We invite applicants for a 2-year postdoctoral fellowship in critical approaches to literary audio, creative and critical remediations, performance, media archaeology, book history and print culture, digital humanities, and/or the archive informed by feminism, queer theory, etc. The successful postdoctoral fellow will join the AMP Lab at UBC Okanagan, where the SpokenWeb SoundBox collection is housed, and will work under the co-supervision of Dr. Karis Shearer and Dr. Emily Christina Murphy, with support from the SpokenWeb UBCO research team. Within the AMP Lab, the postdoc fellow will have access to such equipment and resources as: an Atiz book scanner, a lino-press, a lightbox display, video conferencing screen, legacy media technology (reel-to-reel decks, cassette players), computing hardware and software, and collaborative meeting space. 

In addition, the fellow will have the option to access collaborating Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies research spaces and infrastructure such as the (Re)Media Research Infrastructure or the Spark Print Lab. An option to pursue a short-term research exchange with Simon Fraser University, to work with their literary audio and other archival collections, is also available. This additional resourcing will be established based on the needs and contributions proposed by the successful candidate. The postdoc will join the broader SSHRC-funded SpokenWeb partnership network, which aims to develop coordinated and collaborative approaches to literary historical study, digital development, and critical and pedagogical engagement with diverse collections of literary sound recordings from across Canada and beyond.  

This postdoctoral fellowship aims to engage an emerging scholar at the intersection of such fields as Sound Studies, Cultural Studies, Literary Studies, Digital Humanities, Public Humanities, Book History, Digital Media, Gender Studies, Archival Studies, and/or Library and Information Studies. 

The position comprises 70% collaborative research, supervision, and research administration work toward the SpokenWeb project at UBCO. These responsibilities will include activities such as:

• Supervising research assistants in documenting and archiving records of the SoundBox Collection at UBCO.
• Developing workshops and training modules for creative and critical remediation of literary audio from the SoundBox collection.
• Co-producing public humanities research and events.
• Co-creation of chapbook series and exhibits comprised of remediated literary audio from the SoundBox collection.
• Supporting the SpokenWeb symposium and sound institute at UBC Okanagan as well as Pedagogy Task Force workshops.
• Developing 2-3 collaborative research articles with UBCO PI based on the above.

30% of the position comprises the fellow’s individual literary audio research project outlined in their letter of intent. 

The ability to develop collaborative relationships with units across campus, including History and Sociology, Gender and Women’s Studies, Computer Science, and the Library will be considered an asset.

The primary research site for this position is UBC’s Okanagan campus, Syilx Territory, Kelowna B.C.

Value: $50,000 / yr (benefits included) + $2500 / yr travel funds, all funds in CAD.

Duration: Renewable up to 2 years.

Start Date: May 1, 2023 or September 1, 2023 (negotiable)

Eligibility Requirements:

•     Must have completed their PhD in the past 5 years (no earlier than April 30, 2018) or have their PhD completed no later than April 30, 2023.
•     Must not have completed their PhD at the host institution, UBC’s Okanagan campus (Vancouver campus applicants are eligible).

Qualifications: The postdoctoral fellow will hold a PhD in one of the fields above or a cognate field relevant to the research program description and a record of publication demonstrating an active engagement with research and/or research-creation. The fellow will have an interest in the exploration and development of durational media research relevant to study of literature and literary performance. The fellow will have knowledge of the digital tools relevant to the production and processing of audio data within digital environments. 

Application Process:

Interested applicants should submit the following to Lacia Vogel (lacia[dot]vogel[at]ubc[dot]ca) Administrative Assistant to the Associate Dean, Research & Graduate Studies.

•     CV
•     Letter of Intent (1-3 pages)
  • Should describe the applicant’s individual research project, professional goals, relevant experience, and contributions they foresee making to the collaborative SpokenWeb project at UBC Okanagan.

•     2 reference letters sent to the attention of Karis Shearer and Emily Murphy with subject line “REFERENCE SpokenWeb Postdoc Fellowship.”

Questions regarding the position can be directed to Karis Shearer (karis.shearer@ubc.ca).

 Deadline: January 31, 2023. Review of applications will begin shortly thereafter and the position will remain open until filled. We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. 

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority. If suitable Canadian citizens or permanent residents cannot be found, other individuals will be considered.