Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg has two vacant postdoctoral positions in the European Research Council-funded project Living with Radiation: The Role of the International Atomic Energy Agency in the History of Radiation Protection, headed by Professor Maria Rentetzi. The two scholars will carry out research on the history of standardization and the implementation of standards in the field of radiation protection and will be based at the Chair of Science, Technology and Gender Studies.
The first postdoctoral fellow will be in charge of the projectts case study 3a: Standardization. The IAEA, functioning historically as a global metrological and regulatory institution, created standards on radiation protection as part of a complex global network of nuclear science, political activities, rules, and hierarchies. Some of the possible issues that the postdoctoral fellow is expected to research are:
- the role of important actors (i.e., Lauriston Taylor and Rolf Sievert) in the early history of radiation protection;
- the history of radiation dosimetry after the Second World War
- IAEAs decision to adopt a new metrological system in the mid-1960s;
- IAEAs network of Primary and Secondary Standards Dosimetry Laboratories (PSDL and SSDL) across the globe
- The relations between IAEA and other regulatory institutions in the field of radiation protection
The second postdoctoral fellow will be in charge of the projectts case study 3b: Implementation of standards. The standardization process requires a tremendous amount of human labor since this includes not only the creation but also the implementation of standards. Thus, it is difficult to ignore, for example, the gender profile of those at work. It is indicative that the calibration and standardization of nuclear medical technologies have relied on the network of standard laboratories and the IAEAs dosimetry lab, all heavily occupied at least during the early days by male scientists. Also, the human network of medical radiation workers who have historically operated the standardized technologies are in their majority women. The gender dimension of the implementation of radiation standards is of interest here. Yet, the specific design of the research project will depend on the candidates academic profile and will be developed together with the project leader.
The successful applicants are expected to contribute to publications; perform archival research related to their topic and process archival data; conduct interviews with key actors for their projects; contribute to administrative issues related to their own research (reporting, etc.); contribute to the dissemination activities of the project by posting to social media, the projects website etc.; contribute to the cross-cutting research agenda of the HRP-IAEA project as a whole and its exhibition(s) on the history of radiation protection; participate in international conferences and the projects events.
Qualification requirements:
- PhD or equivalent academic qualifications with a specialization in areas such as history and philosophy of science and technology, science and technology studies, gender science studies (or other related fields);
- Excellent English writing skills and good English oral communications skills;
- Demonstrated experience in conducting archival research and interviews;
- Personal suitability and motivation for the position;
- Prior experience of working in a team
The applicants must have handed in their PhD thesis before the closing date. Appointment depends on successful thesis defense.
Deadline for application: 04.11.21
Please find all details here.