Research assistant, Department of Government - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

The Department of Government belongs to the Faculty of Social Sciences at Uppsala University and has about 100 teachers, researchers, doctoral students, and administrative staff. Its activities consist mainly of teaching at undergraduate and graduate levels and in postgraduate education. In addition, the department conducts extensive research at national and international levels.

Read more about the department's activities on our website: www.statsvet.uu.se  

Duties

The work will be carried out within the FORTE-funded research project “The struggle for influence: policies for gender equality and sexual rights in the European Union”. The overarching aim of the project is to offer an in-depth understanding of the policymaking regarding “intimate citizenship” issues – i.e., the set of social policies concerning intimate partnerships, reproductive choices, sexuality, and gender identities – in the European Union. Specifically, it seeks to identify who are the actors seeking to influence policymaking in the intimate citizenship domain and examine with whom they forge coalitions, how these coalitions are structured, and how power is distributed among them.

Working with researchers Giulia Mariani and Josefina Erikson, the assistant is expected to aid with the data collection. The main tasks include identifying the actors supporting gender equality and sexual and reproductive rights at the European Union level and collecting material on their collaborations with other actors. This will require scraping websites for references and links to other actors and collaborative activities among them, as well as setting up a network database. Further, and depending on time availability, other tasks will include scraping websites for public documents authored by the identified actors to pinpoint their beliefs and policy preferences. The work will be done according to clear instructions on how to scrape websites for this information, as well as on how to set up a network database.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Political Science or equivalent social science degree. The work requires basic programming skills, as well as experience in data collection and setting up a database. Accuracy, independence, good analytical skills, and a very good ability to understand and express oneself in English, are all prerequisites for the position.

Additional qualifications

An interest in policymaking concerning gender equality and sexual and reproductive rights, as well as knowledge of issues related to the European Union, advocacy, and social networking are an advantage. A Master's degree in Political Science (or equivalent social science degree), previous experience working as a research assistant or other experience related to the project’s research area, and familiarity with other European languages are also advantages.

Application

The application should include the following:

• Cover letter (max 2 pages), in English: describe your motivation for applying, why you fit the posting, and your possible start date and time availability. In case you have a writing sample (e.g., thesis or empirical analysis) feel free to attach a copy.
• Curriculum Vitae, in English
• Transcript of grades (unofficial is sufficient)

Contact information of two referees (will only be used at the end of the recruitment process)

Shortlisted candidates will be asked to participate in an interview.

About the employment

The employment is a temporary position. The research assistant can be employed full-time (100%) for 3 months, with a possible extension for another 3 months. Alternatively, and upon agreement with the project team, the research assistant can be hired part-time (at least 20%) for up to 12 months.

For further information about the position, please contact: Giulia Mariani, email: giulia.mariani@statvet.uu.se

 Please submit your application by the 4th of May 2023, UFV-PA 2023/1361.