Postdoctoral Research Fellow (Speculative Design / Design Fiction)

Tampere University and Tampere University of Applied Sciences create a unique environment for multidisciplinary, inspirational, and high-impact research and education. Our universities community has its competitive edges in technology, health, and society. www.tuni.fi/en 

The Faculty of Information Technologies and Communication Sciences of Tampere University invites applications for a three-year postdoctoral position. 

The project “InterReal – Exploring Interreal Translation in the Media Multiverse” will take place at Tampere University, from January 2025 to December 2029. The project is funded by European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant 2024) and led by Associate Professor Mattia Thibault. The project offers a supportive and enthusiastic working environment, and excellent opportunities for career-development in an international and interdisciplinary setting. 

The InterReal project proposes that our mediascape is developing towards a Media Multiverse, which will encompass a multi-faceted array of media-generated alternative “realities” from immersive Virtual Reality (VR) to layers of Augmented Reality (AR) visualized over the physical world, and the virtual worlds of digital games. The Media Multiverse is permeated by mechanisms of interreal translation, which are intersemiotic transfers of objects, subjects, and spaces from one form of reality to another. InterReal aims to develop an innovative approach to study and understand how translations between realities take place and how they could influence our future. 

The project is articulated around two key approaches: a Speculative approach, which will offer a critical look to the current ideologies and future possibilities related to the development of the media multiverse, and an Analytical approach, which will provide a nuanced understanding of the current state of interreal translations. The two approaches will be in constant dialogue, which will intensify in a final Synthesis phase.

JOB DESCRIPTION 

We are looking for a Postdoctoral Research Fellow from the fields of speculative design, design fiction, and similar areas. The Postdoctoral Research Fellow will work primarily on InterReal’s Speculative approach. 

The Postdoctoral Research Fellow’s duties will involve facilitating and taking part in speculative design activities, such as imagining future scenarios, artifacts, and translations; creating prototypes; and using participatory methods, such as workshops, to realize a series of counternarratives. The overall aim is to use speculative methods to imagine a wide array of futures for the Media Multiverse, which can be used as a tool of critiquing and deconstructing current ideological narratives about the future of the mediascape and of outlining possible avenues towards better futures. 

The Postdoctoral Research Fellow will also engage in traditional forms of academic work (publishing papers, conference presentations) and coordination with the research team (participating in research seminars, supervision of junior scholars, joint research efforts). 

The selected candidate can influence the emphasis of their own research within the scientific scope of the InterReal project. A successful candidate is expected to show interest and enthusiasm towards working in a multidisciplinary team.  

QUALIFICATIONS 

The selected candidate must hold a Doctorate in a relevant field. The doctoral degree must be completed before the end of the application period.  

The selected candidate will have the ability to conduct independent scientific research with different methods of speculative design or design fiction. The candidate will have good critical and methodological skills and be able to work both independently and collaboratively as part of a research team. Competence in written and oral English are required. 

We warmly welcome candidates able to bring different and diverse perspectives in our project. Therefore, we welcome proposals from researchers from all kinds of backgrounds.  

Interested applicants are strongly encouraged to apply for the position even if the preferred qualifications listed below do not apply directly.  

Possible applicant’s qualifications include: 

• Track record on conducting research through design fiction, and speculative or critical design. 
• Experience with participatory design methods, especially with under-represented groups. 
• Experience with speculative design applied to communication technologies. 
• Skills at prototyping and illustrating. 
• Skills at designing virtual spaces. 

Please be prepared to provide proof of your merits upon request. 

WHAT WE OFFER 

• Duration: Fixed-term position of three years, starting from first day of employment. 
• Start date: Immediately on February 1st, 2025, or as soon as possible. A trial period of six (6) months applies to all new employees at TAU.  
• Salary: The salary will be based on both the job demands and the employee's personal performance in accordance with the University Salary System. According to the criteria applied to teaching and research staff, the position of a Postdoctoral Research Fellow is placed on the job demands levels 5-6. A typical starting salary for a Postdoctoral research Fellow is approximately 3600-3750 EUR/month. 

HOW TO APPLY 

Applications should be written in English and submitted electronically via the Tampere University’s electronic recruitment system (link below) by the 8th of January 2025 (at 23:59 EET / UTC+2). The interviews of the top candidates will be held in January. 

The following pdf-documents should accompany your application:  

1. A motivation letter (max. 2pages) consisting of  
   • a brief description of previous research experience (including academic networks and non-academic co-operation) and its relevance to this position.
   • a brief statement on research interests and motivation for the position applied for.
2. A CV (excluding publications, TENK guidelines can be used as a template).  
3. A numbered list of publications compiled according to the Academy of Finland guidelines).  
   • Please highlight your three most important publications.
4. One publication that is relevant for this position (e.g., a peer-reviewed article or a chapter from the applicant’s PhD). 
5. Either 2 recommendation letters or the contact details of two referees. 
6. A portfolio of their design work (optional). 

Shortlisted candidates might be asked to provide a longer research statement (e.g. 4 pages) 

Work environment 

The accepted candidates will work in the Language Unit of the Faculty of Information Technologies and Communication Sciences, within the InterReality Research Group (inter-real.com). Led by Mattia Thibault, the group explores the dynamic interconnections between different virtual spaces and their interactions and connections with the physical world. Grounded in a rich multidisciplinary foundation, InterReality integrates insights from Humanities (Semiotics, Translation Studies, Speculative Design, Architecture) and Social Sciences (HCI, Media Studies, Game Research, User Studies), and is committed to advancing cutting-edge research and fostering the growth of young researchers. 

The InterReality Research Group is affiliated to the Research Centre in Gameful Realities and PLURAL.  

The Research Centre in Gameful Realities is internationally renowned for seminal academic and societal contributions in the areas of novel technologies such as gamification, internet commerce, new media and human-computer interaction. See more: https://bit.ly/rcgrvideo 

PLURAL - Multidisciplinary research centre for languages and cultures aims to affect society by the means of multidisciplinary research on language. Among the research areas of Plural are language variation and change, language development and learning, multilingualism and -culturalism.  

We are inviting you to be a part of a vibrant, active, and truly international research community. We value interdisciplinarity, as it allows you to expand your research network and exposes you to new perspectives and ideas to solve complex research problems and pursue novel research findings. We are strongly committed to the highest level of scientific research and the provision of high-quality doctoral education. 

As a member of staff at Tampere University, you will enjoy a range of competitive benefits, such as occupational health care services, flexible work schedule, versatile research infrastructure, modern teaching facilities and a safe and inviting campus area as well as a personal fund to spend on sports and cultural activities in your free time. Please read more about working at Tampere University. You can also find more information about us and working and living Tampere by watching our video: Tampere Higher Education Community - our academic playground.  

Finland is among the most stable, free, and safe countries in the world, based on prominent ratings by various agencies. Tampere is one of the major academic hubs in the Nordic countries and offers a dynamic living environment. Tampere region is one of the three most rapidly growing urban areas in Finland and home to a vibrant knowledge-intensive entrepreneurial community. The city is an industrial powerhouse that enjoys a rich cultural scene and a reputation as a centre of Finland’s information society. The city campus of the Tampere University, where the candidates will be located, is within walking distance of the city centre, and is an international centre of game research. For more information on Tampere and Finland, please visit: 

https://visittampere.fi/en/

https://www.visitfinland.com/

https://www.infofinland.fi/en/frontpage

Inquiries 

For further information on the position please contact the InterReal PI Mattia Thibault, mattia.thibault(at)tuni.fi