Call for Applications
Academic Year 2023-2024
Graduate Research Assistantships
In Residence at the Collaborative Digital Research Space, UTM
The Collaborative Digital Research Space (CDRS), a University of Toronto Mississauga core research facility, cultivates creative, innovative, and digital research in the humanities, arts, and social sciences through collaboration, exchange, and experimentation. Our vision is to foster an accessible, ethical, and supportive research community for collaborative and/or digital research in the humanities, arts, and social sciences (HASS). CDRS supports collaborative and/or digital HASS research undertaken by faculty members; postdoctoral fellows; graduate students, and advanced undergraduates. CDRS creates regular research programming that supports the research endeavors of our community, including writing sessions, research spotlights, lectures, training workshops. Programming is organized both independently and in collaboration with the UTM library, I&ITS, departments, and other units to create integrated, non-siloed programming and support for collaborative and/or digital HASS research at the UTM campus.
The Graduate Research Assistantship Program @ CDRS will support two University of Toronto Ph.D. students over the 2023-24 academic year, one for Fall 2023 (Sept. 5-December 22, 2023) and one for Winter/Spring 2024 (Jan 8-April 19, 2024). This program had been developed with the support of the Office of the Vice-Dean Graduate & Postdoctoral Affairs, UTM. Applications are due June 5, 2023, at 12:00pm (noon) EST.
Research Assistant Expectations
The Grad RA will work closely with the Senior Research Associate, CDRS to build a scholarly research community for faculty, post-docs, and graduate students working in humanities, arts and social science (HASS) research at UTM. The Grad RA will be expected to be in residence one day per week for the 15 weeks of the RAship in addition to spending an average of 2-3 hrs/week off campus organizing events.
Grad RAs will likely be expected to convene one weekly writing session as well as organize, or help to organize, one or two events relating to their areas of research expertise or professional development interests. We are particularly looking for applicants who are interested in building programming in one of the following areas: knowledge mobilization (writing op eds; creating podcasts; drafting white papers are some examples); digital skills training, including digital humanities and digital archives methods; research creation (e.g., digital storytelling, land-based knowledge co-creation); game studies; or research spotlights. Applicants are not expected to necessarily have expertise in these areas, but simply an interest in developing programming in them.
Compensation
Each RAship is set up with an expectation that the RA will work 150 hours over the course of 15 weeks, e.g.10 hrs/week, for a total compensation of $5000 (this works out to be $33/hr inclusive of vacation and benefits).
Eligibility
University of Toronto PhD students who will have registered by 1 September 2023.
How to Apply
Please send the following to cdrs.admin@utoronto.ca in one PDF file by the deadline, using the following file naming format: LastName_FirstName_CDRS Grad Research Assistantship Application:
1) Cover Letter that outlines a) your current research, and how your research engages with collaborative and/or digital research in the humanities, arts, and/or social sciences; b) what TA or RA commitments you have or are likely to have in 2023-2024; and c) a description of what type of programming you might be interested in creating at CDRS, with reference to the expectations outlined above. Recommended length: 2 pages, but no more than 3.
2) C.V.
Deadline
Please submit your application, in one PDF file with the cover sheet, by the application deadline of June 5, 2023 by 12:00 pm EST. Send your application to cdrs.admin@utoronto.ca.
Adjudication
Applications will be adjudicated by the CDRS Steering Committee and the Senior Research Associate, CDRS, in collaboration with the Office of the Vice-Dean Graduate & Postdoctoral Affairs, UTM. The CDRS Steering Committee is composed of UTM faculty researchers in the Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences.
Reporting
Research Assistants will be expected to report on their RAship by 15 April 2024. Recipients should anticipate submitting a brief report describing what was accomplished or what outcomes were achieved over the course of the RAship.
For Cover Sheet, Please See Below.
Suggestions for Preparing Your Application
1) Situate your work in relationship to collaborative and/or digital research in the humanities, arts, and/or social sciences. We recommend situating your work in relationship to the literature in the field, as you define it.
2) Consider your programming interests. CDRS hosts and organizes monthly events around knowledge mobilization, digital skills training, research creation and research spotlights. This fellowship is an opportunity for the RA to propose creative endeavors, to collaborate with the UTM and wider tri-campus research community, and to mobilize research linked to their own interests and expertise. We recommend thinking about the types of research programming that you think your faculty colleagues and peers might benefit from.
How to Reach Us
Please contact cdrs.admin@utoronto.ca with any questions. Explore our website: https://www.utm.utoronto.ca/cdrs/