Research Fellow (Quantitative and Comparative Methods) - CULTURAI Project

Monash University European Research Foundation ETS; Italia; On-site; EUR 52,000 - 58,000; Full time

Job summary

Monash University European Research Foundation ETS in Prato, Italy invites applications for a Research Fellow (Quantitative and Comparative Methods) to lead its analytical work within CULTURAI, a Horizon Europe project. The role combines hands-on quantitative research with coordination across an international consortium and multi-country case studies.

The appointee will finalise the pan-European survey design, deliver analyses, anchor empirical findings into policy papers, and contribute to

Qualifications

• PhD in a discipline relevant to the study of AI in cultural, audiovisual and creative sectors.
• Emerging independent research profile with peer‑reviewed publications.
• Expertise in quantitative and cross‑national research methods, including survey design and data analysis.

Responsibilities

• Finalise the pan-European survey design and lead its administration and analysis (WP5).
• Lead the design and analysis of comparative case studies (WP6).
• Provide methodological oversight across MUERF's research activities and ensure consistency across data collection and analysis.
• Anchor the synthesis of empirical findings into sector recommendations and policy papers (WP13).
• Contribute to the Living Labs design and evaluation, AI governance and cultural policy analyses (WP10–WP11, WP9, WP15).
• Support planning, monitoring and timely delivery of deliverables; prepare peer‑reviewed publications and policy briefs.
• Identify European and international funding opportunities in AI, culture and the creative industries.
• Participate in project governance and dissemination activities.

Skills

Quantitative methods

Cross-national research

Survey design

Statistical software

Education

PhD in relevant field

Tools

Stata

SPSS

Job description

Monash University European Research Foundation ETS

Organisation/Company Monash University European Research Foundation ETS Research Field Communication sciences » Media studies Communication sciences » Audiovisual communication Political sciences » Policy studies Sociology » Social shaping of technology Cultural studies » Other Computer science » Other Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) Positions Postdoc Positions Application Deadline 19 Oct 2026 - 23:55 (Europe/Rome) Country Italy Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Horizon Europe Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

Job No.: 698107
Location: Prato, Italy (on-site)
Employment type: Full-time, 3-year fixed-term appointment
Remuneration: Research Fellow Level B, CCNL Level 2 (CCNL Commercio – Terziario) with MUERF adjustment: €55,329.00 RAL (annual gross salary)
Applications close: Monday 19 October 2026, 11:55pm (Italian time)

The Monash University European Research Foundation ETS (MUERF), based in Prato, Italy, invites applications for a Research Fellow (Quantitative and Comparative Methods) to lead its analytical work within CULTURAI, a Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Action (Grant Agreement No. 101289743, HORIZON-CL2-2025-01).

About MUERF
MUERF was established in 2022 to expand Monash University's research and innovation footprint in Europe. As a beneficiary in Horizon Europe consortia, MUERF is Monash University's main vehicle for taking part in the European Research Area. It manages pre- and post-award activities, consortium partnerships and the delivery of collaborative research in multi-country projects. MUERF works closely with Monash University in Melbourne, one of Australia's leading research institutions.

About CULTURAI
CULTURAI is a four-year project (1 September 2026 – 31 August 2030) funded by the European Research Executive Agency (REA). It studies how artificial intelligence is being adopted across Europe's cultural and creative sectors, and what impact it has. The project focuses on the audiovisual (AV) sector and on galleries, libraries, archives and museums (GLAMs), and turns its findings into evidence-based sector recommendations, policy and capacity-building.

The consortium is coordinated by the Koninklijke Bibliotheek (KB, Netherlands) and has eleven partners: MUERF (Italy), IDEA Consult (Belgium), TU Delft (Netherlands), IRMO (Croatia), the University of Edinburgh (United Kingdom), the University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa), UNESCO (France), the University of Luxembourg (Luxembourg), the Europeana Foundation (Netherlands) and the National Research Council (CNR, Italy).

The project aims to:

• Map and analyse the impact of AI on the European audiovisual sector through a pan-European survey and a set of comparative case studies
• Examine AI best practice and literacy across the GLAM sector
• Contribute to global AI governance and cultural policy debates
• Design and deliver a network of participatory Living Labs, including one in Prato, that co-develop and test AI-related practices with cultural and creative practitioners and communities
• Synthesise findings into sector recommendations and policy papers, and establish a Competence Centre to sustain the project's outcomes

Within CULTURAI, MUERF leads the European audiovisual research strand (WP5–WP6), the Prato Living Lab (WP11) and the synthesis of sector recommendations and policy papers (WP13). It also contributes to the design of the Living Labs (WP10), global AI governance work (WP9) and the launch of the Competence Centre (WP15). MUERF's team is based at the Prato campus and works in both Italian and English, in close coordination with the consortium and with Monash University in Melbourne.

The role
The Research Fellow will finalise the design of the pan-European survey on the impact of AI in the audiovisual sector, and lead its delivery and analysis (WP5). They will also lead the associated comparative case studies (WP6). The Fellow will provide methodological oversight across MUERF's contributions and will anchor the synthesis of empirical findings into sector recommendations and policy papers (WP13). The role combines hands‑on quantitative and comparative research with a coordinating function within an international research programme.

