The Department of Human Centered Design and Engineering (HCDE) at the University of Washington (UW) Seattle seeks an ethnographer of data science for a 36 month (2.5yrs) postdoctoral research scientist position, starting January 2017. The hired candidate will work with Prof. David Ribes in Seattle, and in collaboration with Geoffrey C. Bowker (and an additional postdoc) at the UC Irvine School of Informatics.

The postdoc will collaborate in the investigation of the Big Data Regional Innovation Hubs and Spokes program (BDHubs), an NSF funded "umbrella organization" for US Big Data and data science. This project will investigate the ongoing activities at the BDHubs and its partner institutions, their emerging plans for the future, and will tie these to the history of research infrastructures. The goal is to understand the rise and institutionalization of 'the data sciences,' including organizational, methodological, epistemological and infrastructural transformations at the nexus of science, industry and state.

The ideal candidate will be trained in the social and/or information sciences and have a grasp of the field of Science & Technology Studies (STS); have good communication skills; have a strong background in qualitative methods; and be able to navigate a highly interdisciplinary field of investigation. Additional methodological skillsets welcome!

More details.

UNBC is seeking highly motivated and adventurous students to join a new research project, Indigenous Territorial Rights in the Russian Federation. The research team includes members from Canada, Finland, Lithuania, Norway and the Russian Federation. Students will pursue topics of their own choice under the broad themes of legal and/or cultural geographies of indigenous rights in the Russian North. Candidates should feel comfortable working in collaborative and multi-cultural environments.

• The Masters student may pursue either a MA in Natural Resources and Environmental Studies (MA NRES) (with a focus on Geography or Environmental Studies) or an Interdisciplinary MA (MA IDIS).

• The PhD student will enter UNBC's interdisciplinary Natural Resources and Environmental Studies PhD program.

Some proficiency in Russian language is highly desirable at the MA level and required at the PhD level.

A competitive funding package will be offered to the successful candidates, including an annual stipend (up to 2 years for the MA student, 3 years for PhD student), plus support for field research costs in Siberia and for presenting research findings at conferences. Successful candidates will also be expected to apply for additional external funding, and mentored to do so. Students will be encouraged to publish their research in peer-reviewed journals.

While an intake for September 2017 is most likely for the MA student, a September 2016 or January 2017 start may be possible for the exceptional candidate. For the PhD student, a start date of January 2017, May 2017 or September 2017 will be considered. For more information on the project, specific opportunities and expectations/responsibilities interested candidates should contact Dr. Gail Fondahl at UNBC.