“Imaging Economic Brains” is a two-year postdoctoral research project, to be carried out within ERIM, aiming at the analysis of the emergence of a new technology-driven social science field: neuro-economics, a new field in economics and management science. This field seeks to mobilize advanced brain imaging techniques from neuroscience to analyze the biological basis of economic decision making. It sits at the interface between economics, management science, psychology, and neuroscience. The emergence and dynamics of neuro-economics is viewed as a special case of technological change in the development of research cultures. Historians of science have made clear that technology and research instrumentation are main factors in the development of scientific research. By integrating new measurement and observational instruments in their research practice, scientists have redefined their objects of research and consequently also the key questions in their field. Imaging technologies have traditionally played an important role in this dynamics (as illustrated by e.g., the invention of the microscope). The new brain imaging technologies (in particular fMRI and its related brain scanning techniques) have already had a strong influence on medical science, neuroscience, and the cognitive sciences. But how will they influence the social and behavioral sciences?
Project leaders: Ale Smidts, Paul Wouters
Duration: 2008 - 2010
Vacancy: postdoc position; application deadline: 15-05-2008 (download job offer)
PhD position in Semantic Scholarly Publishing
“Argumentation Discovery and Semantic Scholarly Publishing” is a project linked to the research programme of the Erasmus Studio, to be carried out within the Erasmus School of Economics in collaboration with the Erasmus University Library.It aims to develop models, methods and algorithms for argumentation discovery that can support semantic scholarly publishing: the integration and use of information from different modalities, such as text, graphics, multimedia, raw data and software, in new semantic combinations to enhance knowledge production.
The project will rely on methods and techniques from multiple disciplines including argumentation theory, text mining and knowledge management. It should result in (i) a semantic scholarly publishing model that is dynamic and multidimensional and makes cognitive and semantic relation patterns visible and (ii) a set of validated analysis tools as well as an authoring environment that can offer a proof of concept for the envisaged approach. The project will focus on scholarly publishing in one or more specific domains, e.g., health economics and/or agent-based economics.
Project leaders: Gert Goris, Uzay Kaymak, Paul Wouters; Participants: Gusta Drenthe
Duration: 2008 - 2012
Vacancy: PhD-position; extended application deadline: 19-05-2008 (download job offer)
Postdoc position in Erasmus Studio project 'Digital garbage cans and public innovation'
How can digital technologies be used to support innovation of the public sector, such as product, process, organizational, conceptual and institutional innovation? Based on the so-called atelier method this question will be addressed in the project Digital garbage cans and public innovation. The project will be carried out as a collaboration between the Department of Public Administration and the Erasmus Studio. For this project the Erasmus Studio seeks a researcher who received his/her PhD in information science, science and technology studies or another social science field (’social informatics’). Applicants need moreover to have sufficient expertise in the development of ICT as well as knowledge of, or at least affinity with, innovation and public sector dynamics in governance studies. A strong international research record is demanded as well as proficiency in the English language.
Project duration: 2 years
Starting date: August-September 2008
Deadline for application: 1 May 2008
Opportunities at VKS KNAW, Amsterdam
3-month Postdoctoral Fellowship, KNAWApplications are invited for three-month fellowships within the Virtual Knowledge Studio for the Humanities and Social Sciences (VKS) for Autumn 2008. The fellowship is designed for junior scholars who have recently received their PhDs in order to provide the following: experience of working within an interdisciplinary research group, an opportunity to prepare material for publication and to develop new research ideas. Deadline for applications is 29 April 2008.