The position reports to the MUERF Senior Manager, Research, with a dotted line to the CULTURAI Principal Investigator and the MUERF Director of Strategy and Engagement.

Key responsibilities

• Finalise the survey design and lead the administration and analysis of the CULTURAI pan-European survey (WP5)
• Lead the design and analysis of comparative case studies on AI adoption in the European AV sector (WP6), in coordination with consortium partners doing fieldwork in their national contexts
• Provide methodological oversight across MUERF's research activities, ensuring consistency and rigour in quantitative and comparative data collection and analysis
• Anchor the synthesis of empirical findings into sector recommendations and policy papers (WP13)
• Contribute to the design and evaluation of the CULTURAI Living Labs (WP10–WP11), to global AI governance and cultural policy analysis (WP9), and to the launch of the Competence Centre (WP15)
• Support the planning and monitoring of MUERF's research tasks and the timely delivery of deliverables
• Prepare peer-reviewed publications, deliverable reports and policy briefs
• Contribute to identifying European and international funding opportunities in AI, culture and the creative industries
• Take part in project governance, consortium meetings and dissemination activities
• Ensure compliance with MUERF's research governance, ethics and data management policies and with Horizon Europe requirements

MUERF values diversity and welcomes applications from people of all backgrounds, abilities, genders, sexualities, ages and life experiences.

Research Field Communication sciences » Audiovisual communication Education Level PhD or equivalent

Research Field Political sciences » Policy studies Education Level PhD or equivalent

Research Field Sociology » Social shaping of technology Education Level PhD or equivalent

Research Field Cultural studies » Other Education Level PhD or equivalent

Research Field Computer science » Other Education Level PhD or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

Education/Qualifications

The appointee will have:

• A doctoral qualification (PhD) in a discipline relevant to the study of AI in the cultural, audiovisual and creative sectors (for example media and communication studies, digital humanities, cultural policy, science and technology studies, computational social science, or a cognate field)
• An emerging independent research profile, including a record of peer‑reviewed publications commensurate with career stage.

Knowledge and Skills

• Demonstrated expertise in quantitative and comparative (cross-national) research methods, including cross-cultural survey design and administration (e.g. TRAPD or equivalent translation protocols), quantitative data analysis, qualitative and comparative case study analysis, and mixed-methods approaches, with proficiency in statistical analysis software (e.g. Stata or SPSS).
• Substantive knowledge of the adoption and impact of artificial intelligence in the cultural and creative industries, with particular relevance to the audiovisual sector and/or the GLAM sector.
• Demonstrated capacity to provide methodological oversight across a multi-partner research programme and to ensure consistency and rigour across distributed data collection.
• Proven ability to synthesise empirical findings into policy-relevant outputs, including sector recommendations and policy papers.
• Familiarity with AI governance and digital and cultural policy debates at European and international levels.
• A strong record of high-quality research outputs, including peer-reviewed publications commensurate with career stage.
• Experience working in interdisciplinary, cross-sectoral and international research environments.
• Demonstrated capacity to support the coordination of research activities and to contribute to competitive grant applications.
• Familiarity with European research and innovation frameworks (e.g. Horizon Europe).
• Demonstrated experience with GDPR-compliant research data management, and with research ethics and data protection processes in cross-national studies.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English (C1 level); working proficiency in Italian (B2–C1 level) is desirable.

Specific Requirements

• Valid and current EU work rights
• The role is on-site in Prato, Italy
• Excellent written and verbal English (C1); working proficiency in Italian (B2–C1) is desirable
• Willingness to undertake domestic and international travel (mainly within Europe) for consortium meetings, fieldwork, workshops and dissemination
• Availability for additional hours during peak research and reporting periods

Languages ENGLISH Level Excellent

Additional Information

• 3-year fixed-term, full-time appointment
• Based at Monash's Prato campus, in the historic centre of Prato, Tuscany
• A leading role in a Horizon Europe project with an eleven-partner international consortium including UNESCO, TU Delft and the University of Edinburgh
• Close links with Monash University in Melbourne and its global research network
• An inclusive, collaborative workplace committed to equity, diversity and inclusion

Eligibility criteria

Applicants must hold a PhD in a relevant discipline and have valid and current EU work rights. MUERF welcomes applications from people of all cultural and linguistic backgrounds, people with disabilities, neurodivergent people, people of all genders and sexualities, and candidates across a wide range of ages and life experiences.

MUERF is committed to an inclusive, respectful and accessible recruitment process. If you need reasonable adjustments to support your application or your participation in the selection process, please contact us for a confidential discussion. Employment is contingent on satisfactory completion of any pre-employment and background checks required for the role, in line with MUERF policies and Italian regulatory requirements.

Additional comments

Enquiries: Dr Matteo Dutto, Senior Manager, Research and Research Fellow, MUERF – [e-mail] . The full Position Description is available via the application link.

Number of offers available 1 Company/Institute Monash University European Research Foundation ETS Country Italy State/Province Prato City Prato Postal Code 59100 Street Via Pugliesi, 26 Geofield