenging work environment with a variety of duties and ample scope for individual initiative and development within an inspiring organization. The play a leading role in addressing the major societal challenges faced by the world, the Netherlands and Amsterdam, now and in the future.Want to know more about our organisation? Read more about the University of Amsterdam.Do you recognize yourself in the job profile? Then we look forward to receiving your application by 28 July 2025 via the red button.Applications (bundled in one single .pdf file!) should include:

• a letter of motivation;
• a curriculum vitae;
• preferably also a code example that you are particularly proud of (can be a Github link or similar; can be related to an assignment, research project, hobby project, etc.).

In case of equal qualifications, internal candidates will be given preference over external candidates.The UvA is an equal-opportunity employer. We prioritize diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for everyone. We value a spirit of enquiry and perseverance, provide the space to keep asking questions, and promote a culture of curiosity and creativity.If you encounter Error GBB451/ GBC451, please try using a VPN connection when outside of the European Union. Please reach out directly to our to our directly. They will gladly help you continue your application.No agencies please.Where to apply WebsiteRequirementsAdditional InformationWebsite for additional job detailsWork Location(s)Number of offers available 1 Company/Institute UvA Country Netherlands City Amsterdam Postal Code 1018WV Street Nieuwe Achtergracht 166 GeofieldContact CityAmsterdam WebsiteStreetSpui 21 Postal Code1012 WXSTATUS: EXPIREDShare this page

Expected salary

Location

Amsterdam, Noord-Holland

Job date

Sun, 15 Jun 2025 04:47:20 GMT

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