Postdoctoral Researcher - Virtual-EngAge, 0.5 FTE, School of Business & Economics
Applications are invited from suitably qualified candidates for a part-time (0.5 FTE), fixed term (8 weeks) position as a Postdoctoral Researcher with Irish Centre for Social Gerontology at the University of Galway, Ireland.
This position is funded by Irish Research Council COALESCE programme and is available from 1st May 2024 to contract end date of 30th June 2024.
Virtual-EngAge addresses the nexus between digital exclusion and limitations in multifaceted engagement in later life. Intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic, this nexus reflects long-standing, systemic issues facing ageing societies. Virtual-EngAge aims to examine the potential of everyday communication devices to support the maintenance, development and re-purposing of retirement association groups for social connectivity, critical information communication and advocacy in virtual environments. In doing so, it informs the development of a technology mediated participation platform for older people. Virtual-EngAge employs a mixed-method, interdisciplinary research design that harnesses and integrates methods from social gerontology and computational science and linguistics to capture a ‘deep-dive' and representative analysis of this topic.
This aspect of the research will consider: older people's daily engagements in social connectivity, information communication, and advocacy, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic; use of technologies for engagement; facilitators and barriers to technology-use and digital literacy; and acceptance of everyday and specialised/advanced technologies. The role of structural, environmental, individual and socio-technical barrier/facilitators will also be investigated in the context of technology use and acceptance.
Salary: Postdoctoral Researcher salary scale €42,782 - €54,965 per annum, (subject to the project's funding limitations), and pro rata for shorter and/or part-time contracts.
The default position for all new public sector appointments is the 1st point of the salary scale. This may be reviewed, and consideration afforded to appointment at a higher point on the payscale (subject to the project's funding limitations), where evidence of prior years' equivalent experience is accepted in determining placement on the scale above point 1, subject to the maximum of the scale.
Employment permit restrictions apply for this category of post
NB: Gárda vetting is a requirement for this post.
Closing date for receipt of applications is 17:00 (Irish Time) on 9th April 2024. It will not be possible to consider applications received after the closing date.
Interviews are planned to be held on week of 15th April 2024
Please review full job description for further details and essential requirements