DSC/IAS Joint Fellowship at the UvA Institute for Advanced Study

The University of Amsterdam’s Data Science Centre (DSC) and Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) welcome applications for their third DSC/IAS Joint Fellowship Call on Knowledge Infrastructures.

The third call is open to research projects that aim to contribute to our understanding of how the science and research system as a knowledge infrastructure interacts with governmental, NGO and corporate databases and social media, and how this changes the organization and production of knowledge. Here, data science methods can be seen as crucial for helping to gain such better understanding.

As a system designed to generate, test, falsify, and validate knowledge claims, the science and research system is highly dependent on infrastructures. These infrastructures consist not only of the buildings where teaching and research take place, archives and laboratories, and the communities for publishing but also the technology infrastructures such as databases, monitoring systems, and algorithms. The connection between the epistemic (knowledge) dimension of science and research and its infrastructural organization is so intense that the science and research system itself can be considered as a knowledge infrastructure.

With the development of digital societies, the rise of social media, and algorithmic systems, this knowledge infrastructure is increasingly connected to mobile phones and internet-connected devices in different knowledge practices and gradually transforming into a more interdisciplinary practice, leading to a different ecology of knowledge.

As Edwards (2017) has argued, “the ‘mining’ of data exhaust to detect patterns, trends and individual preferences is transforming the relationship between designers, builders, marketers and consumers, as well as civil society, worldwide. It is also transforming science.” According to Bowker (2017: 397-400) this leads to a new cognitive division of labor, new knowledge objects and continuous experimentation in science and research. An example is the diversity of knowledge infrastructures related to the monitoring of the SDGs (Beaulieu 2022).

Questions that may drive applications for this fellowship opportunity:

• How does the emergence of new objects of knowledge affect the disciplinary organization of science and research, and what new fields are emerging?
• How can we employ data science and AI methods to better understand knowledge infastructures?
• How does collaboration with government, NGO, and corporate databases and social media create new forms of interaction and research organization?
• Which new forms of experimentation can be distinguished in different fields?

Approaches that tackle these questions with data science methods are of particular interest.

This fellowship is specifically intended to initiate research project(s) and build collaborations to study knowledge infrastructures.

Who can apply? 

UvA researchers or researchers from another university at any career stage can apply for a joint DSC/IAS fellowship.  

We explicitly welcome joint applications from small teams of researchers that combine expertise in data science and other research areas, possibly in combination with philosophy of science and science and technology approaches. Another option is a combination of a researcher and an individual/organisation with a specific use case/question.

We are mindful of the importance of (gender) diversity within DSC and IAS and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for everyone. 

Requirements:

• PhD degree, for at least one of the applicants;
• applicant(s) will have demonstrable (combined) expertise in both Data Science/Machine Learning and another discipline;
• applicants currently employed by other institutions than UvA need a committed co-applicant within the UvA who wants to structurally collaborate with the fellow.  Co-applicants are UvA employees at (Assitant/Associate) Professor level;
• an employment contract at a university or research institute for the entire duration of the research fellowship;
• curiosity and a collaborative mindset.  

What we offer 

Joint DSC/IAS fellowships typically have a duration of 2-6 months.

For joint DSC/IAS fellows employed by UvA, time at DSC and IAS is organised as an in-kind arrangement with their department. This can take the form of spending sabbatical time at DSC and IAS or other arrangements (e.g. using a research grant). 

Joint DSC/IAS fellows employed by other institutions (non-UvA fellows) enjoy guest status; they are not employed by the DSC or IAS.  

For non-UvA fellows who relocate to Amsterdam for the duration of the research fellowship, IAS provides a needs-based compensation for  expenses (travel, accommodation). They are responsible for paying tax to the Tax and Customs Administration of the Netherlands (Belastingdienst) or to the tax authorities of the country in which they are liable to pay taxes. 

All joint DSC/IAS fellows will get access to: 

• be hosted at IAS, including a regular workspace and community lunches in our building in the center of Amsterdam;
• a vibrant community with many opportunities to develop novel research projects and methodologies, and to establish partnerships and networks;
• small amount of seed funding to support their project (e.g. for student assistance, inviting international guests, publication support);
• organisational support to (co)organize and publicize activities at IAS or DSC (such as workshops, think tanks, seminars);
• be included in regular DSC networking activities;
• be featured in both DSC and IAS communications.

What we expect 

The DSC and IAS consists of a curiosity-driven research community.

All joint DSC/IAS fellows are expected to:

• be present at IAS at least 3 days a week;
• collaborate with their co-applicant, if applicable;
• actively engage with the wider DSC and IAS community; 
• participate in DSC and IAS social and scientific activities; 
• contribute to IAS’ programming (e.g. through a kick-off lecture);
• acknowledge DSC and IAS in any publications resulting from the research fellowship; 
• we encourage applicants to consider using the fellowship to create opportunities for documentation, dissemination of and engagement with their work that go beyond academic publications, such as book sprints, collaborative workshops, White Papers, developing online resources, etc.
• write a short blogpost within four weeks after the end of the research fellowship.

Selection criteria 

• Alignment with the theme Knowledge Infrastructures and expertise in both Data Science/Machine Learning and another discipline; 
• proven experience with mixed methods;
• creative, original out-of-the-box thinking;
• academic track record, taking into account the career stage of the applicant;
• perspective on/experience with interdisciplinary research collaboration.

Process and Timelines 

Joint DSC/IAS fellowship applications are assessed by a committee of DSC and IAS staff, advised by the IAS Board of Associates. Fellowships can start any time in the academic year 2024/2025. Please note, that IAS is not able to host international fellows during the summer break. Kindly consider this in your planning and timeline. The IAS Board of Associates meets on 10 October to assess the joint DSC/IAS fellowship applications.

The deadline for submission is therefore 15 September 2024. We strive to notify applicants about their application mid October.

To apply, please send an email before 15 September 2024 to ias@uva.nl and include: 

1. the application form; 
2. CV; 
3. a letter of support from your employer/supervisor.

Download the joint DSC/IAS fellowship application form