Mar 19, 2024: Social Scientist with a Focus on GIS, Cartography, and Mixed Methods (Pre-/Post-Doctoral)

Logo of the University of Vienna

The InfraNorth project, funded by the European Research Council, is seeking a social scientist with expertise in GIS, cartography, and mixed methods for a pre-doctoral or post-doctoral position (20 hours per week, starting as soon as possible, limited until March 31, 2025), based in the Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology, University of Vienna.

The project explores how residents of the Arctic engage with transport infrastructures and their intended and unintended local consequences. The focus of our research is the role of transport infrastructures in sustaining northern communities. Our approach combines ethnographic fieldwork with mapping, future scenario workshops, and archival research. Quantitative population data and a survey about the role of transport infrastructures are used to upscale our research from local communities to regional and pan-Arctic levels. In doing so, InfraNorth contributes locally informed results to critical conversations about Arctic futures.

The ideal candidate for this position should have a Master’s degree or PhD in geography, spatial planning, or related discipline. The candidate must have a particular interest and experience in GIS and digital cartography skills, as well as in statistical analysis and quantitative research (including the conception, execution, and analysis of questionnaires). Additionally, the candidate should have experience working in multidisciplinary teams and an excellent command of written and spoken English (C1). Having web design skills (CMS) and a good command of written and spoken German (B1) would be an advantage.

The extended deadline for applications is March 19, 2024. The application form and further details can be found here.

Cover of the Polar Geography journal.

Feb 2026: Article by Susan Vanek in Polar Geography Special Issue

The quarterly peer-reviewed journal Polar Geography has published the article “2200 meters: infrastructure, the future, and the politics of belonging in Greenland and the Arctic” by InfraNorth associate researcher Susan Vanek. The article examines Greenland’s airport expansion project, following its approval in 2015 by Naalakkersuisut (the Government of Greenland) as the largest investment in transportation […]

Journal of Contemporary Ethnography

Dec 2025: Article by Alexandra Meyer, Ria-Maria Adams and Sophie Elixhauser in the Journal of Contemporary Ethnography

The Journal of Contemporary Ethnography has recently published the article “Lifelines and Gateways: The Relational Affordances of Arctic Airports” by InfraNorth researchers Alexandra Meyer, Ria-Maria Adams and Sophie Elixhauser. Airports are indispensable to life in the Arctic. Often shaped by geopolitical agendas and external economic interests, they provide vital links for local communities across remote […]

Dec 2025: Peter Schweitzer Interviewed on Austrian Public Radio Ö1

The Austrian public broadcaster Österreichischer Rundfunk (ORF) featured InfraNorth principal investigator Peter Schweitzer in an interview on its Ö1 weekend feuilleton “Diagonal” on December 6, 2025, which focused on the politics of infrastructure. Schweitzer appeared in a segment titled “A Silk Road Across the Arctic” (in German: Seidenstrasse über die Arktis), interviewed by Erich Klein […]