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Conduct Research as an Academy-assistant
In the coming three years Master-students are able to gain experience in conducting scientific research. Social scientists and computer scientists will join forces in this unique interdisciplinary project.
The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) has awarded the VU University Amsterdam a grant for the project “Social networks: working at the interface of social sciences and computer science” of the professor of organizational science Peter Groenewegen and the sociologists Marjolein Broese van Groenou en Jacquelien van Stekelenburg.
You as a Master-student of social sciences will be able to join one of the interdisciplinary teams of researchers and students. Academy-assistants will collect and analyze data and will participate in writing papers for congresses and journals. With this project the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences wants to interest you for conducting scientific research and pursuing an academic career.
Research topics
In this project research will be done on four topics: two at the department of Sociology and two at the department of Organization Science, all four in cooperation with computer scientists of the VU.
Research topic 1. The evolution of protest in VINEX-locations
In this project you will be conducting research on how demand and supply of protest develop in VINEX-locations. These newly developed neighbourhoods form an unique setting for studying the evolution of protest since formal and informal networks are created from scratch. Academy-assistants will pay special attention to the question how and to which extend the development of virtual social networks contributes to the evolution of protest.
Research topic 2. Networks and crises
During crises emergency workers like firefighters, policemen and medical personnel have to coordinate their actions under high pressure. However successful coordination is by no means self-evident. In this project you will investigate the relation between these emergency networks and existing technical communicationsystems, planned procedures and executive responsibility.
Research topic 3. The concentration and sharing of knowledge within projects
Projectteams are fluid networks where coordination between their members is crucial for the achievement of projectgoals. Not only will you investigate who communicates with whom, but also the content of the communication. Academy assistants will investigate how processes of knowledge sharing and coorporation come into existence and develop over time.
Research topic 4. Care networks and care organization
In care networks formal and informal carers cooperate in caring for elderly in need of help. In this project you will investigate to which extend these care networks are virtual and whether care is provided more efficiently when electronic communication is used.
Do you consider yourself an ambitious and talented Master-student and are you enthused by one of the research topics, then apply now.
Your application should be accompanied by your Curriculum Vitae, a copy of your bachelor diploma and grading list, a short letter of motivation and a short essay (max 2 A4) in which you describe what you find particularly interesting in the topic you would like to research.
For additional information or to apply, send an e-mail to akademiestudent.fsw@vu.nl.
