[FoME] Wtrlt: FW: Please share : SEEKING PART-TIME RESEARCHERS ON DISINFORMATION AND CIVIC SPACE USAID DRG LEARNING CENTER

[Sofie Jannusch]

Zur Info weitergeleitet. Vielleicht möchte sich ja jemand bewerben?
 
>>> Nick Benequista <NickB at ned.org> 28.08.2019 20:46 >>>

All, 
Please see the attached posting for two part-time researchers on
disinformation and civic space and feel free to circulate among
potential candidates.
Best, Nick 

PART-TIME RESEARCHERS ON DISINFORMATION AND CIVIC SPACE USAID DRG
LEARNING CENTER
Background
NORC at the University of Chicago, under a contract with the USAID
Democracy, Human
Rights, and Governance (DRG) Center, seeks to engage two part-time
researchers for one year to
synthesize research, design and/or suggest areas for new research,
collect data for ongoing
research, identify promising approaches, make presentations, and
produce informational
materials. One researcher will work on the topic of countering
disinformation and its impacts on
democratic discourse and democratic processes, while the other will
work on preventing and
responding to restrictions on freedoms of association, assembly, and
expression, and on
strategies to enable and protect civic space. The research topics and
parameters address the
following DRG Center 2019-2020 Learning Agenda questions:
§ What programming interventions and measures are needed and have been
successful in
preventing and/or responding to restrictions on freedoms of
association, assembly, and
expression, and in enabling and protecting civic space? Is it possible
to forecast
restrictions on civic space? How can USAID best support local and
international actors
working to keep civic space open?
§ What interventions and measures are needed to develop and implement
effective
programming to counter disinformation and social media manipulation
online?
These efforts are expected to build and expand on the research and
knowledge base of USAID,
other donors, academics, and civil society actors in these fields to
date.

Responsibilities and Outputs
The researchers will work closely with staff from USAID’s Learning
Division and the Civil
Society and Media Division of the DRG Center to address the learning
agenda questions and
prepare informational materials, as needed. The researchers will review
and summarize existing
literature on their respective topics, coordinate with relevant
USAID-funded implementing
partners, identify potential best practices and effective approaches,
identify knowledge gaps and
propose areas for further research, make presentations, and produce
informational materials for
USAID staff and other practitioners or interested parties. They will be
expected to work with
multiple USAID partners and other non-USAID-funded stakeholders who are
conducting
research and/or implementing programming on sub-themes under the
topics. The researchers will
track and synthesize this work and integrate it with other existing and
ongoing research
initiatives and findings so as to develop USAID-specific guidance and
programmatic
recommendations.

2

Specific tasks the researchers are expected to complete include:
§ Communicating regularly with USAID staff, implementing partners, and
our research
partners to stay up-to-date on the latest approaches in the field and
new research and
literature.
§ Reviewing the relevant literature, including both academic literature
and reports, working
papers and similar documents produced by USAID, NGOs, think tanks,
activist
organizations, etc.
§ Identifying and summarizing key findings from the literature and from
communication
with USAID staff, implementing partners and other practitioners.
§ Identifying gaps in the literature and recommending areas for further
exploration/study.
§ Presenting the research findings in a practitioner-friendly way in
written, oral, and visual
formats.
§ Providing collaborative research, implementation, evaluation and
learning design advice
to USAID partners.
§ Assisting USAID partners in field research, data collection and/or
data analysis.
It is expected that each researcher will need to dedicate an average of
10 to 20 hours per week to
this work, although tasks and/or travel may emerge that require more
time. The following are
illustrative tasks and outputs for each position:
§ Schedule and lead regular (at least monthly) calls with USAID/DRG
staff to update them
on progress and to learn about new questions and opportunities.
§ Schedule and lead two to three monthly/bi-monthly phone calls or
meetings with
USAID/DRG implementing partners involved in programming and/or research
on this
topic in coordination with DRG Center project officers.
§ Participate in a quarterly in-person meeting with USAID staff and
implementing partners
in Washington, DC.
§ Produce a monthly progress report on the outcome of these calls and
meetings and on
accomplishments during the period.
§ Produce 30-40 page report(s) describing and synthesizing the findings
from the partner
research and from the latest academic research on the topics and
identifying gaps and
areas for further research/exploration.
§ Present his/her findings at the USAID headquarters Washington and/or
at a workshop,
conference or other thematic event to be determined in consultation
with USAID.
§ Produce a practitioner-friendly summary of key findings and effective
approaches (i.e.
including infographics, programmatic tools, and other practical
information).
Qualifications
§ The candidate should possess at least 3 years’ experience in
positions of increasing
responsibility in social science research or related field (or
equivalent education.)

3

§ Successful candidates are able to work proactively and with minimal
supervision,
envisioning future needs, initiating communication with and meeting the
demands of
multiple stakeholders, and managing multiple work streams.
§ Researchers must have a Masters’ degree. A PhD or All but
Dissertation (ABD) status in
a PhD program, with the terminal degree in a social science discipline
and completion of
advanced coursework on quantitative and/or qualitative research methods
is strongly
preferred.
§ The researchers’ own work should focus on the topic in question
(communications, social
media manipulation, or civic actors in politically restrictive
environments) and the

researchers should have at least one publication on this topic
(in-press, non-peer-
reviewed publications are acceptable).

§ Additional desired researcher characteristics include experience
working with
international development organizations in the democracy, human rights
and governance
field, field research experience in one or more foreign countries, and
experience using
cutting edge methods to study social media and/or closing civic space.
Candidates who
have demonstrated experience working with multiple stakeholders on
research projects
will receive preference.
This assignment is expected to begin in September 2019 and have a term
of 12 months.
Candidates need not be located in the Washington, DC area, but must be
able to travel to
Washington, DC on a quarterly basis and possibly undertake other travel
as required.

Application Instructions
For consideration, please apply online and submit your CV and cover
letter describing your
interest in the position no later than September 15, 2019.

http://careers.norc.org/cw/en-us/job/495382/parttime-researchers-on-disinformation-and-civic-
space-usaid-drg-learning-center

EEO STATEMENT
NORC is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer that values
and actively seeks
diversity in the workforce. NORC evaluates qualified applicants without
regard to race, color,
religion, sex, national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual
orientation, gender identity, and
other legally- protected characteristics.

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