Are you interested in the ways youth can navigate in the overwhelming, rapidly changing news media landscape, and how we can teach children to cope with negative news and recognise fake news? Then join Radboud University as a postdoc of communication science. In our stimulating environment with excellent facilities, you will have the freedom and autonomy to shape your career.

The department of Communication Science at Radboud University is looking for a postdoctoral researcher to further strengthen its research programme and contribute to its educational programme.

The research for this position (80%) will contribute to the theme of Youth and News. In a time of rapid, often irreversible developments in society, resilience of youth is an important theme. Children and adolescents growing up today will shape tomorrow's world. They need to find their way in today's complex society and that does not come naturally. It takes resilience to maintain a positive development in cooperation and interactions with others. Within Communication Science, we particularly focus on the interaction with media in this regard. In particular, we focus on news media as agents of socialisation. Topics we study include how youth can navigate in the overwhelming, rapidly changing news media landscape, how we can teach children to cope with negative news, and how youth can be empowered to recognise and combat fake news. In this way, we investigate how we can empower youth to become more responsible, resilient news consumers. In this project it is likely that we will seek cooperation from Dutch media companies. 

The teaching part of this position (20%) will be embedded in the study programmes of Communication Science (Bachelor’s and Master’s). Currently some 450 students are enrolled in the study programmes of Communication Science These programmes focus on questions concerning the production, content, uses, and effects of mediated communication, with an emphasis on positive and innovative communication science. We also spend significant time on the professional development of students. Autonomy-supportive teaching is the basic principle in our teaching, and we encourage staff members to use innovative teaching and assessment methods. The majority of the courses in the Bachelor's and Master's programmes are taught in Dutch.

Your research should be of high quality and should align with the theme described above: Youth and News. It should also fit within the BSI's Communication and Media research programme.

You will be expected to perform and publish high-quality research, collaborate with researchers from the Communication and Media research group, and ideally also with BSI’s other research groups, and with external scholars. Lastly, you will contribute to the study programmes of Communication Science and become an inspiring member of our staff.

• You hold a PhD degree in Communication Science or a related field.
• You have a good track record in scientific research as evidenced by publications in international academic journals.
• You are experienced in applying research practices that increase transparency in social science, such as pre-registration or data-sharing, or are willing to adopt such an approach.
• You have knowledge of, and are familiar with, diverse and advanced research methods and techniques.
• You possess good social, communication and organisational skills and are a team player.
• You have experience with teaching at an academic level.
• You have an excellent command of written and spoken Dutch and English (C1 level).

Fixed-term contract: It concerns a temporary employment for 2.5 years.

• It concerns an employment for 1.0 FTE.
• The gross monthly salary amounts to a minimum of €4,332 and a maximum of €5,929 based on a 38-hour working week, depending on previous education and number of years of relevant work experience (salary scale 11).
• You will receive 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus.
• It concerns a temporary employment for 2.5 years.
• You will be able to use our Dual Career and Family Care Services. Our Dual Career and Family Care Officer can assist you with family-related support, help your partner or spouse prepare for the local labour market, provide customized support in their search for employment and help your family settle in Nijmegen.
• Working for us means getting extra days off. In case of full-time employment, you can choose between 30 or 41 days of annual leave instead of the legally allotted 20.

Work and science require good employment practices. This is reflected in Radboud University's primary and secondary employment conditions. You can make arrangements for the best possible work-life balance with flexible working hours, various leave arrangements and working from home. You are also able to compose part of your employment conditions yourself, for example, exchange income for extra leave days and receive a reimbursement for your sports subscription. And of course, we offer a good pension plan. You are given plenty of room and responsibility to develop your talents and realise your ambitions. Therefore, we provide various training and development schemes.

Your research will be embedded within the Behavioural Science Institute (BSI). BSI is a multidisciplinary research institute and one of the three research institutes of the Faculty of Social Sciences at Radboud University. Our researchers collaborate across the boundaries of psychology, pedagogical and educational sciences, and communication science. Our mission is to strengthen people through understanding the foundations of human behaviour, by creating synergy between different paradigms and by facilitating craftsmanship, curiosity and connection in academic research. BSI has seven research programmes covering three major research themes, namely human development, connection and health. BSI conducts fundamental as well as applied/translational research and has excellent facilities and support for lab and field research. Moreover, the institute is known for its successful graduate school and strong commitment to open science.

This postdoctoral project will be part of the Communication and Media research programme in which currently some 45 staff are involved. The main objective is to study the social and psychological mechanisms underlying media use, media processes and media effects, while taking into account the economical, technological and sociocultural forces that influence the 21st-century media landscape. We aim to apply these fundamental insights to develop strategies for improving people's well-being. A key role is played by recent developments in digital technology: we study innovative techniques and tools such as artificial intelligence, robotics and virtual reality to find ways to empower people to thrive in their multiple roles, for example as consumers, citizens or parents. Driven by these objectives, we focus on three communication themes: influence (commercial and prosocial communication), information (journalism and news), and entertainment (consumer community and culture).


Radboud University
At Radboud University, we aim to make an impact through our work. We achieve this by conducting groundbreaking research, providing high-quality education, offering excellent support, and fostering collaborations within and outside the university. In doing so, we contribute indispensably to a healthy, free world with equal opportunities for all. To accomplish this, we need even more colleagues who, based on their expertise, are willing to search for answers. We advocate for an inclusive community and welcome employees with diverse backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives. Will you also contribute to making the world a little better? You have a part to play.
 
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