Education

Visiting Researcher Program

Are you eager to use complexity science in your research? Would your science benefit from our interdisciplinary and collaborative research environment? Immerse yourself in complex systems as a Visiting Researcher at the Complexity Science Hub in Vienna.

The approaches of complexity science can be a powerful lens through which to view a range of critical questions. At the Complexity Science Hub, we are interested in developing ways to understand and quantify fundamental principles of complex systems – emergence, resilience, phase transitions, and more – and applying these approaches to real-world questions of critical importance to society. We integrate theories, models, and data to reach a better understanding of complex systems ranging from blockchain transactions to zoonotic diseases.

We invite researchers at any stage of their career to join us as a Visiting Researcher.

Program Goals

The Visiting Researcher Program invites graduate students, postdocs, and established researchers to join the research community at the Complexity Science Hub in order to enhance their research. Visiting Researchers use their affiliation with CSH to either:

  • extend their ongoing research using knowledge, methods, tools, or data specific to CSH; or
  • to undertake a new project that is closely aligned with CSH research themes.

 

In exchange, Visiting Researchers bring their unique perspective to CSH and become active contributors to our dynamic research community.

Structure

Visiting Researchers are hosted by a CSH faculty member* during their stay and become full members of CSH’s research community. The visit is an opportunity for two-way knowledge-exchange and sharing of expertise.

In general, Visiting Researchers will:

  • conduct research in collaboration with Complexity Science Hub researchers.
  • participate in weekly talks by invited guests and resident researchers across a breadth of topics.
  • contribute to the intellectual and social life of the Complexity Science Hub.
  • learn new skills and approaches through both the research experience itself as well as participation in CSH-organized workshops, conferences, or classes.
  • share their knowledge and their research ideas through research talk(s) and a final report.

Timeline & Milestones

Research visits can begin at any time throughout the year – pending available space and resources – and are expected to last 3–12 months. At the beginning of their Complexity Science Hub affiliation, Visiting Researchers will meet with their CSH host to develop goals, strategy, and timeline to guide their stay. Visiting Researchers are integrated into the research group of their CSH host and participate in group meetings and project discussions throughout. All Visiting Researchers present their research to the CSH community in the form of a scientific talk.

Audience

Students enrolled in either Masters or PhD/Doctoral studies are invited to apply. Students from any discipline or field that intersects with the research expertise of CSH are welcome, though they must have a strong foundation in quantitative approaches.

Students interested in joining an ongoing CSH project for a short-term research experience should consider our Summer Internship Program, which is aimed at Bachelors and Masters students.

Postdoctoral fellows from any discipline or field that intersects with the research expertise of CSH are invited to apply. They must possess excellent quantitative skills and familiarity with some methods of complexity science, and have a record of research outputs (publications or similar) appropriate.

Established researchers from any discipline or field that intersects with the research expertise of CSH are invited to apply. Career stages range from research staff scientists to full professors. Individuals from any sector are welcome. It is expected that researchers are familiar with complexity science and have a record of research outputs appropriate to their career path.

We encourage applications from women and persons from groups that have been historically excluded from the sciences. This is an in-person program; Visiting Researchers should be in Vienna, Austria, during their affiliation with CSH.

Eligibility

  • are enrolled in a degree-granting Masters or PhD/Doctoral program in the natural, information, or quantitative social sciences, mathematics, engineering, or a related discipline.
  • have prior research experience (internship, practicum, or as part of coursework) so as to be familiar with the research process.
  • have an ongoing research project or proposal for a new project that aligns with the research themes of the Complexity Science Hub.
  • are comfortable with a programming language such as Python, R, Mathematica, Matlab, or Julia; and/or substantial experience with statistical packages such as SPSS, SAS, or Stata.
  • earned a PhD/Doctoral degree in the natural, information, or quantitative social sciences, mathematics, engineering, or a related discipline within the past 10 years.
  • are currently employed full-time in a postdoctoral research position within an academic, non-profit, or government research institution, or similar organization.
  • have an ongoing research project or proposal for a new project that aligns with the research themes of the Complexity Science Hub.
  • have a record of successful peer-reviewed publications appropriate to their career stage.
  • earned a PhD/Doctoral degree in the natural, information, or quantitative social sciences, mathematics, engineering, or a related discipline; or have demonstrated experience with quantitative complex systems research at a similar level.
  • have an ongoing research project or proposal for a new project that aligns with the research themes of the Complexity Science Hub.
  • have a record of successful research accomplishments appropriate to their career stage/path.

Please note that the working language of the Complexity Science Hub is English** and thus proficiency is essential.

There are no restrictions regarding applicant citizenship or residency. Visiting Researchers will be responsible for securing any necessary visa(s) for their stay in Austria. The Visiting Researcher position does not constitute employment by the Complexity Science Hub and thus we cannot sponsor applications for the applicable residency permits.

Costs & Funding

Visiting Researchers should budget for their travel to, from, and within Vienna, accommodations, and meals. Visitors must also ensure that they have health (accident) insurance that provides sufficient coverage in Austria and estimate additional costs for e.g. phone service or similar utilities. Though circumstances will vary, Visiting Researchers should budget at least EUR 1000 per month for cost of living.

Visiting Researchers are encouraged to seek funding from their home institution to support their research experience.

Graduate students in the EU may be eligible for Erasmus+ or similar programs. A comprehensive list of funding for research and study in Austria is available through the OeAD.

Researchers invited to undertake a research visit will receive additional information about potential third-party funding sources.

How to Apply

Applications from prospective Visiting Researchers are reviewed on a rolling basis. Applicants will ideally allow at least three months from submission until their preferred start date. Note that preferred dates cannot always be honored due to space limitations and other factors.

Through our online application portal, applicants submit:

Biographical information, input directly to the portal.

Academic CV – No particular format is required.

Cover letter – This is not a typical cover letter. We would like a proposal for the visit: Outline the ongoing or proposed research project you would like to undertake at the Complexity Science Hub, including

(i) specifically what skills, knowledge, and/or experience you hope to gain from the research visit;

(ii) the research theme(s) and/or faculty member(s) that you believe best fit your interests and goals;

(iii) what particular experience, skills, or knowledge you would bring to share with us; and

(iv) the desired length of the research stay and, if known, preferred dates.

Additional documents

  • For graduate students and postdoctoral fellows: Brief letter of support from the supervisor, study director, or program chair/coordinator. This is not a letter of recommendation but rather should simply specify that, if accepted, the researcher would be eligible to undertake a research visit at CSH.
  • For Masters students: Unofficial transcript or list of relevant coursework.

Contact

Astrid Haderer_Human Resources Specialist © Anja Böck     Julia Emmerling has been office manager at the Complexity Science Hub since February 2024. 

Astrid Haderer and Julia Emmerling lead the Visiting Researcher Program and support visitors with all aspects of their experience at the Complexity Science Hub. Please contact with any questions. 

About the Complexity Science Hub

The Complexity Science Hub is Europe’s research center for the study of complex systems. We derive meaning from data from a range of disciplines – economics, medicine, ecology, and the social sciences – as a basis for actionable solutions for a better world. Established in 2015, we have grown to over 70 researchers, driven by the increasing demand to gain a genuine understanding of the networks that underlie society, from healthcare to supply chains. Through our complexity science approaches linking physics, mathematics, and computational modeling with data and network science, we develop the capacity to address today’s and tomorrow’s challenges.

* It is not necessary for applicants to contact potential hosts in advance. Applicants will specify research groups or faculty members who could serve as hosts in their cover letter.

** German language skills are not required, but Visiting Researchers have access to on-campus beginning German classes.

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