Edinburgh Napier University is currently advertising a great opportunity for anyone keen to focus on their research over the next five years with the ambition of promotion to Associate Professor. The University’s Principal’s Research Fellowships offer a five-year contract with a salary in the range of £37,768 to £46,414, and include an attractive support package.

The posts correspond with the three broad areas that comprise the University’s Academic Themes:

1. Information Society
2. Sustainable communities
3. Wellbeing

Those of us in the Centre for Social Informatics are keen to see applications that fit to the Information Society theme, and especially those that align with, or extend, our current research interests and expertise in:

• Democratic digital engagement
• Digital culture
• Digital economy
• e-Government
• Information policy
• Information seeking behaviour and use
• The Information Society
• Information systems for organisational effectiveness
• Knowledge management
• Online communities
• Open data and open government

The focus of the work of successful applicants to the Principal’s Research Fellowship posts will be research, and will include developing grant proposals, undertaking projects to develop new knowledge in the domain, disseminating research results, and contributing to the University’s submission to the Research Excellence Framework (REF)*.

There will also be opportunities to mentor and coach others (e.g. line management of research assistants, research student supervision), and provide supervisory support to research teams. In carrying out this work, the Principal’s Research Fellows will actively work towards meeting the criteria for promotion to Associate Professor. (These criteria can be found in the University’s Academic appointment and promotion framework).

The University is interested in hearing from candidates who offer the following interests, expertise, and qualifications:

• PhD in a relevant discipline
• Knowledge and expertise to underpin the further development of research in the domain
• A research profile that already demonstrates national recognition
• Experience of successfully leading and developing research projects, including the writing of research proposals and disseminating research findings in high quality journals and at international conferences
• Ability to work independently, combined with prior experience of collaborating on research projects
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to use a range of delivery techniques to enthuse and engage others in research
• Willingness to play an active part in the life of the research group in which they are based, and in the wider community (e.g. through broadening their external research networks, and through public engagement activities)
• A commitment to continuous professional development

The closing date for applications is 1st July 2016. Interviews will take place during the week commencing 15 August 2016. For further information about this opportunity, please see the advertisement and the the role description on the University’s vacancies web site.

A little more about the Centre for Social Informatics, Napier’s Merchiston campus, and Edinburgh…

CSI staff and research students June 2015

*In REF2014 the Centre for Social Informatics contributed to the University’s submission to Unit of Assessment 36. 74% of the research output submitted was judged to be world-leading (4*) or internationally excellent (3*). The research environment also attracted a high score of 90% 4* and 3*. Our result puts us in the top quartile nationally for Unit of Assessment 36. Our ranking against other research groups of the British Association for Information and Library Education and Research (BAILER) based on the percentages given above places us top for research outputs and joint second for environment.

The Centre for Social Informatics is a lively and friendly research group that undertakes a wide range of research projects from small-scale commercial contracts to large research council funded grants. We also supervise a set of enthusiastic research students, the majority of whom are externally funded (e.g. by UK research councils – AHRC and ESRC). They are currently working on doctoral studies in the following areas:

• Digital media for widening cultural engagement
• Means of enhancing workplace learning to develop innovation skills
• The impact of social media tools on tacit knowledge sharing practices between employees within public sector organisations
• The evolution of social networking and its impact on career management skills
• Personal online reputation management
• The role of libraries in the development of social capital and citizenship
• The value of census information to policy making

Our base is a modern campus that boasts its own medieval tower, situated in what estate agents call a ‘very desirable area’ close to shops, banks, restaurants, bars and a fabulous independent cinema. There is easy public transport to campus by bus and we’re a short walk from Haymarket railway station. It takes just a few minutes to reach the beautiful open space of the Meadows for a walk or run at lunchtime. If you’ve never been to Edinburgh before, it’s one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and ranks as the best place to live in the UK.

Cricket on the Meadows, just a short walk from Merchiston campus