Author Archives: Simon Jebsen

MMG: Doctoral Research Fellowship

The Minerva Fast Track research group ‘Migration, Identity and Blackness in Europe’ situated at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity and led by Dr. Johanna Lukate is currently inviting applications for the position of Research Fellow [Doctoral] (m/f/d). The position will be full-time for three years with a starting date of 1 September or earlier.

The successful doctoral research fellow will be joining the research group to carry out a computational social science research project at the intersections of African Studies and digital humanities to understand how public discourses about African migrants in Germany have changed over time. The best applicants have a strong interest in applying computational social research methods to studying social issues, in particular, migration and racialisation. Applicants must have demonstrated expertise in computational methods and should have advanced knowledge of R or Python. Applicants must hold a Master’s degree (M.A., MPhil, MSc or equivalent) in psychology, sociology, political science, linguistics, data science, or similar.

The full call is available here: https://www.mmg.mpg.de/1109193/mft-job-call-doctoral-fellowship?c=114585

Informal queries may be directed to Dr Johanna Lukate (lukate [@] mmg.mpg.de). For information on the institute and the research group, please consult www.mmg.mpg.de.

2 Starter Scholarships for Doctoral Candidates

The scholarships are available from 01 April 2024 for the duration of one year. We welcome applications from candidates aiming to write their doctoral thesis at the Bamberg Graduate School of Social Sciences. The school supports scholarship holders through personal mentoring, workshops and support services. The Bamberg Graduate School of Social Sciences is a multidisciplinary Graduate School funded by the Bavarian State. We seek to stimulate and guide cutting-edge doctoral research on some of the most crucial challenges modern knowledge-based societies face.

We are inviting applications from highly qualified graduates from the fields of Sociology, Psychology, Educational Science, Political Science, Labour and Educational Economics, Demography and Statistics. Candidates must hold a Master’s degree (or equivalent) in one of the aforementioned subjects or be very close to completion.

Successful applicants will be required to take up their residence in Bamberg, a city noted for its high quality of life and great conditions for research and study. According to the Graduate School’s guidelines, Starter Scholarships amount to a monthly stipend of 1,468.00 EUR, plus other allowances. The Graduate School is committed to diversity, equal opportunities and the compatibility of family and career.

For more information, visit: https://www.uni-bamberg.de/en/bagss/application/starter-scholarships/

2 DAAD GSSP Scholarships for Doctoral Candidates

The scholarships are available from 01 April 2024. DAAD scholarships for international candidates are available for up to four years. We welcome applications from graduates aiming to write their doctoral thesis at the Bamberg Graduate School of Social Sciences. The school supports scholarship holders through personal mentoring, workshops and support services. The Bamberg Graduate School of Social Sciences is a multidisciplinary Graduate School funded by the State of Bavaria. We seek to stimulate and guide cutting-edge doctoral research on some of the most crucial challenges modern knowledge-based societies face.

We are inviting applications from highly qualified graduates from the fields of Sociology, Psychology, Educational Science, Political Science, Labour and Educational Economics, Demography and Statistics. Candidates must hold a Master’s degree (or equivalent) in one of the aforementioned subjects or be very close to completion and should not have lived in Germany for more than 15 months by the start of the membership.

Successful applicants will be required to take up their residence in Bamberg, a city noted for its high quality of life and great conditions for research and study. According to the DAAD guidelines, DAAD scholarships amount to a monthly stipend of 1,200 EUR, plus insurance and other allowances. The Graduate School is committed to diversity, equal opportunities and the compatibility of family and career within its statutory obligations.

