Tenure-Track Assistant Professor Position in Political Psychology

The Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF; www.upf.edu) is a university committed to public-institution values, wide open to the world and a city university engaged in the dynamic life of Barcelona. The primary aims of the UPF are to educate responsible professional people and citizens committed to the values of civic life, and contribute to the development of research, the transfer of technology and the culture of innovation as driving forces behind progress for society in the XXI century. Among the aspects that contribute to the reputation of the UPF are: the continuous innovation and improvement in teaching and technology, the good academic performance of the students, the successful passage of our graduates into the professional world, the university’s high internationalisation index, and its high standing in the international research arena. The UPF’s activity indicators are a benchmark for Spanish University system.

The UPF hosts the HR Excellence in Research (HRS4R) accreditation from the European Commission, which ensures the highest scientific standards in HHRR. UPF strongly believes that public universities have an obligation to inform the public of their work, and to establish an open dialogue with society with regards to findings that may have a strong impact on health and society. In that sense, it is engaged in the Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) Approach launched by the EU.

POSITION DESCRIPTION & REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

The Department of Political and Social Sciences at Universitat Pompeu Fabra (https://www.upf.edu/web/politiques) invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position in the area of Political Psychology (start period Fall 2022).

Candidates should have a PhD in psychology or related field (e.g., political science, international relations, government), demonstrated evidence of research experience in the discipline of political psychology (vs. related areas such as political behavior), and thus examine political phenomena from a psychological perspective. Candidates with backgrounds in behavioral sciences and expertise in quantitative and experimental research designs will be given priority. They must also have a record of publishing in disciplinary-relevant top journals in Psychology (Political, Social-Personality) and/or Political Science, and provide evidence of quality teaching capacity.

Chosen candidate will be expected to actively and creatively be engaged in the following 4 areas: Academic research, teaching, service, and knowledge transfer. The candidate is expected to collaborate with members of the Political Science area and will be encouraged to develop her/his own research interests and apply for independent funding. The annual salary is approximately €38,000 (entry gross salary of an assistant professor).

Note: Official languages at UPF are Catalan, Spanish and English. Undergraduate courses are typically (but not always) taught in Catalan and/or Spanish, and graduate level ones in English. Support for language studies is offered, as there is a two-year period for new faculty to attain needed linguistic levels.

The standard duration of the contract is 5 years; during the 4th year the Tenure-track lecturer will undergo performance evaluation in all areas, including their commitment to the Department’s goals and needs stated above (i.e., research, teaching, service, knowledge transfer). If performance evaluation is successful, the University will issue a call for a permanent, tenured position. Note: In the 4th year of the tenure-track, and in order to be eligible for an associate professorship, the candidate must obtain the corresponding research accreditation from AQU Catalunya (see eligibility requirements in the AGAUR website: https://www.aqu.cat/en/teaching-staff).

With the aim of building a diverse academic community, applications from women and ethno-racial minorities are especially encouraged.

Department and University Descriptions

UPF Department of Political and Social Sciences is ranked #1 in the country (QS World Ranking) and offers a vibrant and active research environment where interdisciplinarity and innovation is highly valued (https://www.upf.edu/web/politiques/research-forum). Our department offers degrees at undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD level and includes diverse research lines, including one in social-personality psychology and another in public-opinion-and-political-behavior:

• https://www.upf.edu/web/politiques/research-forum
• https://www.upf.edu/web/survey/social-personality-psychology
• https://www.upf.edu/web/survey/public-opinion-and-political-behaviour

Our faculty comprises 32 full-time tenured and tenure-track professors, who participate in teaching activities at all levels: 2 undergraduate degrees (Political and Administration Sciences; Philosophy, Politics and Economics), and five Master’s Degrees (Research in Political Science; Political Philosophy; Current Democracies: Nationalism, Federalism and Multiculturalism; Migration Studies; Sociology & Demography). In addition, our faculty supervise PhD research as part of the Doctoral Program and sponsor numerous postdoctoral researchers.

Pompeu Fabra University (Catalan: Universitat Pompeu Fabra, UPF) is a public university located in the city of Barcelona, Spain. In 2021, it was ranked the best university in Spain and 10th best young university in the world by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings. UPF is considered one of the most prestigious universities in Spain and it has occupied the first place in the national ranking of scientific productivity since 2009. With the highest percentage of international faculty in Spain (27%) and one of the most international in Europe, international students represented 45% of postgraduate students, attracted by the opportunity to study and carry out research with globally renowned faculty and researchers.
Application Instructions

Applicants must register on the Interfolio web platform. Link to the call and registration: http://apply.interfolio.com/96215. All required documents have to be written in English and saved in PDF format.

Applications should be submitted no later than November 29, 2021 through the Interfolio platform and include the following documents (all in English):

• A motivation letter describing applicant’s scholarly interests and achievements, research plan in the following 5 years (including potential contribution to the Department), and teaching experience.
• Curriculum Vitae. The CV should include: i) a list of publications with evidence of impact (indexation, influence in the field, etc.) and authorial contribution.
• Copies of 3-5 selected publications (in one PDF file).
• 3 reference letters to be submitted directly by the selected referees (from the Interfolio platform) by the closing date. The 3 letters must be requested through the platform prior to submitting applications.

For informal inquiries, please email Professor Benet-Martinez at ‘veronica.benet@upf.edu.’ Use the heading ‘Political Psychology Tenure-Track position’.

The selection process will consist of two stages. Stage 1 will consist of a remote assessment of the specific merits of each candidate by a selection committee made up of external and internal members of the Department. This committee will consider the candidate’s specific fit for political psychology, record of research and scientific publications, participation in funding research projects, letters of recommendation, and teaching experience. In stage 2, the shortlisted candidates will be invited to give a public research seminar and participate in face-to-face interviews at UPF Department of Political and Social Sciences. In case travel restrictions are still in place due to COVID-19, the seminar and the interview could take place online.

Evaluations will take place between January and March 2022.