MSCA Postdoctoral Fellow 2024 - Journalism education beyond Chat GPT - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

Oslo Metropolitan University - Externally funded research project

OsloMet - Oslo Metropolitan University is Norway’s third largest university, with more than 22,000 students and  2500 employees. OsloMet has a stimulating and dynamic academic environment and an attractive employment framework. OsloMet is a diverse and urban university with an international profile; its main campus is located in the city center, providing a vibrant setting to study, conduct research, and work.  

Department of Journalism and Media Studies

The Department of Journalism and Media Studies is located at the Faculty of Social Sciences educates professionals in journalism, photojournalism and media and communication through three bachelor programmes and one master programme. The study programmes are closely connected with the department’s research activities, which are internationally oriented and conducts high-impact research on a broad range of topics within national, European, and international journalism, including issues such as fake news, media, war and conflicts, digital journalism, journalism and media innovations and journalism and education, environment and society, and individual exposure in journalism. 

Call for Expression of Interest for a joint application under the EU Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action Postdoctoral Fellowship scheme – Call: MSCA-PF-2024

We hereby invite experienced ambitious researchers of any nationality, who have a PhD degree and maximum eight years of research experience after having obtained their PhD degree, to apply for the EU-funded Marie Skłodowska Curie Action Postdoctoral Fellowship (call HORIZON-MSCA-PF-2024) to conduct research at OsloMet - Oslo Metropolitan University for a period of two years.

Area of research

Following the November 2022 release of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, discussion concerning the impact of auto-writing tools has spilled out to the wider public. Like others, journalists working in the field and in journalism education around the world were taken off guard by the sudden arrival of this technology. Although the possibility that people in journalism could be succeeded or replaced by machines or code is nothing new, it now feels much more likely—after all, people are expensive relative to machine-generated content This threat has prompted several media groups to experiment with the new text-generating tools, which have continued to improve in relation to earlier iterations which were limited to summaries of sporting events, election results or financial reports, for example). At present, newer text generators are able to produce sophisticated journalistic content without any help from human reporters.

While researchers have thus far focused mostly on the technology itself or its interaction with media organizations, its impact upon journalism education has yet to be thoroughly assessed. While some of the studies  have looked at whether programmes in higher education should teach AI in the context of journalistic practice, others  have focused on the affirmative: Educators ‘should be considering how to develop courses or programs that train human students in the effective use of generative AI, as well as the threats it poses, including matters of ethics and potential bias’.

In addition to the issues described above, we are also interested in candidates looking into the ways in which ChatGPT and text-generating technology in general are challenging or complicating traditional journalism education, and specifically, whether these programs will respond by strengthening their human-centred content, such as their instruction in investigative or crisis journalism. These forms of journalistic practice still depend upon human professionals to analyse complicated and shifting situations and conduct interviews in the field by building trust with informants.

Today’s journalism education typically combines theory and practice, and we are interested in research addressing either or both. Questions driving this research might include the following:

• How is journalism education and pedagogy affected by ChatGPT?
• How can journalism education adapt at the international level to ChatGPT?
• What characterizes journalism education outside of ChatGPT and how should journalism’s various actors adapt to ChatGPT and AI?
• What characterizes new journalism practices developed with ChatGPT and what legal and ethical challenges accompany this type of tool?
• What are the (perceived or practical) obstacles inherent to practice-oriented teaching and pedagogy when it comes to introducing ChatGPT and AI into journalism education?

The research to be conducted might also compare interactions between journalism education and the professional media sector across several European countries in the context of AI.

The candidates are invited to address processes that foster or hamper journalism education’s adaptation to AI and particularly ChatGPT in national as well as international contexts, and the research should map processes and actors in the areas of journalism education as well as practice. The candidate will benefit from collaborations with different research groups at OsloMet and access to an extended network of researchers as well as of Professor Maria Konow-Lund who will supervise the candidate at OsloMet University. Konow-Lund has published extensively on journalism, including investigative and crisis journalism, as well as the impact of COVID-19 on changing practices in the field. The candidates will also have possibility to work cross-disciplinary across OsloMet with the research group Digital Learning Areas at Faculty of Education and International Studies, led by Professor, Dr. PhD Rolf Steier.

With this call for Expression of Interest, we invite experienced curiosity-driven researchers to submit their application accompanied by CV (including publication list) and a one-page project description, that will be the basis for selecting a maximum of two candidates with whom we will collaborate for developing competitive MSCA-PF proposals. The cooperation for the proposal development will be carried out remotely, with regular online communication via email and virtual meeting platforms. Applicants who are successful in getting their proposals funded by the EU, must relocate to work in the Department of Journalism and Media Studies at OsloMet main campus in the center of Oslo.

