24 October 2024

Applications are invited for a POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP at CREST to study the policy contexts and implications of national evaluation initiatives around impact and societal value. The relevant project will be an international and multi-method study of research assessment initiatives in five countries, including South Africa. Fifty percent of the fellowship will be devoted to this project. Scientometric analyses, such as a study using Dimensions and OpenAlex data to examine inclusion in scientific communities, will make up the other fifty percent, among other topics and forms of analysis.

The fellowship is available for a period of four years, commencing 1 January 2025. The successful applicant will be based in Stellenbosch. Please note that postdoctoral fellows are not appointed as employees and are therefore not eligible for employee benefits.

Requirements:

  • PhD in science and technology studies (obtained in the last 5 years)
  • Previous academic work in relation to science policy in South Africa
  • Proven experience of working with metadata in Dimensions and Web of Science
  • Working knowledge of OpenAlex will be a strong recommendation
  • Proven experience of content analysis and structured literature reviews
  • Proven experience of scientometric analysis
  • Proven experience of survey administration
  • Proven experience of developing interview guides, conducting interviews and analysing interview transcripts
  • Strong competencies in R for quantitative data analysis
  • Basic skills in writing SQL queries for relational bibliometric databases
  • Proven experience of working in an international research team
  • Proven publication record
  • Excellent writing skills in English

Applications:

Applicants should send a completed application form and a comprehensive curriculum vitae, which includes a list of publications and the names and contact details of two referees, to Marthie van Niekerk. Applicants should request their referees to forward confidential reports by the closing date directly to the same e-mail address.

Closing date for application is 15 November 2024.

The University reserves the right not to fill the position.

The University reserves the right to investigate qualifications and conduct background checks on all candidates.