The Department of History of the Faculty of Humanities is looking for a junior researcher for the newly-formed CANAL AI Lab. The mission of this lab is to examine cultural data using methods from Cultural Analytics and Artificial Intelligence without losing sight of the critical perspectives on data, methods, and broader sociocultural factors. CANAL is co-located with the Faculty of Humanities research program Creative Amsterdam: An E-Humanities Perspective (CREATE) and is directed by dr. Melvin Wevers and dr. Nanne van Noord. The interviews will be held Thursday 27 July or Friday 28 July.

As a junior researcher you will assist with ongoing research in the lab. This offers an opportunity to further expand your skills and learn about new methods. Additionally, you are tasked with helping out with the organisation of workshops, talks, and meetings as well as managing our website and social media channels.

What are you going to do

Cultural factors impact how we interpret data. These factors can vary over time and place. Existing methods for cultural analytics, including AI, generally overlook these factors. The CANAL AI Lab aims to develop methods that are culturally-aware. As CANAL AI is in its start-up phase we are looking for a junior researcher / research assistant who is interested in participating in research projects, supporting us with organisational tasks, and playing a role in increasing the visibility of CANAL AI across the University of Amsterdam.

Your tasks and responsibilities (with provisional division of time spent):

• Participate in ongoing research, with options for co-authored publications (75%)
• Organise workshops, events, and meetings (15%)
• Survey possible affiliated researchers (5%)
• Manage the CANAL AI website & socials (5%)

A curious, creative attitude towards research with demonstrable experience or a clear willingness to learn new ways of analysing cultural data using computational means. You are well organised and able to work on different tasks without losing focus of priorities.

Your experience and profile:

• A degree (MA/MSc or RMA/Sc) in a related field, including but not limited to programs in Digital Humanities, Data Science, Informatics, Digital History (required);
• Excellent written and spoken English and Dutch (required);
• Experience with data science methods and programming languages;
• Experience with website management.

An interest in digital methods in the humanities and/or an interest in artificial intelligence and data ethics would be preferred for this position.

We offer a temporary employment contract for a period of 1.5 years with a probationary period of two months. Preferred starting date is September 1st 2022. The employment contract is for 25 hours a week.

The gross monthly salary, based on 38 hours per week and relevant experience, ranges between between € 2,818 to € 3,764. This sum does not include the 8% holiday allowance and the 8,3% year-end allowance. A favourable tax agreement, the '30% ruling', may apply to non-Dutch applicants. The Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities is applicable.

What else do we offer

• opportunity to develop a PhD proposal, ideally related to the topic of the position or the area of AI, or digital humanities;
• the opportunity to collaborate and publish with leading researchers at research institutes that - partly as a result of their interdisciplinary approach - are world renowned;
• opportunity to get acquainted with new research methods and topics of research.

Faculty of Humanities

The University of Amsterdam is the Netherlands' largest university, offering the widest range of academic programmes. At the UvA, 30,000 students, 6,000 staff members and 3,000 PhD candidates study and work in a diverse range of fields, connected by a culture of curiosity.

The Faculty of Humanities provides education and conducts research with a strong international profile in a large number of disciplines in the field of language and culture. Located in the heart of Amsterdam, the faculty maintains close ties with many cultural institutes in the capital city. Research and teaching staff focus on interdisciplinary collaboration and are active in several teaching programmes.

Want to know more about our organisation? Read more about working at the University of Amsterdam.