Department of Sociology, Chair of Social Theory and Quantitative Methods
Postdoctoral Researcher
(Zurich Survey of Academics)
80-100 %
The Department of Sociology at the University of Zurich looks back on more than 50 years of active research
and teaching. It is one of the leading empirically oriented institutes in Switzerland and Europe.
The basic understanding is based on theory-driven empirical social research with a strong focus on
quantitative methods.
We are looking for a postdoctoral researcher interested in joining the research group of Prof. Dr. Heiko
Rauhut. The position is funded by the SNSF Starting Grant "Social norms, cooperation and conflict in
scientific collaborations" (CONCISE) and co-funded by the University of Zurich. The position is initially
limited to two years with the possibility of extension upon successful funding acquisition. Note that we
also accept applications of doctoral candidates, given a sufficient fit, independence and high level of
theoretical and methodological expertise.
We are particularly interested in attracting candidates working on projects described in the CONCISE
proposal. Details of these research areas, the full CONCISE proposal, related articles, the research
profile of the professorship and further information is found at
www.suz.uzh.ch/rauhut.
The Zurich Survey of Academics:
The core project of the CONCISE Starting grant is the Zurich Survey of Academics (ZSoA) – a largescale
and representative web survey among scientists at universities in Switzerland, Germany, and
Austria (DACH region) that was conducted in 2020 and includes over 15'000 scientists from 263 universities.
The survey is motivated by recent developments, such as the significant increase of team work
in science and problems of how to organize fair and sustainable collaborations. It also reflects recent
discussions around the replication crisis, problems of scientific integrity, and the apparently increasing
pressures in scientific work. The aim of the survey is to obtain in-depth insights from researchers in
Europe and to learn how researchers deal with conflicts and increasing pressure to publish with a focus
on different kinds of selfish and altruistic behavior, scientific misconduct, and social norms about collaboration,
such as authorship order. The survey includes a number of new measurements, such as
factorial surveys, behavioral games, an Implicit Association Test on misconduct, indirect questioning
techniques for eliciting scientific misconduct, randomized survey experiments on selective publishing
behavior, and more.
For more information about the ZSoA, please have a look on the survey report; for access, please click
here:
http://bit.ly/ZurichSurveyofAcademics
Your responsibilities
Independent and dedicated research within the framework of the CONCISE proposal and in particular
the ZSoA
- Optional: design and implementation of follow-up studies
- Publication of research results in peer-reviewed international journals
- Presentation of research results at international conferences
- Support in teaching and research activities of the chair
- Support in the supervision of PhD candidates and Master's students and administrative tasks
Your profile
We are looking for prosocial and team-oriented candidates that will support us with the data analyses of
the ZSoA and dissemination of the results in journal publications. We are particularly looking for candidates
bringing together a strong theoretical and analytical perspective, such as game theory, rational
choice theory, analytical sociology or related approaches, with quantitative methods to study mechanisms
of the emergence and decay of social norms and cooperation in the field of science studies
- A proactive, collaborative, and creative mindset with the ability to communicate complex ideas persuasively
and inspiringly
- A doctoral degree (or close to completion) in Sociology or a related field (such as Economics, Social
Psychology, Political Science, Computational Social Science)
- Strong interest and experience in science studies, higher education research and/or bibliometrics
- Very good knowledge and experience in the application of quantitative empirical social research and
statistics, including experience in using statistical software such as R, Stata, or Python
- Publication experience within international peer-reviewed journals
- Excellent English skills, both written and spoken
What we offer
- A stimulating, dynamic and research-oriented environment with a supportive and cooperative team
- The opportunity to participate in a large-scale scientific project within science studies with the possibility
of innovative data linkages
- The integration of own research ideas within the framework of the Zurich Survey of Academics, for instance
follow-up studies
- The possibility to work with a certain degree of flexibility (in terms of time and place)
Place of work
University of Zurich, Department of Sociology, Andreasstrasse 15, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland
Start of employment
The starting date is flexible from May 2021. Please submit your application in one pdf file until
09.05.2021. Include the following in your application:
- A motivational letter (max. 1 page)
- CV (including publications)
- Transcripts of your Bachelor's, Master's, and doctoral degree
- One-page summary of your dissertation
- Up to three papers you consider your strongest work (e.g. published papers, thesis chapters, or a
working papers)
- Two articles that fascinate you with a short description of how they might influence your research in
the next years
- Contact details of two referees (or two letters of recommendation)
The University of Zurich is a family-friendly university, it values the diversity of its members and enables
equal opportunities for all. We therefore encourage all applications - regardless of gender, age, religion,
disability, nationality or ethnic and social origin and sexual identity. Applications of scientists from abroad
are explicitly welcome.
Further information
jerke@soziologie.uzh.ch
Please apply via our job portal www.jobs.uzh.ch