For more information, visit: https://www.uni-bamberg.de/en/bagss/application/daad-scholarship/

17th International Research Workshop – Methods for PhD (27 August – 1 September 2023)

17th International Research Workshop – Methods for PhD
27 August – 1 September 2023
Akademie Sankelmark, Flensburg (Germany)
http://www.phd-network.eu/irws/programme/

PROGRAMME

PARALLEL MORNING SESSION 1 (28 – 30 August 2023)

PARALLEL AFTERNOON SESSION 2 (28 – 30 August 2023)

 

 

PARALLEL SESSION 3 (1 September 2022)

WORKSHOP COMMITTEE:

  • Dr Wenzel Matiaske, Helmut-Schmidt-University
  • Dr Simon Jebsen, University of Southern Denmark
  • Dr Heiko Stüber, University of Applied Labour Studies

FEES & CREDIT POINTS

559 Euro (with accommodation and meals)

It is possible to get a certificate on five credit points (according to the European Credit Transfer System).

WORKSHOP VENUE

The workshop will take place at the Akademie Sankelmark, Akademieweg 6, in Oeversee (near Flensburg), Germany.

CONTACT & REGISTRATION

Don’t hesitate to contact the workshop committee (irwsnetwork@gmail.com) for any questions.

Please register for the workshop here or on the workshop website.

ORGANIZERS

  • Helmut-Schmidt-University/University of the FAF Hamburg, Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences
  • Akademie Sankelmark im Deutschen Grenzverein e.V.

SUPPORTERS

  • Europa-Universität Flensburg
  • University of Hamburg, Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences
  • University of Hamburg, School of Business
  • Leuphana University Lüneburg, Faculty of Economics

Quantitative Text Analytics

Institution: see Organisers & Supporters

Programme of study: International Research Workshop

Lecturer: Assoc. Prof. Dr Fabian Hattke (University of Bergen)

Date: see Workshop Programme

Max. number of participants: 20

Credit Points: 5 CP for participating in the whole IRWS

Language of instruction: English

Contents: This course provides a basic introduction to the field of quantitative text analytics
and natural language processing (NLP). It offers a theoretical introduction and hands-on
exercises to explore the potential utility of different approaches to textual data (e.g., closed vs.
open vocabulary text mining, sentiment analysis, topic detection, and data visualization). The
course teaches students to extract and process text from documents and analyse the data through quantitative methods.

Software Installations: The course requires no coding or programming skills or prior
experience with NLP tools. If students want to participate in the practical exercises /actively
use their own datasets, they shall install the following software tools on their personal laptops
prior to the course.

Recommended literature:

Eichstaedt, J. C., Kern, M. L., Yaden, D. B., Schwartz, H. A., Giorgi, S., Park, G., … & Ungar, L. H. (2021). Closed-and open-vocabulary approaches to text analysis: A review, quantitative comparison, and recommendations. Psychological Methods, 26(4), 398-427.

Grimmer, J., & Stewart, B. M. (2013). Text as data: The promise and pitfalls of automatic content analysis methods for political texts. Political Analysis, 21(3), 267-297.

Hickman, L., Thapa, S., Tay, L., Cao, M., & Srinivasan, P. (2022). Text preprocessing for text mining in organizational research: Review and recommendations. Organizational Research Methods, 25(1), 114-146.

Indurkhya, N., & Damerau, F. J. (Eds.). (2010). Handbook of Natural Language Processing
(Vol. 2). CRC Press Wilkerson, J., & Casas, A. (2017). Large-scale computerized text analysis in political science: Opportunities and challenges. Annual Review of Political Science, 20, 529-544.

You have to register for the International Research Workshop to participate in this course.

Multi-level Modelling with R

Institution: see Organisers & Supporters

Programme of study: International Research Workshop

Lecturer: Dr Daniel Lüdecke (UKE Hamburg)

Date: see Workshop Programme

Max. number of participants: 20

Credit Points: 5 CP for participating in the whole IRWS

Language of instruction: English

Contents:  The course teaches how to fit multilevel regression models with the statistical programming language R. First, simple (generalized) linear regression models are introduced to show important basic principles of modelling, like simple regression, interaction terms, non-linear relationships between predictors and outcome (polynomial and spline terms). Later, the application of these principles in a multilevel framework is demonstrated. Furthermore, the graphical representation of complex mixed models is covered, which helps communicate complicated models even for a broad audience less familiar with such techniques. Successful participation requires basic knowledge of regression modelling techniques. Students are encouraged to bring their own laptops with the free software R (www.r-project.org/) and RStudio (www.rstudio.com/) installed. All source code to run the examples is provided in preparation for the course.

