Join the Autonomous University of Barcelona as a PhD Researcher Exploring Adolescent Well-being, Digital ,Media, and Social Inequalities: Apply!!
PhD Researcher Position in Adolescent Well-Being, Inequalities, Digital Media, and Computational Social Sciences
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona – Department of Sociology, Centre for Demographic Studies (CED)
The Centre for Demographic Studies (CED) and the Department of Sociology at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) are seeking an exceptional PhD researcher to join their ERC Consolidator Grant project, DIGINEQ – “Digital Time Use, Adolescent Well-Being, and Social Inequalities” (Principal Investigator: Prof. Pablo Gracia). This opportunity offers a unique chance to contribute to cutting-edge research that explores the intersection of digital media, adolescent well-being, and social inequalities.
Research Focus Areas
The selected candidate will contribute to advancing knowledge in at least one of the following key areas:
- Digital Media and Youth Inequalities
Investigating how digital media engagement and mobile phone use shape inequalities in youth outcomes, including mental well-being, physical health, and academic performance. The researcher will utilize advanced computational and digital social research methods to explore these issues. - Digital Interventions for Well-Being
Examining digital interventions targeting schools, families, and adolescents to promote healthy digital behaviours and enhance well-being outcomes (e.g., mental health, affect, academic performance) across diverse demographic and socioeconomic groups. The researcher will apply advanced statistical computational methods and/or mixed-method designs. - Impact of Societal Digital Transformations
Assessing how societal digital transformations affect adolescent well-being and opportunities, using advanced statistical models (e.g., longitudinal causal modelling, multilevel methods) or computational techniques (e.g., machine learning, mobile-app methods, computational tracking data).
Research Environment
The successful candidate will become part of a dynamic and highly interdisciplinary research team focused on youth well-being, inequalities, social stratification, and digital media. The project will involve collaboration with top researchers in areas such as digital social sciences, computational methods, social psychology, and education. The PhD researcher will also have access to a vibrant international network of collaborators in these fields.
The position provides an opportunity to work within an excellent research hub at CED, renowned for its expertise in population research and applied social science.
Financial Support
- Annual gross salary: €27,000 (~€1,800 net monthly salary)
- Additional funding: €2,500 per year for travel, conferences, and training support
Qualifications and Skills
Essential:
- A BA or MA/MSc in a relevant field (e.g., sociology, population sciences, psychology, computational social sciences, media and communication, economics, education, social policy).
- A strong academic record and exceptional methodological skills in social science research design.
- Proven ability to analyze complex quantitative, computational, and/or qualitative data.
- Proficiency or ability to learn statistical software (e.g., R, Stata, Python).
- Interest in contributing to primary data collection with adolescents, families, and educators.
- Excellent communication skills in English (both written and verbal).
- Strong ambition to produce and publish top-tier research in social sciences.
- Ability to conduct research independently and work proactively as part of a team.
Desirable:
- Experience in leading primary data collection (e.g., with youth, schools, families).
- Leadership skills for arranging focus groups and data collection activities.
- Willingness to pursue future research projects and grants in this field.
- Interest in analyzing narrative data (e.g., with software such as Nvivo).
- Basic knowledge of Spanish or Catalan (or willingness to learn).
Application Procedure
Interested candidates should send the following documents (in PDF format) via email to [email protected], with [email protected] in CC and the subject line “PhD Position DIGINEQ”:
- Motivation letter (maximum 2 pages)
- CV in English (free format)
- Two written research samples (in English, e.g., scientific papers)
- Contact details of 2 referees
- Copy of ID/Passport
- Copy of degree certificates
Application Deadline: 3rd December 2024
For more information and to apply, please refer to the official call HERE.
This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to groundbreaking research in digital media, adolescent well-being, and social inequalities, while working in a globally recognized research environment at one of Spain’s leading academic institutions.
