Post-doc researcher within a research project on the influence of media framing on the percepti[...]

Center for Autonomy Experience

Implementation of a research project on the framing of political and social events in different South Tyrolean media

The project “Different groups, different lenses? How Media Framing Shapes Perceptions of Majority and Minority Communities (DIDI)” (CUP D53C25003910003), funded by the Autonomous Province of Bolzano within the call “Research Südtirol/Alto Adige” 2024 and running for 36 months, investigates how media and digital technologies shape the perception of political and social events among South Tyrol’s different language groups.

South Tyrol is characterized by minority protection, autonomy, multilingualism, and the coexistence of the German, Italian, and Ladin language groups. Their media landscapes have developed historically and reflect different perspectives, interests, and interpretive patterns. The project’s central research interest is therefore the influence of different media narratives, frames, and thematic emphases on intergroup understanding, social cohesion, and the democratic public sphere.

The project combines qualitative social science methods such as media mapping, discourse analysis, and framing analysis with quantitative text analysis methods, including Natural Language Processing, Topic Modeling, Sentiment Analysis, and Emotion Mining. In addition, DIDI addresses the role of AI and Large Language Models in multilingual and minority-language contexts.

For project management and scientific implementation, we are looking for a Post‑doc researcher with the following qualifications and activity profile:

Responsibilities

• Project management, networking with stakeholders and research partners, communication and dissemination
• Mapping of South Tyrol’s media landscape through desk research and interviews with stakeholders
• Qualitative and quantitative analysis of media, discourses, and narratives; audience reception analysis of print media and social media
• Supporting project partners in NLP analysis
• Supporting project partners in the development of NLP tools
• Drafting interim and final reports
• Publishing project results in peer‑reviewed academic journals
• Planning conferences and events

Your Profile

• Doctoral degree (PhD), preferably in communication science, political science, sociology, or another social science discipline
• Experience in independently conducting research projects
• Very good knowledge of qualitative and quantitative research methods; ability to independently analyze qualitative and quantitative data
• Very good command of German and Italian; good English skills are an advantage
• Good knowledge of the MS Office package; knowledge of social media data analysis is an advantage
• Time management and organizational skills
• Ability to work in a team
• Independent and conscientious working style
• Flexibility and willingness to travel

We offer

• A fixed‑term full‑time position
• Gross annual salary ranging from 44.247,32 € to 46.566,16 €
• Workplace location: Eurac Research Headquarters, viale Druso 1, Bolzano
• An international working environment in a Great Place to Work
• Benefits and work‑life balance: Eurac Research offers a welfare package designed to support employees’ well‑being and work‑life balance, contributing to a positive and inclusive working experience in an international research environment. The full and regularly updated list of benefits is available here.
• Opportunities for professional development

Employment conditions

• Employment classification and applicable collective agreement: II level of the Italian National Collective Labour Agreement for the Tertiary/Commerce Sector
• Gross Annual Salary range: the gross annual salary range is primarily linked to the advertised position, its requirements and expected level, and is defined according to Eurac Research’s internal remuneration framework. The candidate’s highest academic degree and any relevant professional experience documented in the CV are taken into account where applicable, but always within the salary range defined for the advertised position. The range also reflects whether the position is full‑time or part‑time.

Please submit your application documents, including your CV, cover letter, and other relevant documents, by 05/07/2026.

The project “Different groups, different lenses? How Media Framing Shapes Perceptions of Majority and Minority Communities (DIDI)” (CUP D53C25003910003) is funded by the Autonomous Province of Bolzano within the call “Research Südtirol/Alto Adige” 2024.