DECaDE

New Job Posting – Postdoctoral Research Associate – School of Informatics

University of Edinburgh Grade 7: between £39,347 – £46,974

Full Time – 35 hours per week
Length:
Fixed term, 24 months

Postdoctoral Research Associate

We are looking for a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the area of data visualisation/physicalisation to join us at the School of Informatics at the University of Edinburgh on the ‘Grasping Data’ project.

Grasping Data is a two-year, interdisciplinary research project between the Universities of Edinburgh (the Schools of Education and Informatics) and Glasgow (School of Computing Sciences) and project partners (Scottish Schools Education Research Centre (SSERC), the Glasgow Science Centre, and Edinburgh Zoo) to change how we think about children and their personal data. The project goes beyond current emphases on data privacy and protection by co-creating cutting-edge, child-centred tools and pedagogies with young children, helping them understand and directly benefit from their own data. The vision of this project is to empower young children (ages 3-8) to create, explore, understand, and directly benefit from their personal data through visual and physical data representations and bespoke activities.

This post is one of three Postdoc positions, each of which will explore ‘Grasping Data’ from the perspective of education, data visualization/physicalization and physical computing, respectively. The post holder will, thus, work within a large interdisciplinary team led by investigators in education (Prof. Andrew Manches (PI) and Dr. Cara Wilson), data visualization and HCI (Dr. Uta Hinrichs and Prof. John Vines), physical computing (Prof. Stephen Brewster) and the partner organizations mentioned above.

We are looking for a candidate who has completed or is in the process of completing their PhD in the area of data visualization, design, and/or HCI. The candidate should have experience in the design of data visualizations and physicalizations, in conducting qualitative and quantitative studies “in the wild”, and a strong interest (if not experience) in working with children to investigate and co-design data physicalizations and related activities.

This is a two-year position. The post holder will be based at the Institute for Design Informatics (IDI) at the University of Edinburgh (School of Informatics) and the Edinburgh Futures Institute (EFI). The post is also associated with VisHub, the University of Edinburgh’s interdisciplinary research group for data visualization and HCI and the Children, Interaction, and Design Group (CID) at the University of Edinburgh’s Centre for Research in Digital Education.

The closing date for applications is 13th September, 2024. Please include the following in your application:

•    Cover letter (3 pages max.) including a statement of motivation for applying to this post and outlining relevant research experience.
•    Full CV (resume) and publication list
•    Contact details for 2 referees
•    (optional) A visual portfolio demonstrating experience in visualization/physicalization design (can be provided as PDF or web link).

The start date for this post is 1st January 2025.

Interviews will be held shortly after the closing date, in September 2024.

More information about this position can be found here: https://elxw.fa.em3.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_1001/job/11117?lastSelectedFacet=POSTING_DATES&selectedPostingDatesFacet=30