[Commlist] Postdoc job opportunity: Critical digital-well-being & sociotechnical theory

Please see below for a 17 month full time postdoctoral position starting 
in March 2026.


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*Job Title: *Research Associate - Critical Digital Well-Being & 
Sociotechnical Theory
*School: * Information, Journalism & Communication, University of Sheffield
*Salary*: £38,784 - £41,064
*Work arrangement:* Full time
*Duration:* 01/03/2026 - 31/07/2027
*Line manager:* Niall Docherty, Lecturer in Data, AI, and Society

*Closing Date: * 23/12/2025

Apply here 
<https://jobsite.sheffield.ac.uk/job/Research-Associate-Critical-Digital-Well-Being-&amp;-Sociotechnical-Theory/1946-en_GB>

*Overview
*
We have an exciting opportunity for a 17-month postdoctoral research 
position working on the AHRC-funded project Control Shift Escape: New 
Possibilities for Digital Well-being. Under the supervision of Dr Niall 
Docherty, you will be part of a team whose aim is to move scholarship 
and society beyond current ideas of digital well-being as self-control, 
where living well online is reduced to controlling personal 
technological habits. Through theoretical investigations, 
interdisciplinary collaborations, and arts-based public research and 
events, this project will provide new ways to understand, design for, 
and practice digital well-being today. You should hold a PhD in the 
humanities, social sciences, or related fields (or have equivalent 
experience), or be close to completion. You will be interested in the 
project topic, sociotechnical phenomena, and critical theory. This role 
comes with many opportunities to advance your academic career, including 
the opportunity to publish co-authored and lead-author publications, and 
access to a personal budget for researcher professional development, 
networking building, event organising, and international travel for 
conferences. You will principally be supported to pursue the aims of the 
project, but will have allocated time, resources, and mentoring to 
develop your own individual research agenda and future career trajectory.

The project is based in the School of Information, Journalism and 
Communication, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Sheffield. You 
will be housed in an interdisciplinary, international department with 
researchers exploring diverse issues surrounding technology, data, AI, 
information, media and communication. You will access a vibrant campus 
community with regular research group meetings, departmental and faculty 
seminars and workshops.

*We invite those with a PhD awarded or close to completion in the 
humanities, social sciences, or related fields.
*
*
Main duties and responsibilities*

  * Identify, interpret, and map the intellectual materials that
    construct digital well-being as an object of interdisciplinary inquiry.
  * Contribute to new conceptualizations of digital well-being based on
    rigorous interpretation of historical and contemporary texts.
  * Help develop and run an extensive arts-based public engagement
    program with project partners Bloc Projects, including public
    workshops, events, and exhibitions.
  * Coordinate with and support other members of the project team
  * Attend meetings and conferences, presenting project and individual
    works-in-progress
  * Co-produce peer reviewed publications and reports derived from the
    project
  * Contribute to the development of onward research plans and proposals.
  * Contribute to University life, including the free exchange of ideas
    and a commitment to the achievement of excellence in research and
    scholarship
  * As a member of staff you should strive to uphold the highest
    principles of academic life and research, including commitments to
    freedom of speech, sustainability, and research integrity and rigour.
  * Carry out other duties, commensurate with the grade and remit of the
    post


The University of Sheffield is a remarkable place to work. Our people 
are at the heart of everything we do. Their diverse backgrounds, 
abilities and beliefs make Sheffield a world-class university. We offer 
a fantastic range of benefits including a highly competitive annual 
leave entitlement (with the ability to purchase more), a generous 
pensions scheme, flexible working opportunities, a commitment to your 
development and wellbeing, a wide range of retail discounts, and much 
more. Find out more about our benefits (opens in a new window) and join 
us to become part of something special.

*Apply here*: 
https://jobsite.sheffield.ac.uk/job/Research-Associate-Critical-Digital-Well-Being-&amp;-Sociotechnical-Theory/1946-en_GB 
<https://jobsite.sheffield.ac.uk/job/Research-Associate-Critical-Digital-Well-Being-&amp;-Sociotechnical-Theory/1946-en_GB>
*
*
*Our website*: https://sheffield.ac.uk/ijc <https://sheffield.ac.uk/ijc>

For* informal enquirie*s about this job contact Dr Niall Docherty - 
(n.docherty /at/ sheffield.ac.uk) <mailto:(n.docherty /at/ sheffield.ac.uk)>



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