Call for Applications: Research Assistant

The Culpable Ignorance Project seeks to fill a position for a research assistant (wissenschaftliche/r Hilfskraft or Studentische Hilfskraft). The work is remote, and there is no need to be matriculated at the University of Hamburg — any German university will do.

The task consists in helping with the research for a book on the political philosophy of the credit system, and helping prepare the manuscript.

Here is a short synopsis of the book project

Terms and Conditions

  1. The position is for a research assistant for approx. 40/month, for 6 months, starting 1 January 2024.
  2. To be eligible to apply, you need to be enrolled at a German University either as a BA or as an MA student.
  3. The work can be done remotely, there is no need to be in Hamburg.
  4. If the successful candidate is a BA student, this will be a position as a “studentische Hilfskraft,” remunerated at 12,00 EUR/h. If the successful candidate is an MA student, this can become a position as a “wissenschaftliche Hilfskraft”, remunerated at 13,95 EUR/h. It is possible to create this position as a “Minijob”
  5. The University aims to increase the number of women in research and teaching and explicitly encourages women to apply. Equally qualified female applicants will receive preference in accordance with the Hamburg act on gender equality (Hamburgisches Gleichstellungsgesetz, HmbGleiG).

The application deadline is 10 November 2024.

Responsibilities

The successful application will excel at the following tasks:

  1. Fact-Checking and Verification:
    • Diligently verify facts, figures, and claims made in the manuscript, ensuring accuracy and credibility.
  2. Statistical Research:
    • Source relevant statistics, economic data, and historical records to support or challenge arguments within the manuscript.
  3. Literature Organization:
    • Conduct thorough literature reviews, organize the acquired academic materials, and summarize key findings to aid in manuscript preparation.
  4. Manuscript Preparation:
    • Assist in drafting, editing, and formatting the manuscript adhering to academic standards and publisher guidelines.
  5. Communication and Collaboration:
    • Collaborate effectively within a multidisciplinary team, communicate findings clearly, and contribute to discussions on the manuscript’s content and structure.

Benefits

  • Strengthen your research skills
  • Contribute to an interdisciplinary research project at the intersection of philosophy and economics
  • Learn about the economics, politics, and ethics of credit markets

Requirements

The position is open for applicants from any subject, but a background in philosophy or philosophy and economics is advantageous.

The successful candidate will meet the following requirements:

  • Regular availability of approx. 10h/week.
  • Ability to find, inspect, and summarize literature from ethics, political philosophy, economics, and social sciences.
  • Ability to fact check technical claims about the credit market and find relevant statistics.
  • Strong communication skills in a remote working setting.

Mastery of the German language is not required. Command of the English language is required.

How to Apply

The application is a two-step process.

Step 1: Email me with your CV and a short paragraph on why you would like the position.

Step 2: I’ll send you a fact checking task that will take you 1h to complete.

Candidates will be shortlisted based on the results of the task, and I’ll do short phone interviews with shortlisted applicants.

Submit applications to Marco Meyer (marco.meyer@uni-hamburg.de) and do not hesitate to be in touch with any questions.