DIZH Call for Several Postdoctoral Positions

The University of Zurich (UZH), the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) and the Zurich University of Teacher Education (PHZH) issue a call for several postdoctoral positions within the Initiative for Digitalisation of Universities in Zurich (DIZH).

More information can be found here:

Zurich is ready to meet the challenges of a digital future! The University of Zurich (UZH), the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) and the Zurich University of Teacher Education (PHZH) will collaborate together in the digitalization initiative “Digitalisierungsinitiative der Zürcher Hochschulen” (DIZH) over the next 10 years.

The aim of the DIZH is to promote cooperation between Zurich’s higher education institutions in the field of digitalization and thus strengthen Zurich as a center of research and business. The four collaborating universities are systematically linked in the DIZH to advance research and innovation in digitalization topics with interdisciplinary approaches. The DIZH promotes research on digitalization through its three clusters «research», «innovation» and «education».

In the context of the DIZH’s «research» cluster, UZH has created a number of postdoc positions. The openings are advertised by the UZH Digital Society Initiative (DSI). The DSI provides an independent academic environment at UZH for promoting critical, interdisciplinary reflection and innovation regarding all aspects of the digitalization of society and academia.

In this first call, several postdoc positions are to be assigned with funding available for three to four years. If the application is successful, the postdoctoral researcher can apply for additional funding for the employment of a PhD student (requires connection to a faculty and supervision by a professor) or material resources.

The DIZH postdoc positions are for excellent researchers at the outset of their academic career, carrying out interdisciplinary and inter-institutional research on topics closely linked to digitalization and its impact on society. As a DIZH postdoc, you will be expected to strengthen the content links within the DIZH and to create synergies across the universities. Possible fields of research may include but do not need to be restricted to Digital Health, Digital Ethics, Religion and Digitalization, Digital Humanities, Legal Tech, Computational Science, Digitalization in Education, Communication, …

Applications from all disciplines are welcome and topics and research questions are open. Candidates should apply with an interdisciplinary, inter-institutional project, with a vision on how they want to contribute to the reputation of Zurich as a center of excellence and knowledge regarding all aspects of digitalization. Previous experience in interdisciplinary or inter-institutional projects is an asset. A PhD degree and very good command of English, written and oral, are a prerequisite.

We offer competitive employment conditions at UZH, a highly engaging research environment, state- of-the-art facilities such as the High Performance Computing infrastructure and support through the researchers collaborating under the umbrella of the DIZH. Diversity and inclusion are important to us.

There are plenty of opportunities for cooperation and interdisciplinary exchange with the participating universities. Support can be offered when successful applicants want to raise/attract third-party funds to prolong the research project, which is strongly encouraged.

The positions are an excellent opportunity to further develop qualifications and gain credentials and experience in different disciplines at the interface of digitalization. Further attractive career opportunities exist on site.

To submit your application, send an email to dizh-postdocs@dsi.uzh.ch.Please include the following in your application (in a single PDF file):

• Cover letter
• CV
• Copy of university-level diploma
• A project outline (max. five pages): The project outline should describe your interdisciplinary,inter-institutional project, and convey your vision on how you want to strengthen the reputation of Zurich as a center of excellence and knowledge regarding all aspects of digitalization. Please include a timeline.

The deadline for applications is January 31, 2021. Screening of applicants will start afterwards. You will be notified in the second half of March. Start of the employment is as early as possible.

We are looking forward to your applications!