Le/la chercheur.e sera chargé.e de développer son projet dans le cadre du sous-projet 2 : Healing in the Laboratory, en étroite collaboration avec Emilia Sanabria, responsable du programme. Le/la candidat·e retenu·e développera son projet dans le cadre général du programme de recherche, en menant un travail de terrain ethnographique de longue durée sur les essais cliniques psychédéliques.

The project

The project will study the expansion and prolific reinventions of healing practices that make use of the Amazonian herbal brew ayahuasca. The unprecedented globalization of this indigenous medicine, within the broader context of the psychedelic science renaissance, provides a unique opportunity to study encounters ethnographically. The sub-projects will examine 1) the production of neotraditional urban rituals, 2) the resurgence of psychedelics within mental health and 3) the contemporary reconfigurations of indigenous shamanism in the Amazonian region.

Job description

The successful candidate will be in charge of developing research in sub-project 2: Healing in the Laboratory in close collaboration with Dr Emilia Sanabria, the grantee. The successful candidate will develop an original project within the overall framework of the research program, including long-term ethnographic fieldwork on psychedelic medicine. They will be expected to actively participate in the program’s activities, including participation in team meetings and seminars. Additionally, the researcher will be able to organize two fully-funded international workshops.

Vacancy: Early-career researcher (3 years) in Science and Technology Studies

Location: CNRS, Paris, France Unit: CERMES 3 (Center for research in medicine, science, health, mental health, and society is a multidisciplinary laboratory is affiliated with the CNRS (UMR 8211), Inserm (U 988), EHESS, and Paris Descartes University

Project: ERC “Healing Encounters: reinventing an indigenous medicine in the clinic and beyond” (2018- 2023), PI Emilia Sanabria

Requirements

The successful candidate will hold a PhD degree in Anthropology, Science and Technology  Studies (STS) or a closely related discipline. S/he will demonstrate a strong interest in fields such as STS, anthropologies of health and the body, social studies of mental health, human-plant relations. S/he must be able to engage critically and creatively with relevant theoretical and conceptual frameworks within social science. S/he should have strong communication and organisational skills, be highly motivated, able to work independently and as part of a team, and have excellent written and verbal communication skills. Prior knowledge of French is essential, and proficiency in Portuguese highly desirable. The successful candidate will have completed their PhD degree (including oral defence) by the start of the appointment (latest Sept 2019). Any offer of employment is contingent upon acquiring all necessary visas.

Appointment

The appointment is for one year, renewable for two additional years. Preference will be given to candidates available for the full three-year period. The researcher will have a French work contract, and be expected to take up residency in France. They will receive a monthly salary, an annual research allowance as well as conference funding.

Application

Please provide in a single .pdf document the following:

• Cover letter explaining how you see yourself contributing to this project and how your background has prepared you
• CV
• Provisional research outline on how you will develop your research within the broader project; linking theoretical approaches to prospective ethnographic fieldwork (max. 3p)
• Writing sample (ideally published article, book section or PhD chapter)
• Two supporting references
• Potential applicants are welcome to contact Emilia Sanabria for an informal discussion prior to submitting their application: emilia.sanabria@cnrs.fr

Deadline for application: 15th Feb. 2019 (interviews mid-March, date to be confirmed