Requirements: Knowledge of classic regression modelling (familiarity with terms like dependent and independent variables, linear and logistic regression, estimate, …)

Recommended readings:

  • Harrison, X. A., Donaldson, L., Correa-Cano, M. E., Evans, J., Fisher, D. N., Goodwin, C. E. D., … Inger, R. (2018). A brief introduction to mixed-effects modelling and multi-model inference in ecology. PeerJ, 6, e4794. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.4794
  • Bolker, B. M., Brooks, M. E., Clark, C. J., Geange, S. W., Poulsen, J. R., Stevens, M. H. H., & White, J.-S. S. (2009). Generalized linear mixed models: a practical guide for ecology and evolution. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 24(3), 127–135. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2008.10.008

Required R packages:

  • Modelling: lme4, glmmTMB, GLMMadaptive
  • Visualization: ggeffects, sjPlot, see
  • Summaries and Statistics: parameters, effectsize
  • Model Quality: performance
  • Data preparation: sjmisc, dplyr, tidyr

You must register for the International Research Workshop to participate in this course.

Data Analysis with R

Institution: see Organisers & Supporters

Programme of study: International Research Workshop

Lecturer: Dr Marco Lehmann (Oviva AG)

Date: see Workshop Programme

Max. number of participants: 20

Credit Points: 5 CP for participating in the whole IRWS

Language of instruction: English

Contents: The course introduces the programming language R used for statistical analyses. The beginning of each lecture comes with a demonstration of programming and statistical functions that will be elaborated on in the course of the study. The students will then practice with many statistical examples. In addition to statistical functions, the course will introduce the definition of R as a programming language and its syntax rules. Students will further learn to use R’s scripting capabilities. Successful participation requires basic knowledge of descriptive and inferential statistics. The students are encouraged to bring their own laptops with the free software R (www.r-project.org/) and RStudio (www.rstudio.com/) installed.

A requirement for students: Basic descriptive and inferential statistics knowledge is recommended.

Recommended literature and pre-readings:

  • Please read Chapter 1 in Lehmann, M. (2022). Complete Data Analysis Using R. Your Applied Manual. SAGE Publications Ltd.

You have to register for the International Research Workshop to participate in this course.

ReMaT – research management training for early-career researchers

ReMaT is an intensive, interactive workshop, providing an introduction to a number of key topics relating to research management including project management, grant acquisition, and science and technology related entrepreneurship. ReMaT is especially tailored to meet the needs of early-stage researchers especially from the 2nd year of PhD studies onwards, but is also suitable for others involved in research, or in directing research. ReMaT delivers hands-on practical training in an intensive, yet effective workshop form over two days. There is a strong emphasis on European networking in the way the workshop is delivered: we encourage participation from many different countries and disciplines.
Target group:
Early-stage researchers, e.g. PhD candidates or postdocs

More information and registration

Good Supervision – HRA workshops for experienced researchers

Dear all,

I would like to draw your attention to the summer workshops of the Hamburg-Research-Academy on the topic of “Good Supervision”. These workshops are aimed at postdocs, junior research group leaders and W1 professors with supervision responsibilities.

The offers are in English and can be accessed at the following link
https://www.hra-hamburg.de/en/betreuende.html

In particular, I would like to draw the attention to the intensive workshop on “Good Supervision”. The idea behind the workshop is that the participants, after completing it ideally also be active as multipliers for the topic at the University, thus establishing peer groups or low-threshold exchange opportunities for supervisors, which are then further supported by the Hamburg-Research-Academy.

Attendance at all workshops is free for individuals from HRA member universities.

