UmArts Post-Doctoral Researcher in Art and Architecture - Befattningen är under tillsättning eller redan tillsatt, och det är inte längre möjligt att lämna in en ansökan

The UmArts Research Centre at Umeå University is seeking outstanding candidates for a post-doc in interdisciplinary artistic research, which will be based at the Umeå School of Architecture (UMA) in partnership with Bildmuseet. This research will contribute to the artistic research culture on campus as well as to the development of interdisciplinary arts research practices that generate a critical and creative discourse within the public realm.

UmArts invites applications from artistic researchers with an artistic or visual arts practice based doctoral degree or equivalent. 

The post-doctoral researcher will be awarded a position for two years full time, with the potential to extend to three years, and will be appointed on a full salary with social costs. Candidates must be committed to living and working in Umeå, and/or developing a context specific research project in the region. The post-doc will be allocated expenses up to 20,000 SEK per year for conference participation or similar expenses.

This position is one of two new UmArts post-docs based in the UmArts departments starting in Autumn 2022/ January 2023. The home departments are: Umeå School of Architecture (UMA) and Umeå Institute of Design (UID). Each post doc will be based at an UmArts home department, and will be affiliated with another department to develop joint research projects and activities. 

These post-doctoral researchers will have the opportunity to produce a range of research outputs including open access research articles, visual arts practice, prototyping, writing, exhibition-making, architectural, urban and digital interventions, or performance, which shall drive the role of art and societal development forward.  The post-docs will also play an active role in the UmArts programme, contributing to social events and annual symposia, leading research workshops and reading groups. Each post doc will work independently on their own creative project with support from supervisors in their two departments and the Director of UmArts. 

Scope of research

This UmArts artistic research post-doctoral position will be focused on interdisciplinary art and architecture, based at Umeå School of Architecture (UMA), in partnership with the Bildmuseet museum of contemporary art. The broad aim of this artistic research post-doctoral position is to develop new critical frameworks for investigating spatial politics. We welcome proposals for interdisciplinary art and architecture research practices that generate a critical and creative discourse on the politics of space, including: territorial divisions, decolonisation, social cohesion, sustainability and resilience, which have relationships to northern Scandinavia. Proposals can develop new ways of inhabiting through the re-use, adaptation and occupation of space. The post-doctoral researcher will be supervised by researchers at UMA and a curator at Bildmuseet, with support from the Director of UmArts. 

If you would like to discuss a research proposal please contact Ele Carpenter ele.carpenter@umu.se 

Qualifications 

A person who has been awarded a doctorate or a foreign qualification deemed to be the equivalent of a doctorate qualifies for employment as a postdoctoral fellow. Priority should be given to candidates who have completed their doctoral degree no more than three years before the appointment decision is made. A candidate who has completed their degree prior to this may be considered if special circumstances exist. Special circumstances include absence due to illness, parental leave or clinical practice, appointments of trust in trade unions or similar circumstances, and relevant duties/assignments within the subject area. This must be clearly stated in the application. Postdoctoral fellows who are to teach or supervise must have taken relevant courses in teaching and learning in higher education.

Applicants must have earned a doctoral degree in practice-based artistic research or a subject relevant for the position. Strong research merits and excellent exhibitions and publications in the area of the position are required. Research at Umeå University is conducted in an international and multidisciplinary research environment, therefore the ability to collaborate and proficiency in English, both spoken and written, are essential.  

Candidates are expected to have very good knowledge of artistic research in terms of theory, practice and research methods, and expertise in their field, as demonstrated by exhibitions, publications and other research outputs. Demonstrable knowledge of working across the arts, as well as across the arts, sciences and humanities is a merit. Ideal candidates are research driven, organized, curious, eager to work on challenging problems, and have a genuine interest for multidisciplinary research. 

Application

Your application should include: 

• A research plan within the scope presented above. The research plan shall identify key questions, research methods, a proposed timeline and approach to interdisciplinary collaboration. 
•  Curriculum Vitae (CV) including a complete list of publications and research outputs including exhibitions. 
• Certified copies of doctoral degree or documentation clarifying when the doctorate is expected to be completed, and other relevant degree certificates, including documentation of completed academic courses and obtained grade.
• A copy of your PhD thesis/portfolio document or equivalent and (max 5) research outputs relevant to the above topics, numbered according to the publication and exhibitions list.
•  Names and contact information for three persons willing to act as referees. 

The application must be written in English (preferably) or Swedish. Attached documents in other languages must be translated. Documents must be in Word or pdf format. Applications must be submitted electronically using the e-recruitment system Varbi no later than 29 April 2022.

For additional information, please contact Head of Department at UMA Mikael Henningsson, e-mail mikael.henningsson@umu.se. 

We look forward to receiving your application! 

Background 

Umeå University is one of Sweden’s largest institutions of higher education with over 35,000 students and 4,200 faculty and staff. We are characterised by world-leading research in several fields. You can read more about Umeå University as a workplace here: Work with us. 

Umeå University is situated within the Arctic, and has specialist research centres in Sami Studies, Arctic Studies and a strong focus on sustainability and the environment.

Umeå University has a specialist Arts Campus situated near the centre of town, on the banks of the river Ume. The Arts Campus is home to the Bildmuseet contemporary art gallery, along with the Departments of Art, Architecture and Design, and UmArts creating a lively hub of creative research activity with its own café and library. The Department of Molecular Biology is based at the main campus.

The UmArts Research Centre for Architecture, Design and the Arts is based at the Arts Campus and also works with the Department for Creative Studies at the main campus. The centre aims to create an exciting interdisciplinary arts research environment in the visual arts, architecture, design, curatorial and creative studies in partnership with Bildmuseet and within the regional context of Northern Sweden as well as nationally and internationally. UmArts runs a programme of public research events, thematic working groups and reading groups alongside staff research projects and a team of new post-doctoral researchers. 

For more information about UmArts see http://www.umarts.se/