The Uppsala Information Laboratory at Uppsala University has opened a PostDoc position in computer science with a focus on Professional Competences and Equal Opportunities in collaboration with the Optimisation Group and the UpCERG, Uppsala Computing Education Research Group.

Application deadline: 2 May 2023

Link to the call: https://www.uu.se/en/about-uu/join-us/details/?positionId=607358

Profile

Uppsala University is a comprehensive research-intensive university with a strong international standing. Our ultimate goal is to conduct education and research of the highest quality and relevance to make a long-term difference in society. Our most important assets are all the individuals whose curiosity and dedication make Uppsala University one of Sweden’s most exciting workplaces. Uppsala University has over 54,000 students, more than 7,500 employees and a turnover of around SEK 8 billion.

The Department of Information Technology has a leading position in research and education in a wide spectrum of areas, from construction of computer systems, via programming of computers, storage and handling of data, to information retrieval and methods for applying computers in a variety of contexts. The Department currently has about 300 employees, including 120 teachers and 110 PhD students. More than 4,000 students take one or more courses at the department each year. More info: https://www.it.uu.se.

This position is one of four postdoc positions on the topic of equal opportunities aspects in IT.

Project description

To contribute to the understanding of how students develop professional competencies related to equal opportunities in computing subjects by participating in learning activities where these competencies are needed. Here, we use the term equal opportunities to refer to approaches related to DEIA and its connection to the seven grounds of discrimination as listed in the Swedish Discrimination Act. The project comprises a highly interdisciplinary team spanning computing and engineering education, artificial intelligence, and social data science.

The position will be hosted by the Vi3 Division at the Information Technology Department and will be working very closely with the local and international collaborators. In particular, the project is led by an interdisciplinary group of researchers and teachers from both the Computing Science Division and Vi3.

Duties

We seek a postdoctoral fellow in computer science, education, and related fields whose role in the project will be to lead the main research efforts and to contribute to the advancement of groundbreaking research, in a diverse, interdisciplinary environment. The duties include method development, evaluation and analysis. The project includes both qualitative and quantitative methods; the former from computing education research and the latter from data science.

This postdoctoral position is a 2-year career-development appointment focused on research, and includes a limited amount of teaching (20%).

The position is funded by and takes place in the context of the department’s initiative to strengthen its research on equal opportunities aspects in IT.

Requirements

PhD degree in Computer Science or Discipline Based Education Research or a foreign degree equivalent to a PhD degree in a discipline related with Computer Science or Discipline Based Education Research. The degree needs to be obtained by the time of the decision of employment. Those who have obtained a PhD degree three years prior to the application deadline are primarily considered for the employment. The starting point of the three-year frame period is the application deadline. Due to special circumstances, the degree may have been obtained earlier. The three-year period can be extended due to circumstances such as sick leave, parental leave, duties in labour unions, etc.

High proficiency in English (spoken and written) is a requirement.

Consideration will also be given to good collaborative skills, drive and independence. As a person, a successful candidate is motivated, creative, responsible, and has a structured approach.

Additional qualifications

Documented experience in Discipline Based Education Research. Knowledge of the Swedish Education culture or system. Experience related with equal opportunities aspects such as diversity, equality, inclusion and accessibility. Experience studying bias or ethical aspects of technology. Experience with quantitative methods such as, but not limited to, statistics and social network science.