Lecturer or Associate Professor in Computational Humanities and Social Science

About us

University College London (UCL) is a world-leading multidisciplinary university, consistently ranked among the top higher education institutions globally. As London’s Global University, UCL is committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse academic community that promotes innovation, creativity, and social impact.

The UCL Department of Information Studies (DIS) in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities launched the Information, Data & Society BSc programme in 2024. The department also offers postgraduate qualifications for the library, archive, and information professions, publishing, information and data science, and digital humanities, and collaborates in the delivery of an inter-faculty BSc in Information Management for Business. We have a strong international reputation for research and are deeply committed to our teaching quality.

About the role

The Information, Data, and Society BSc attracts students from around the world with a wide range of technical abilities and interdisciplinary interests. The successful candidate will be able to design and deliver teaching that is accessible, engaging, and relevant to students who are not technical specialists, and who approach data and digital systems from diverse cultural, social, and critical perspectives. Experience of undergraduate teaching in small and large groups, as well as in a pastoral role would be welcome. Candidates are strongly advised to read the programme prospectus before applying (Information data and society bsc). A fuller view of modules offered on the Programme can be found by searching the module codes for the degree on the UCL module catalogue.

The role includes undergraduate teaching, dissertation supervision at UG, PhD, and potentially also MA level, they may be asked to develop and lead a new module aligned with their expertise in addition to teaching on existing modules, including through taking on strategic or developmental roles related to departmental governance and administration. We seek an ambitious scholar with a commitment to interdisciplinary teaching and collaboration. The successful candidate will join a department committed to critical, applied inquiry into the complex interplay of information, data, and society, and will help shape the future of teaching and research at UCL.

This post is NOT aimed at candidates whose primary expertise lies in computer science, AI/ML, business analytics, digital marketing, or health informatics. We seek a scholar whose technical skills are embedded within humanities or social science research, rather than oriented toward optimisation, modelling, clinical applications, or media production. Candidates who do not have a completed and awarded PhD in a relevant subject will not be shortlisted.

About you

The Department of Information Studies at UCL invites applications for a Lectureship or Associate Professorship in Computational Humanities and Social Sciences (Grade 8 or 9). We seek a scholar whose work brings an applied computational and quantitative methodological approach to research questions about society in the humanities or social sciences, with a special focus on aspects relating to data and information, in line with the nature of the Department of Information Studies. The successful candidate will combine a high degree of technical competence with a compelling and substantive research agenda.

The successful candidate will also demonstrate their ability to contribute to the teaching and development of digital and quantitative methods courses across our undergraduate programme in Information, Data, and Society BSc at UCL East as set out in the Programme Prospectus.

We invite candidates to outline in their personal statement which 2-3 of the following undergraduate modules they could contribute to, either via team teaching or as module lead (we do not expect candidates to cover all listed modules):

• INST0065 Data Visualisation
• INST0082 Analysing Textual Data at Scale
• INST0086 Foundations of Statistical Methods and Computing
• INST0091 Introduction to Programming
• INST0106 Research Design

We welcome applicants from disciplinary backgrounds including information studies, social sciences, digital and computational humanities, cultural analytics, or adjacent fields. Candidates should demonstrate computational research that engages meaningfully with societal topics in the humanities and social sciences, while being methodologically rigorous. Candidates should be building a record of high-quality publications and an ambitious research trajectory, centred on the themes of information, data and society.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Any queries about the role not already covered in this document can be addressed to Dr Daniel Wilson: daniel.c.s.wilson@ucl.ac.uk

Queries relating to the recruitment process and/or reasonable adjustments can be addressed to Terrie Fiawoo: t.fiawoo@ucl.ac.uk

As part of your application please attach (under the other documents section) only the following:

• Personal Statement (Max 2 pages)

• Research Statement (Max 2 page)

• A CV (Max 4 pages)

What we offer

This post is offered at either Lecturer Grade 8; £56,431-£62,903 or Associate Professor Grade 9: £68,284-£74,166 (including London Allowance) dependent upon experience.

As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, we also offer some great benefits some of which are below:

• 41 Days holiday (27 days annual leave 8 bank holiday and 6 closure days)
• Additional 5 days’ annual leave purchase scheme
• Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE)
• Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan
• Immigration loan
• Relocation scheme for certain posts
• On-Site nursery
• On-site gym
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay
• Employee assistance programme: Staff Support Service
• Discounted medical insurance

Visit Reward and benefits to find out more.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

As London’s Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong.

We particularly encourage applications from candidates underrepresented in UCL’s workforce, including those from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds, disabled people, and – for Grade 9 and 10 roles – women.

Read more: UCL Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.

Applicants should also familiarise themselves with UCL’s policies on: Prevention of Bullying, Harassment and Sexual Misconduct Policy and Personal Relationships Policy