Best,
M. Gürth
Research Officer
Helmut Schmidt University / University of the Federal Armed Forces Hamburg
Holstenhofweg 85
22043 Hamburg
E-Mail: maximiliane.guerth@hsu-hh.de
Phone: +49 (40) 6541-3463

Max Planck Institute: Research Fellowship on Blackness and Racialisation in Europe

The Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity is dedicated to the multidisciplinary study of diversity in historical and modern societies, especially concerning ethnic, religious, political, and legal processes and dynamics. This work includes basic empirical research to advance theoretical concepts.

The Minerva Fast Track Research Group Migration, Identity and Blackness in Europe, situated at the Department of Socio-Cultural Diversity, is inviting applications for the position of

Research Fellow [Postdoctoral] (m/f/d)
(full-time for two years with a starting date of 1 June 2023 or earlier)

The newly established research group takes an interdisciplinary approach to studying Blackness, racialization, and identity formation and transformation processes in the context of migration. The group explores questions such as: how are migrants’ identities (trans)formed in the context of migration? How do migrants communicate their own identities, and how do others communicate about migrants? And what can we learn if we look at racialization and migration as interconnected processes? In answering these questions, the group combines qualitative research methods (e.g., interviews and ethnographic observations) with computational methods (e.g., computational text analysis). The group is committed to doing non-exploitative research and engaging in participatory research practices. Our main focus is on African migrants in Europe, particularly Germany.

The successful research fellow is expected to (1) contribute to the group’s research projects, carrying out research on the multiple dimensions of Blackness and Africanness and the identifications of African migrants in Germany at the group or/and societal level, (2) be open to work with community-based organizations and initiatives (in Germany), and (3) play an active role in the organization of international seminars and the publication of research in key academic venues, as well as for wider audiences.

Your Profile

Applicants should have a strong interest in studying the interconnections between identity, communication, migration and racialization, focusing on the European context. Applicants must hold a PhD in sociology, psychology, anthropology, linguistics, data science, or similar. Applicants expecting a PhD must have submitted their thesis by 24th February 2023.

Very good spoken and written English and some basic knowledge of German are required. Very good spoken and written German is an advantage. The working language at the institute is English and regular presence at the Institute is required.

Our Offer

The contract will be for a full-time position and for a period of two years ending 30 June 2025. 1-year extensions are also possible, contingent upon confirmation of funds. Salary is based on the German collective agreement for civil servants (TVöD Bund), level E 13.

The Max Planck Society is mainly funded by the German Federal and State Governments (see www.mpg.de). Max Planck Institutes provide outstanding facilities, academic resources and intellectual environments to support independent research. Max Planck Institutes are not tied to universities. There are no teaching obligations for staff, but teaching and other forms of cooperation with universities are possible.

The Max Planck Society wishes to increase the participation of women across the sciences. Applications from women are, therefore, particularly welcome, as are applications from people of diverse gender or sexual orientations. Following its commitment to equal opportunities employment policies, the Max Planck Society especially encourages applications from persons with a disability. Persons of any nationality can apply.

Applications must be emailed to application_minerva@mmg.mpg.de no later than Sunday, 26th February 2023. Applications should be submitted in a single combined PDF file and include the following:

  • a cover letter describing the applicant’s research interests and their alignment to the group’s goals, and relevant research experience,
  • a CV without a photo, including a list of publications,
  • a short writing sample (no more than 500 words) such as the abstract of a first-author publication or abstract of PhD thesis, and
  • the names and contact details of two referees who we may contact.

Interviews are planned for early to mid-March, mainly in person at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity in Göttingen. Remote interviews may be arranged for candidates residing outside of Germany.

Informal queries may be directed to Dr Johanna Lukate (lukate (@) mmg.mpg.de). For information on the institute, please consult www.mmg.mpg.de.

MAX-PLANCK-INSTITUT ZUR ERFORSCHUNG MULTIRELIGIÖSER UND MULTIETHNISCHER GESELLSCHAFTEN,HERMANN-FÖGE-WEG 11, D-37073 GÖTTINGEN, GERMANY