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.

Nov 2024: Chapter by Peter Schweitzer in the Anthropos Special Issue “The Seasonal and the Material”

Anthropos, the international journal of anthropology and linguistics, has just released the special issue “The Seasonal and the Material: Anthropology of Seasonal Practices,” co-edited by Sabina Cveček and Barbara Horejs. Among its contributions is a book chapter by Peter Schweitzer, titled “Seasons and Seasonality in the (Alaskan) Arctic: Human and More-than-human Cycles of Engagement.” In […]

Painted history of the Northern Sea Route, Tiksi. Photo by Olga Povoroznyuk (2019).

Oct 8, 2024: Polar Journal Features Research by Olga Povoroznyuk

In a recent article published by the online information platform Polar Journal, titled “In shrinking Soviet towns, Northern Sea Route is keeping hope alive,” journalist Ole Ellekrog talked with Olga Povoroznyuk, InfraNorth’s research coordinator and lead of the Russian Arctic study region, about the difficulty of conducting anthropological research on Russia today and how InfraNorth […]