News and activities
The department Communication Science is looking for three assistant professors (UD) in Communication Science f/m, for 1.0 fte
Summary of the vacant position
The department of Communication Science at VU University Amsterdam is a fast growing department within the Faculty of Social Sciences (www.fsw.vu.nl/nl). The research program of the department strengthenss empirical research with regard to Communication choices, communication content, and effects and consequences of communication. Central research topics are social media, media coverage and media monitoring, and media psychology. The department of Communication Science participates in the multidisciplinary Network Institute and in the national research school for Communication Science NeSCoR. The teaching program consists of a three-year Bachelor program with a yearly inflow of approximately 170 students, and a one-year Master program with an inflow of approximately 150 students. The Master program consists of tracks in 1) Corporate Communication and New Media , 2) Marketing and Health Communication, 3) Media Psychology and 4) Public and Political Communication, with a side track in 5) Journalism Studies.
Note: Written applications should be sent before May 22nd 2012.
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Communication researchers receive a Eurostars grant
Communication researchers Ivar Vermeulen, Sonja Utz, and Friederike Schultz received a €496,000 Eurostars grant for their project INFUSE.
The project (INtelligent FUnd SEarch), which is a cooperation between our department of Communication Research, Norwegian search provider Scan4News, and Gjøvik University College, Norway, aims to develop an online search service providing communities of users (local governments, artists, etc.) with timely and targeted information on relevant funding opportunities. It integrates innovative vertical semantic search technologies with social network-based knowledge sharing technologies.
Pink Ribbon grant for Enny Das
Enny Das (Communication Science) obtained a Pink Ribbon research grant for the project "Downside of being Well-informed: Tracking and Preventing Chemotherapy-Related Cognitive Problem in Breast -Cancer Patients".
Enny Das (Communication Science) obtained a Pink Ribbon research grant for the project "Downside of being Well-informed: Tracking and Preventing Chemotherapy-Related Cognitive Problem in Breast -Cancer Patients".
Together with Sanne Schagen and Gabe Sonke from the Netherlands Cancer Insitute Enny Das will try to track and preventing chemotherapy-related cognitive problems in breast-cancer patients.
Although treatment-related information may help patients make an informed decision, and take away worries and doubts, it also has downsides. Research of our own group showed that merely informing (ex) breast cancer patients about the association between chemotherapy and cognitive deficits resulted in reduced memory ability and increased complaint reporting. An explanation for this mere information effect is derived from extensive social psychological research on stereotype threat and priming.
Now that our research shows that priming effects are also present in a clinical setting, and can seriously affect life after breast cancer treatment, it is essential to investigate severity, duration and prevention of these negative side effects of treatment. Currently, two questions need to be addressed: 1) What is the severity and duration of stereotype priming effects on cognitive deficits after chemotherapy? 2) What are effective psychological interventions to diminish stereotype priming effects?
Literature shows us that there is reason to believe that priming effects are long lasting and can increase over time. In addition, empirical support has been found for promising, feasible and cost-effective interventions regarding stereotype priming. This leads to the expectation that similar interventions will be effective in reducing stereotype-priming effects in a breast cancer population. This project will address both issues. Resulting knowledge will help to develop better health communicative interventions that minimize negative effects on cognitive functioning.Election Results of ICA known, two members of Communication Science elected
Two members of the department Communication Science have been elected by ICA for the following positions:- Jolanda Veldhuis, Secretary for the Information Systems Division
- Friederike Schultz, Secretary for the Public Relations Division.
Call for Partner Organizations: Free research assignment development by MA-students
For the MA research seminar we are looking for organizations interested in commissioning a (free!) research assignment to our students. It would be great if you could distribute the attached letter to relevant people in your network. The letter includes more detailed information. Interested parties are kindly asked to respond before Oct 10 by sending an email to s.m.g.bijman@student.vu.nl
NWO Veni Grant for Wouter van Atteveldt
The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) has awarded Wouter van Atteveldt a VENI grant for his proposal on Mediatized politics: "A time-series analysis of the influence of politicians' media statements on the political debate".
"To study the mediatized political debate, I will determine the content of statements by politicians in the media and relate this to the general debate in the media in parliament. In order to identify speakers and the issues and frames in their statements in large amounts of documents I build upon the automatic Semantic Network Analysis methods developed and validated in my dissertation research. This allows me to use a data- intensive time series approach to empirically determine what the predictors of politicians' media statements are and what influence they have on the debate in the media and in the legislature."
The reviewers called his research project innovative and challenging, and postulated that his ideas can contribute to the public debate on the influence of the media when it comes to how the political system is functioning.
Research project "Communication in times of an outbreak" awarded with EU grant
Communication in times of an outbreak" (EU FP7 project “Ecom@eu”, domain “health”).
This research activity is based on a successful EU grant proposal (together with Enny Das and Wouter van Atteveldt, project leader: Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, total research project budget €2,000,000, duration: 4 years). The project will examine effective intervention methods in times of an outbreak (like H1N1). Because public opinion plays a crucial role in that context, the VU team will examine - among other topics – the public debate about the H1N1 outbreak and related vaccination efforts in the mass media. More info is available under www.ecomeu.info.
Friederike Schultz receives Academic Best Paper Award
Friederike Schultz (VU University Amsterdam) received together with Stefan Wehmeier (FH Wien, Austria) the Academic Best Paper Award for a paper in the journal Corporate Communications: An international journal (CCIJ). The members of the editorial advisory board of the journal selected their paper “Institutionalization of corporate social responsibility within corporate communications: combining institutional, sensemaking and communication perspectives” as best paper of the Vol. 15 (year 2010).
The paper analyzes why and how organizations institutionalize CSR with which effects. It brings together communication and media perspectives with institutional and sensemaking theories (management research) to frame the external and public conditions that foster or hinder the institutionalization of CSR and describe the organizational strategies and individual interpretations.
Grant awarded
Christian Burgers was awarded a grant by the Graduate School of Social Sciences of VU University Amsterdam to prepare a VENI proposal. This grant gives him extra research time for the duration of six months. His VENI proposal is to be submitted to NWO in January 2012.
EU grant awarded to communication scientists
Enny Das, Tilo Hartmann and Wouter van Atteveldt have been awarded a EU grant for the FP7 Health Programme Project. The researchers are part of a consortium which have received a grant of 2.000.000 Euro for the research on the communication around vaccination campaigns. The Erasmus MC will lead this project. A PhD position is becoming available and the application package will be published shortly accordingly.
