Job Description
We are accepting applications for a Postdoctoral Fellow to work on a SSHRC-funded community- based project titled “Refugee States.” The project partners with community partners in Montreal and Toronto to build capacity for the co-creation of a digital archive of forced migration narratives that centre refugee perspectives to counter dominant stories of forced migration. The project’s objectives are: (1) provide training to community partners and peer researchers on digital skills, oral history, and digital storytelling; (2) mobilize peer researchers in the recording of oral histories in alignment with ethics review board requirements; (3) support the building of a digital archive; (4) support the production of digital storytelling as research creation that activates this digital archive.
Purpose of Postdoctoral Position
As a researcher with the project, the Postdoctoral Fellow will work under the supervision of and in collaboration with the Co-Directors to undertake research and other activities, with the purpose of supporting implementation of the project, knowledge sharing, and research dissemination through conference presentations, public talks, and publication in international journals.
The Postdoctoral Fellowship will have the following responsibilities in the related areas of research and project coordination:
Research
- Undertake literature reviews in critical refugee studies and cognate fields.
- Undertake desk-based secondary data collection relating to the subject;
- Qualitative analysis of interviews using, as needed, supporting software programs (e.g. NVivo, Excel);
- Present research at national and, where relevant, international conferences and other events;
- Develop independently and in collaboration with the research team, articles for publication in peer-reviewed scholarly venues.
Project Coordination
- Presenting and/or writing up research for stakeholder audiences;
- Event planning and coordination (i.e. academic and/or community oriented activities, online or in-person events, multi-lingual activities, etc.)
- Communication for research team and diverse stakeholders (i.e. organizing and facilitating meetings, creating newsletters, report writing, etc.)
- Maintaining project website
- Facilitating expense reimbursements
Skills and Qualifications
Applicants must have completed all requirements for a PhD by 1 July 2024 or be within 5 years of completion of their doctoral degree.
The applicant must have the following experience/training/skills:
- Experience in research project coordination and/or event planning;
- Ability to work in a collaborative and team environment;
- PhD and research background in critical refugee studies or a related area with preference given to candidates with additional research background in critical race studies and/or critical refugee and migration studies and/or queer and trans migration studies;
- Comfortable doing qualitative data collection and analysis;
- Strong interest and/or experience in areas relating to digital storytelling/oral history ;
- Publication in well-regarded journals on critical refugee studies ;
- Familiarity with anti-racist, anti-oppression, decolonial and/or queer and trans affirmative research approaches;
- Fluency in written and spoken English and/or French;
- Ability to communicate in a heritage language other than English or French is an asset;
- Audio and video production and editing skills is an asset.
To apply for this position, please submit the following documents:
- A cover letter detailing how your experience matches the requirements (2-page max);
- A detailed and current CV (please highlight your publications);
- A 20-page writing sample;
- Details of two referees, including their email addresses.
Please submit all documents by email to Thy Phu (thy.phu@utoronto.ca) by May 15, 2024. Qualified applicants will be invited for an interview to be conducted by Zoom. Only those applicants selected for interview will be contacted.
This one-year postdoctoral position based at UTSC (1 July 2024 – 30 June 2024). Some work may be undertaken remotely. However, the successful candidate will need to be based in Toronto or Montreal, be available for all in-person meetings and trainings, and be willing, as needed, to travel between sites.
REFUGEE STATES encourages applications from marginalized communities, including those who identify as Indigenous, women, trans and non-binary, gender non-conforming, Black, people of colour, and persons with disabilities. We especially welcome applicants who have lived experience as refugees.
Salary: $50,000 + benefits. An additional $5000 stipend will be provided for conference travel.