[Commlist] Call for Applications: Visiting Postdoctoral Fellowships “Algorithmed Public Spheres” (Hamburg)

***Visiting Postdoctoral Fellowships “Algorithmed Public Spheres” 
(Deadline: April 1st)***

The Leibniz Institute for Media Research | Hans-Bredow-Institut (HBI) in 
Hamburg, Germany, invites applications for international postdoctoral 
research fellows who will conduct innovative research on the social and 
cultural impact of algorithms during stays of 2-12 months in the 
academic year 2019/2020.

The Leibniz Institute for Media Research | Hans-Bredow-Institut (HBI) is 
a publicly funded research institute and member institute of the Leibniz 
Association that focuses on the study of mediated public communication. 
Its research encompasses both broadcast and digital communication from 
an interdisciplinary and comparative perspective.

The members of the postdoctoral research network Algorithmed Public 
Spheres (http://aps.leibniz-hbi.de/) study the relevance of algorithms 
for the constitution of the public sphere. We emphasize in particular 
the importance of algorithms for filtering, ranking and selecting media 
content and for structuring digital communication. In contrast to the 
use of data mining in areas such as healthcare, credit scoring and 
general business analytics, where such techniques have a long tradition, 
the impact of algorithms on the public sphere poses novel challenges. 
How are communication, media, and public discourse impacted by 
transferring the dominant logics of consumption from other industries to 
news, information, and political deliberation, implemented in social 
media platforms, search engines, and on news websites? How do we adapt 
as individuals as well as as a society to the growing prevalence of 
algorithmic systems?

Research in this area could include:
– Algorithms and political polarization
– Reverse engineering of platform mechanics
– (Big) social data mining
– Fragmentation of the public sphere
– Governance of and by algorithms
– Algorithm awareness and algorithm literacy
– Measurement of algorithmic bias and discrimination
– Algorithms in news production, distribution and consumption processes
– User interaction with and rationalization of algorithms

We invite applications for international postdoctoral research fellows 
from fields including, but not restricted to, computer and information 
science, communication and media studies, law, political science, 
sociology and philosophy, who will conduct innovative research on the 
social and cultural impact of algorithms during stays of 2-12 months in 
Hamburg in the academic year 2019/2020. We particularly welcome 
cross-cutting research proposals that integrate technical and social 
perspectives and result in concrete outcomes, for example in the form of 
peer-reviewed research articles or proposals for externally funded projects.

Up to two funded fellowships will be awarded as result of this call. The 
fellowships cover airfare and a contribution to the accommodation and 
subsistence in Hamburg. In specific cases, we may offer a temporary 
employment contract instead of a scholarship.

To apply, please send a cover letter (one page), a project proposal (up 
to three pages) and your CV (up to four pages), including a list of your 
most relevant publications (maximum of five), to Cornelius Puschmann 
((c.puschmann /at/ leibniz-hbi.de) <mailto:(c.puschmann /at/ leibniz-hbi.de)>). Please 
note that applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered.

IMPORTANT DATES:
Application deadline: April 1, 2019
Announcement of 2019/2020 Fellows: May 1, 2019

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