2-year Postdoc position in social epistemology/political philosophy

The position is part of the cross-disciplinary research project Plants for a changing world which is funded by the University of Copenhagen´s Excellence Programme for Interdisciplinary Research, and headed by professor, dr. scient. Michael Broberg Palmgren. The postdoc. will be assigned to Work Package 3: Legitimate Policy Choices, directed by co-PI Klemens Kappel, and will collaborate closely with another post.doc in the same project. The postdoc. will be based in the Section of Philosophy at the Department of Media, Cognition, and Communication. The postdoc. is expected to participate actively in the cross-disciplinary research environment set up around the project.

Job content
Climate changes are expected to have a major impact on the health of plants and therefore inevitably will result in tremendous challenges for the agricultural and food sectors. Major challenges in future agriculture will be to increase the nutritional value of plant products, ameliorate the tolerance of crops to saline soils and to improve their resistance to pathogens. Recent history shows that societal acceptance of plant biotechnology is much more complicated and fragile than was previously hoped. For this reason, it is mandatory that future approaches are not only biologically feasible, but also socially feasible, which is a requirement for biological solutions to be implemented in society.

The focus of research in WP3 are questions about legitimate policy choices, not least in the face of popular disagreement: under what conditions would implementation of plant biotechnology be ethically legitimate in the face of persistent popular disagreement, including disagreements about facts´ The postdoc.´s main responsibility will be to study institutions that facilitate legitimate policy choices. In most European governments, as well as in intergovernmental bodies, various institutions (such as ministries, commissions, or science advise officers) have the function of filtering out as irrelevant certain dissenting views of the public, or dissenting members of the scientific community. The question is how this filtering is achieved, and what features of the process may be thought to enhance its legitimacy (say contestability, hearings, citizen panels). The output will include an analysis of principles for institutional design that will enhance legitimacy of political decision-making in contexts of factual disagreement. The successful applicant is expected to be willing to and capable of doing collaborative research.

Qualification requirements
In order to be considered for the position, applicants must hold a PhD degree or similar qualifications. The following professional qualifications and personal competences are furthermore required:

                      • Research qualifications, which will be assessed in relation to the period of active research, the degree of originality, and academic output.

                      • The applicant´s scientific record, academic breadth and depth, rigour, thoroughness and accuracy, as well as academic relevance in relation to the advertisement for the position.

                      • Participation in networks - national and international 

For further details about the qualification requirements for postdoctoral positions, please refer to Circular no. 9427 of 13 June 2007 concerning the job structure for academic staffhttps://www.retsinformation.dk/Forms/R0710.aspx?id=6039 (only in Danish)

For further information about the position, and the full project description, please contact Klemens Kappel ([email protected]).

Application
The application must be submitted online in Adobe PDF or Word format.

Please click on the "Apply online" icon at the bottom of the page.

Please note that each field in the application form may only contain a single file of max. 20Mb.

The application must include the following enclosures:

Application letter/cover letter

Appendix 1: CV
Appendix 2: Documentation of qualifications (examination certificates/PhD diploma, etc.)
Appendix 3: Complete and numbered list of publications. The enclosed publications must be marked with an asterisk
Appendix 4: Research plan, including a short description of previous research and a plan for the coming years that includes an account of involvement in organising research and establishment of research seminars.
Appendix 5: Documentation of teaching qualifications and research dissemination (This field is compulsory in the application form and related to other position categories. You should only provide a brief description of your teaching experiences. Or you can upload references or recommendations etc.)
Appendix 6: Publications. Applicants may choose a maximum of three publications for assessment, of which at least two must have been published within the five years immediately preceding the deadline for applications. Publication dates must be clearly marked on the publication list. The publications selected must be uploaded as attachments and numbered from 1-3.

Only material in Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, English, German and French can be expected to be assessed.

All material will be shredded at the end of the appointment procedure.

Appointment procedure
After the application deadline, the Dean will set up an expert assessment committee to evaluate applicants in relation to the advertised position. The applicants will be informed about the composition of the committee, and will have the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment relating to him or her before the appointment is finalized.

Please refer to ministerial order no. 242 of 13 March 2012 concerning the appointment of academic staff at universitieshttps://www.retsinformation.dk/Forms/R0710.aspx?id=140435(only in Danish)

Applicants will be continuously informed about the progress of the procedure by e-mail.

Further information about the procedure is available from HR and Personnel Officer Helle Schæbel, tel.: +45 51 29 85 21 or e-mail: VIPadmin@hum.ku.dk.

Salary and conditions of employment
The post will be filled according to the Agreement between the Danish Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations.
A special tax scheme is offered to researchers recruited abroad,http://ism.ku.dk/taxes.

The University of Copenhagen wishes to encourage everyone interested in this post to apply, regardless of personal background.

Deadline for application: September 20th, 2013

Please quote reference number 211-0078/13-4000 in your application.

Apply online
The University of Copenhagen actively influences current and future generations through excellent research, education and co-operation. UCPH is one of the highest ranked universities in Europe and is Denmark´s oldest university, founded in 1479. Today, the University has 37,000 students and 9,000 employees affiliated across six faculties: humanities, law, natural sciences, social sciences, health sciences and theology. www.ku.dk/english/.
Frist: 20-09-2013
Arbejdsgiver: Det Humanistiske Fakultet