Digital Humanities Postdoctoral Fellowship: Staging Better Futures/Mettre en scène de meilleurs avenirs
**Please note this is a contract position with the possibility of renewal**
We seek a highly motivated postdoctoral fellow trained in digital humanities research to join our research program to investigate the research question, “What wise practices are needed for archiving in a community-driven research methodology?” This one-year position, beginning early in 2024 with the possibility of renewal for two additional years, also includes a structured mentorship plan to support the employee’s career, intellectual, and creative development.
This fellowship is funded by a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) partnership grant. The topics of the research program span from evaluating research data and maintaining data sovereignty, to providing needs assessment, and overseeing iterative design.
The Postdoctoral Fellow will be co-supervised by Dr. Nicole Nolette, Co-director of SBF/MSMA, and partner organisation Canadian Writing Research Collaboratory (CWRC) Director Dr. Susan Brown. It is expected that the successful candidate will work full-time, and in close collaboration with a team of graduate students, and other project teams. It is expected that the fellow will have a flexible work schedule for some activities that involve occasional evening and weekend work. Candidates should be enthusiastic about digital humanities and addressing colonialism, racism, ableism, gender-based discrimination, and linguistic minoritization in post-secondary theatre education.
About Staging Better Futures / Mettre en scène de meilleurs avenirs (SBF/MSMA).
The Postdoctoral Fellow will be working for the SBF/MSMA project, led by Dr. Nicole Nolette (University of Waterloo) and Dr. Jennifer Roberts-Smith (Brock University). The successful candidate will support the project in developing knowledge synthesis and governance processes to ensure “equality of relationship” among project members. SBF/MSMA is a Canada wide, cross-sectoral partnership. The project addresses colonialism, racism, ableism, gender-based discrimination, and linguistic minoritization in post-secondary theatre education. SBF/MSMA aims to make systemic change using an intersectional feminist, “community-driven” approach (OFIFC). The bilingual project involves more than 90 participants across Canada. Participants include colleges, universities, theatre companies, and arts service organisations, as well as a student caucus and a freelance artist-educator consultancy.
About Canadian Writing Research Collaboratory (CWRC).
The Postdoctoral Fellow will be working directly with CWRC Project Director Dr. Susan Brown on the SBF/MSMA project based on the online infrastructure of The Canadian Writing Research Collaboratory (CWRC) / Le Collaboratoire scientifique des écrits du Canada (CSÉC).CWRC understands scholarship as the dynamic production of knowledge communities who can collaborate through digital means to sustain, enhance, and continually expand cultural knowledge. It provides scholars with a foundation for investigating past and present cultural change and a means of exploring new forms of knowledge production. CWRC aims to make digital research methods broadly accessible, and to develop an active community of researchers engaged in exploring the potential of collaboration online.
About the University of Waterloo.
The University of Waterloo is the leading research university in Canada. We are recognized for our spirit of excellence, which is woven into everything we do — from supporting students to researching new solutions. We are committed to fostering a world-class workplace culture that supports employee success and wellbeing. Expand your possibilities, work with the brightest and make a difference together. If you are looking for a career that makes an impact. At the University of Waterloo, that’s what we do best.
About the University of Guelph.
The University of Guelph is one of the best comprehensive and research-intensive universities in Canada.
We consistently place at the top of student satisfaction rankings year-over-year. Established in 1964, the University enjoys a reputation for innovation and excellence dating back more than 150 years. Our mission is to ‘Improve Life’. These two simple words are the cornerstone of an institution committed to building a better future. If you are looking for a place to make a difference and improve life, you’ve found it at the University of Guelph.
Responsibilities will include:
- Undertaking research including research data management; ethics; facilitation of qualitative and quantitative methods; other data collection activities; analysis; writing; and mobilisation of research findings.
- Overseeing, scoping, and iterative design of the SBF/MSMA digital repository and interface.
- Coordinating a needs assessment process with project stakeholders.
- Developing community-specific approaches to data archiving, attentive to Indigenous Data Sovereignty.
- Designing and contributing to technical development of iterative prototypes to implement community-specific needs.
- Supporting CWRC in designing and developing initial workflows for release of internal project documents and other artefacts responsive to community-driven, creative, and design research processes.
- Drafting and iteratively revising SBF/MSMA policy documents related to the design and implementation of the repository and interface.
- Supervision and mentorship of PhD students.
What you need to Succeed…
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:
- PhD in hand or with a defence date set. PhD must be defended and applicants must be within 5 years of the PhD conferral date at the appointment start date.
- Demonstrated an interest in equity in post-secondary education, in theatre practice, or in digital knowledge environments.
- Demonstrated expertise in areas relevant to digital archiving, such as knowledge organisation, research data management, critical infrastructure or platform studies, or data sovereignty.
RESEARCH SKILLS:
- Expertise in an interdisciplinary range of research methodologies including:
- Experience with digital research software, ideally including some development experience.
- Interface design expertise or experience, and/or experience with user testing and usability studies.
- Systematic literature review.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT SKILLS:
- Coordination and organisational skills with the ability to manage time, meet deadlines, and manage workflow.
- Specialisation and/or equivalent work experience in digital humanities research project management, collaborative digital tool development, community-engaged research.
COMMUNICATION SKILLS:
- Excellent communication, orally and in writing.
- Proven ability to communicate complex concepts in accessible plain language.
- Participate and engage effectively in online meetings.
- Exceptional interpersonal skills, including listening skills.
COLLABORATION SKILLS:
- High level of cultural competency and ability to work effectively with collaborators with differing disciplinary backgrounds, expertise, and/or lived experiences.
