Junior researcher TRUST RPA

Tackle one of the most consequential topics of this day and age: trust

The job has two main fields of responsibilities. On the one hand you’ll be responsible for the internal organisation of the TRUST RPA: you’ll coordinate internal meetings, maintain and grow our local, national and international networks, organise workshops and conferences, contribute to the work of the Principal Investigators and the research team by providing research and administrative support.

You’re also expected to conduct your own empirical socio-legal research in the domain of trust and technology governance. Your research work will be focusing on the domain of platform regulation and the DSA, and the relationship of the platform regulation instruments with the trustworthiness of these techno-social systems. You’ll conduct socio-legal research which highlights how the trustworthiness of platform technologies can be achieved through various approaches, including but not limited to regulation.

The TRUST RPA is a collaboration of five UvA faculties (law, humanities, communications, economics and computer science), spearheaded by the Institute for Information Law (IViR). The RPA focuses on the shifting trust dynamics in the digital society; the trustworthiness of digital technological infrastructures, and the trust logics which develop in- and through digital intermediaries. The RPA has wide-ranging activities: we conduct interdisciplinary research;

we organise workshops to UvA researchers; maintain networks in the Netherlands and in the EU; and write grant applications.

We are looking for someone with a familiarity of the topic; and with both organisational and research experience.

The position will be embedded in the Institute for Information Law (IViR), University of Amsterdam.

• Develop, conduct, and publish research on the legal, technological and governance aspects of trustworthy platform technologies, and present research on (inter) national conferences;
• Contribute to the research within and around the RPA
• Design and execute qualitative and quantitative research into trusted flaggers;
• Contribute to events, research meetings, and grant applications.

You will also manage the work of the RPA:

• you’ll coordinate internal meetings,
• maintain and grow our local, national and international network,
• organise workshops and conferences,
• contribute to the work of the PIs and researchers through substantive and administrative support;

Familiarity with the work of the RPA, and/or research support experience is a plus.

We are committed to develop new research talent for this reason we are looking for a junior, but promising researcher. This means that you must have

• at least an advanced Masters Degree related to law and/or technology governance, with a focus on platforms, or other digital intermediaries; or
• you must have defended your PhD in related topics within the last 12 months at the maximum.
• You have demonstrated experience with trust/trustworthiness related research.
• You have conducted empirical socio-legal research.
• You are familiar with doctrinal research as well as qualitative or quantitative social science methods.
• You have a clear research interest in the topic of the RPA (documented by previous work, publications and/or grant applications).
• You have an excellent written and spoken command of English, as demonstrated by publications in English-language journals (written and spoken command of other languages, including Dutch is a plus).
• You have the ability, willingness, and commitment to do autonomous work in a multidisciplinary team that includes legal scholars, communication scholars, digital humanities and computer scientists.
• You have experience with providing organisational support to research teams, and with organising workshops, lecture series, and similar events.

We encourage all qualified applicants, including minorities, women, people with disabilities, and members of other groups underrepresented in academia to apply. We are committed to creating an environment of mutual respect, inclusiveness, equal opportunities with room for personal development.

We offer a full-time (38…