Research Assistant – Leiden University

The Leiden University Institute for History invites applications for a

Research Assistant (0,2 fte, 4 years/0,4 fte, 2 years) starting date 1 October 2023

Key responsibilities

• Data collection;
• Data analysis;
• Creation of Jupyter notebooks;
• Collaboration with members of the team.

Selection Criteria

• MA degree in computational linguistics, computational social sciences or closely related area;
• Excellent programming skills, preferably in Python;
• Experience with natural language processing and social network analysis;
• Interest in the Humanities and Social Sciences;
• Good command of English;
• Ability to work both independently and as part of an (international) team;
• Ability to work in an international and highly competitive environment.

About our Faculty and Institute

Since its founding in 1575, Leiden University has acquired an international reputation for excellent teaching and research. With its 800+ staff, the Faculty of Humanities provides 26 Bachelors and 27 Masters programmes for over 7,200 students based at locations in Leiden’s historic city centre and in The Hague.

Project description

Leiden University Institute for History is looking for a research assistant within the NWO-funded project ‘Digital warfare in the Sahel: popular networks of war and Cultural Violence’. This interdisciplinary project will combine historical-ethnographic approach with natural language processing and social network analysis to study the role of social media networks in the spread of violence in Sahel region.

The research assistant will work closely with two PhDs and focus on the computationalanalysis of the data, including natural language processing and social network analysis.

For more information on the Institute for History see https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/humanities/institute-for-history

Conditions of Employment

The appointment (0.2 fte) is initially for one year with the possibility of extending the contract for three years after positive evaluation (or 0.4 fte for one year with the possibility of extending the contract for one year after positive evaluation). The salary is in accordance with the collective salary agreement of the Association of Dutch Universities (CAO). Depending on qualifications and experience, the maximum gross monthly salary for this position is € 2.679 for a full-time position.
Leiden University offers an attractive benefits package with additional holiday (8%) and end-of-year bonuses (8.3 %), training and career development and sabbatical leave. Our individual choices model gives you some freedom to assemble your own set of terms and conditions.

Diversity and Inclusion

Leiden University’s Institute for History embraces diversity and seeks candidates who will contribute to a climate that supports students and staff of all identities and backgrounds. We strongly encourage individuals from underrepresented and/or marginalised backgrounds to apply.

Information

For more information, contact Professor Mirjam de Bruijn (m.e.de.bruijn@hum.leidenuniv.nl) and Dr. Jelena Prokic (j.prokic@hum.leidenuniv.nl ).

Applications

Applications should be submitted in English and include a:

• Motivation letter;
• Curriculum vitae;
• List of two referees to your application (with full postal addresses, telephone numbers, and emails). Referees will be contacted directly by the search committee.

Applications should be submitted no later than 21 July 2023 via the blue button in our application system. Please quote the vacancy number in your application. All requested documents should be sent in PDF format.

Click here for more information about the organisation.

Apply