- Demonstrated a commitment to inclusive, anti-oppressive, decolonizing, anti-racist,
anti-supremacist, or related approaches to theatre, post-secondary research and teaching, or in digital knowledge environments.
ASSET:
- Bilingual in French and English at a level appropriate for scholarly publication and presentation (CBC profile).
- Proven ability to communicate complex concepts in accessible plain language in both French and English.
- Expertise and/or lived experience in one or more areas of project focus: Indigeneity, racialization, disability, gender diversity, linguistic minoritization is an asset.
- Experience either with classroom teaching, leading workshops, or supervising student research assistants, as well as and respectfully engaging with collaborators at different career stages.
- To continue to be eligible for reappointment (extension), the postdoctoral fellow must still be within 5 years of the PhD conferral date at the time of each subsequent appointment start date to continue to be eligible for the position.
Salary Information.
The anticipated start date for this position is February 15, 2024, but can be negotiated.
- Salary range: $45,000 to $52,000*
- This is a 12-month contract position and includes benefits. This position has flexible work hours with potential for renewal for up to two additional years, dependent on performance in year 1 and funding availability.
*The salary range indicated is representative of all positions evaluated at this level. Actual salary is determined by assessing related skills, experience, internal equity and market competitiveness, subject to available budget.
Compensation.
All duties listed above are compensated and should be included in the calculation of hours worked.
Compensation is administered through the Department of French Studies at the University of Waterloo. It is the responsibility of the project to provide each team member with equipment, work space, and other resources essential to fulfilling the duties of their role. These will be identified through consultation with each individual team member and reviewed every six months.
Work Schedule.
The project’s core values include fair and equitable workloads as well as recognition and compensation for project members. Hours are flexible, but should average 35 hours per week. Flexible work arrangements will be determined in accordance with University of Waterloo’s Flexible Work Guidelines. There is no expectation to be available by email after 5pm. Meetings will be scheduled at mutually convenient times. All deadlines will be set to accommodate milestones for Year 1 research activities.
Normally, daily project operations will take place between Monday and Friday. Some project operations may occur on evenings and weekends when special events or an other exceptional need arises.
Recognition and Distribution of Work.
Impact of SBF/MSMA research is anticipated to be felt across multiple sectors. These sectors include
post-secondary theatre training and the public arts and culture sectors, thereby setting the stage to influence how Canadian voices are heard and seen. Intellectual property is understood to be collaboratively created and open-access. Please refer to the Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres (OFIFC)
Community-driven Research Framework.
Authorship of project deliverables:
The Digital Humanities Postdoctoral Fellow will be credited as single, lead, and/or co-author of project deliverables on work they contribute. All forms of contribution including prototyping, design, coding, and digital development, as well as research design, research, conceptualization, textual drafting, editing, and knowledge dissemination design will be acknowledged as forms of authorship. All forms of intellectual contribution will be recognized. The Digital Humanities Postdoctoral Fellow receives monetary compensation for contributions to project deliverables, as described under Duties and Compensation section above.
Compensation is independent of and additional to authorship credit.
Access to project deliverables:
In accordance with the spirit of Canada’s Tri-Agency Open Access Policy on Publications, deliverables will be open access, ie. shared with both project members and the general public. In cases where open access to deliverables may cause harm, the SBF/MSMA’s General Co-Directors will review and collaboratively develop deliverable-specific access policies with the project members who may be affected. Potentially commercializable deliverables will be governed by intellectual property agreements with Brock University and will be subject to Canada’s Tri-Agency Open Access Policy on Publications. In all cases, access to the project’s deliverables will be guided by the community-driven USAI research framework, as defined by the Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centers (OFIFC).
Access Commitment:
The University of Waterloo is committed to accessibility for persons with disabilities. We are committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free work environment, starting with the hiring process. If you have any application, interview, or workplace accommodation requests, please contact Human Resources at hrhelp@uwaterloo.ca or 519-888-4567, ext. 45935. All information received in relation to accommodation will be kept confidential. We will accommodate according to the needs of the applicants and the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) throughout all stages of the selection process.
A variety of career patterns may be on resumés of members of equity-seeking groups, and those who have experienced leaves from the workplace. These differences will be taken into account when assessing their experiences and qualifications.
Lived Experience Statement:
Staging Better Futures / Mettre en scène de meilleurs avenirs (SBF/MSMA) is actively committed to diversity and the principles of Employment Equity. SBF/MSMA invites applications from all qualified candidates.
Candidates who are members of First Nations, Inuit, Métis Peoples, Black, visible minorities, racialized groups, persons with disabilities, two-spirited people, 2SLGBTQ+ communities and other equity deserving groups.
Their lived experience will be taken into consideration as applicable to the posted position.
Equity Statement:
The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is coordinated within our Office of Indigenous Relations.
The University values the diverse and intersectional identities of its students, faculty, and staff. The University regards equity and diversity as an integral part of academic excellence and is committed to accessibility for all employees. The University of Waterloo seeks applicants who embrace our values of equity, anti-racism and inclusion. As such, we encourage applications from candidates who have been historically disadvantaged and marginalised, including applicants who identify as First Nations, Métis and/or Inuk (Inuit), Black, racialized, a person with a disability, women and/or 2SLGBTQ+.
All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.
How to apply:
Interested candidates are invited to submit:
- a letter of interest outlining your experience and fit for the position;
- an up-to-date curriculum vitae;
- contact information for one reference from an academic supervisor;
- contact information for one additional reference from academic supervisor or community knowledge-keeper;
- a work sample that illustrates your strengths as a researcher, relevant to this position.
Please submit your documents to Dr. Nicole Nolette (nicole.nolette@uwaterloo.ca) by February 1, 2024 with the email subject line “SBF/MSMA Digital Humanities Postdoctoral Fellowship.”