Starting Date of the Fellowship

The EU shall inform the results on the MSCA-PF-2024 applications in February 2025. Successful applicants are expected to be available to start their fellowship project within the period 1st of April 2025 to 1st September 2026 (TBC).

Main duties of the position

The successful candidate will primarily work on the MSCA fellowship funded project, but will also be integrated in the Department’s activities, taking part in regular meetings and research groups discussions. The candidate will specifically be introduced with Professor Konow-Lund’s national and international network of researchers. In agreement with the candidate, he/she would be included in other ongoing projects and/or in the development of grant applications processes.

Expected qualification of applicants

Applicants must have a PhD in Journalism studies, Media and Communication, or related fields as a minimum requirement. We are primarily looking for experienced researchers who wish to use the MSCA fellowship as an opportunity to further develop research skills and to build longer term research collaboration with OsloMet and other organisations conducting research in the field.  The candidate must be eligible for a MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship: have a PhD successfully defended by the deadline of the MSCA-PF call (11 September 2024), a maximum of eight years research experience after PhD, and not having worked/studied in Norway more than 12 months in the last three years.

We are looking for applicants who have

• Knowledge of innovation within journalism education and ongoing trends such as on ChatGPT and AI in education and especially in journalism education, the use of technological tools such as AI, but also an interest on how journalist education internationally cross border education in journalism or media, on EU- policy and availability of quantitative or qualitative data in the field.
• A good track record in research and publications
• Commitment to develop a competitive MSCA-PF grant application.
• An open and cooperation-oriented nature, with strong abilities for independent academic work
• Excellent command / highly proficient spoken and written English

Assessment and selection of candidates

Evaluation will be based on the qualification and project idea. Interested candidates must submit with their application the following documents:

• CV (including research track record and list of publications)
• A one-page description of the project idea for which a MSCA-PF grant will be applied (no predefined structure, excluding references)

Short-listed candidates will be invited for a virtual interview to select candidates that will be invited to develop the full MSCA-PF application with deadline on 11 September 2024 under the supervision of Maria Konow-Lund and with the support of the professional research administration staff at OsloMet.

Under this call announcement a maximum of five candidates will be interviewed and one or two candidates will be invited to write applications with the endorsement of OsloMet. Candidates will be informed of the results of the internal pre-selection to apply by the end of March 2024.

Original documents about your qualification must be presented if you are invited for an interview. OsloMet performs document inspections to give you as a candidate a proper evaluation and to ensure a fair competition. Proposals will be pre-selected based on internal evaluation and the availability of suitable supervision. All documents that you hand in to OsloMet, including your proposal idea, will be handled in full confidentiality, and strictly following GDPR regulations.

Selected candidates must participate in the virtual masterclass on MSCA-PF, a two-day workshop organised by OsloMet on 26-27 March 2024 to provide applicants with detailed information and explanation of the application template to complete their proposal in compliance with the EU Commission requirements.

The postdoctoral position 

Successful applicants who obtain a MSCA-PF grant will be offered a position at OsloMet to be hired as postdoctoral researchers, in conditions as explained below.

We offer

OsloMet offers assistance in developing competitive Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship proposals. Then, to successful applicants who are awarded the MSC-PF grant, we offer:

• Flexible working conditions
• An inclusive and friendly work environment
• Unique academic network with the possibility for the right candidate(s) to pursue his/her academic goals under the auspices of Professor Maria Konow-Lund
• Norwegian language classes
• Onboarding assistance for relocation and other services

The position adheres to the Norwegian Government’s policy that the national labour force. It is important for OsloMet to reflect the population diversity, all qualified candidates from any nationality are welcomed to apply. OsloMet is an IA (Inclusive Workplace) organisation and operates in compliance with the Norwegian IA agreement. We make our active endeavor to further develop OsloMet as an inclusive workplace and to adapt the workplace if required. If there are periods in your career when you have not been working, under education or training, you are also eligible to apply. Questions may be directed to the contact persons (per below).

Remuneration

The competitive fellowship opportunities are 100% funded and include living and mobility allowances.

• Type of employment: Temporary position
• Contract type: Full time
• Annual Salary: Approx. 70,000
• Starting day of employment: Expected starting date between 1 April 2025 and 1 September 2026 (TBC)
• Number of positions: 1 – 2
• Working hours: 37.5 hours/week

OsloMet has implemented the Charter & Code for researchers and been granted the HR Excellence in Research (HRS4) by the EU Commission and is part of the EU network for mobility of Researchers EURAXESS. Practical information about relocation to OsloMet can be found here and EURAXESS Norway. 

Contact

Maria Konow-Lund, Professor, mklul@oslomet.no

Florissa Abreu, Senior Advisor, R&I Department, florab@Oslomet.no

Address: OsloMet, Pilestredet 46, Oslo 0350, Norway

Call closes on 31st January, 2024

Reference number: 23/08710