Postdoctoral in Interdisciplinary Concert Research at the School of Culture and Society, Aarhus University

The research project CLAPS at the School of Culture and Society, Faculty of Arts, Aarhus University (AU), invites applications for a 30-months fixed-term postdoctoral position in Interdisciplinary Concert Research.

The appointment begins on 1 September 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter.
Workplace: Jens Chr. Skous Vej 7, 8000 Aarhus C.

Research context
We are looking for an innovative researcher with a background in music cognition, psychology, music technology, or musical data science, ideally with a specialisation in experimental concert research and/or collection and analysis of continuous audiovisual or physiological data.

The successful candidate will play a crucial role in the Collective Applause in the Symphonic Concert Hall (CLAPS) research project, led by Associate Professor Niels Chr. Hansen. They will join the newly established Cognitive Musicology and Performance Science Lab (CoMPS), co-located at Aarhus University (AU) and The Royal Academy of Music Aarhus/Aalborg (RAMA).

CLAPS utilizes cutting-edge camera and microphone technology along with insights from social and experimental psychology to exploit applause behavior as a hitherto untapped data source for investigating the socio-cognitive mechanisms of live music appreciation. Via systematic video recordings and questionnaire surveys of audience behavior during three full concerts seasons with ASO, we aim to understand how and why audiences express enthusiasm through collective applause in the classical concert hall. Later stages of the project involve smaller-scale concert experiments with advanced music performance students from RAMA.

The official place of work will be The Nobel Park on AU’s Aarhus campus, but due to the radically interdisciplinary nature of the project, the candidate will be expected to be present several days of the week in Musikhuset Aarhus in the city centre. Musikhuset Aarhus is Scandinavia’s largest concert hall complex, housing, amongst others, Aarhus Symphony Orchestra (ASO) and RAMA.

Other key project collaborators include colleagues from RITMO Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Rhythm, Time and Motion at University of Oslo (Norway) and Centre of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body, & Brain at University of Jyväskylä (Finland). The successful candidate will be expected to partake in one or more joint research visits to these two leading Nordic music research centers.
CLAPS is funded via a Sapere-Aude DFF-Research Leader starting grant from Independent Research Fund Denmark awarded to the Principal Investigator.

The position
The successful applicant will be expected to:

• Collaborate on–and possibly take a lead on–the following project-related tasks:
  • Establishing an efficient and robust pipeline for collecting video, audio, survey, and contextual data from weekly concerts in Symphonic Hall, Musikhuset Aarhus
  • Developing applause-based candidate metrics of live concert experiences
  • Devising new research questions and experimental hypotheses that can be answered and tested using our rich, multidimensional concert data
  • Identify musical and contextual factors that predict the magnitude and spatiotemporal dynamics of applause behavior
• Mentor research assistants, thesis students, and interns as needed in collaboration with the project PI
• Present their research at international conferences
• Publish their findings in international, peer-reviewed journals in a timely fashion
• Share project-related code and data in open-access formats, in compliance with ethical principles and the General Data Protection Regulation
• Assist with the organization of research workshops, guest visits, and other hosted activities
• Exchange knowledge with various sectors of society and contribute actively to public debate in areas related to the position
• Contribute to grant applications for further research funding

The successful applicant will also be expected to participate actively, constructively, and kindly in the academic life of CoMPS and the School as a whole. In addition, they are expected to engage with a wider academic community and to continue their development as an internationally competitive researcher.

The benefits of the position include:

• Playing a key role in building a new, dynamic – and world-class – performance science research environment based on strong principles of kind, inclusive, and flexible leadership
• Attaining high levels of independence and authority over one’s tasks, timelines, and processes
• Appointment in accordance with the collective labor agreement between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations.

Should you have any doubts or require further information, Associate Professor Niels Chr. Hansen ([email protected]) is available for informal discussions regarding the potential fit for the position.

Application
Applicants must submit:

• A cover letter stating their relevant experience and motivation for applying for the position and how they can contribute to the CLAPS project goals
• A CV and a full list of publications
• A maximum of two publications for assessment
• Certificates/Diplomas.

The university is keen for its staff to reflect the diversity of society and thus welcomes applications from all qualified applicants regardless of their personal background.

Qualifications and selection process
Applicants for this position must hold a PhD or equivalent degree in Psychology, Musicology, Music Technology, or a related field with relevance to the overall project aims.
In their submitted material, applicants must document (essential):

• Doctoral-level experience in developing robust experimental designs, conducting data processing and statistical analysis, and handling high-dimensional research data to a high scientific standard
• Knowledge of the most common musical terms and practices
• Mastering relevant programming language(s) (such as Python or R) for processing large-scale, quantitative research data
• An international research profile
• Fluency in written and spoken English
• Evidence of team-playing skills and ability to collaborate productively, collegially, and respectfully across disciplines, professions, and cultural backgrounds

If relevant, applicants should aim to highlight any (beneficial):

• Hands-on experience with experimental concert research
• Own musical performance training, skills, or experience
• Other technical knowhow with relevance to CLAPS (or other CoMPS activities)

The applicant’s research activities will be evaluated in relation to the actual research time. We therefore encourage applicants to specify any periods of leave they may have had without research activities (e.g., maternity/paternity leave), so we can subtract these periods from the span of their academic career when evaluating their productivity.
Please upload a maximum of two publications alongside your application. Only submitted publications will be assessed; a list of publications is not sufficient. As a result, applications without submitted publications will not be assessed.
Professional references or recommendations should not be included. Applicants who are selected for an interview may be asked to provide professional references.
The application must be submitted in English.

For further information about the position, please contact Associate Professor Niels Chr. Hansen ([email protected]).
For further information about the application procedure, please contact HR supporter Gerd Bech Thomsen ([email protected]).

International applicants
International applicants are encouraged to check Family and work-life balance and Attractive working conditions for further information about the benefits of working at Aarhus University and in Denmark, including healthcare, paid holidays and, if relevant, maternity/paternity leave, childcare and schooling. Aarhus University offers a broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including a relocation service and career counselling for expat partners. For information about taxation, see Taxation aspects of international researchers’ employment by AU.

The work environment
The Interacting Minds Centre (IMC) at Aarhus University provides a transdisciplinary platform to study human interaction. It involves researchers from the humanities, social sciences, cognitive sciences, biology, and clinical research. Because it is through interactions that humans construct worlds that are at once physical, economic, symbolic, and normative, IMC researchers bridge the three related topics of Cognition, Communication, and Choice, making the center a unique methodological and theoretical powerhouse of interdisciplinary research and inquiry.

Royal Academy of Music Aarhus/Aalborg (RAMA) is a state institution under the Danish Ministry of Culture, offering the highest level of education within the three main areas of jazz/pop, classical, and electronic music. RAMA has campuses in Aarhus, Aalborg, and Holstebro and organizes ~500-600 concerts every year.

Aarhus Symphony Orchestra (ASO) is one of Denmark’s five regional symphony orchestras committed to offering high-quality concert experiences to a broad audience in the wider Aarhus area. ASO performs concerts nearly every week, and with an ever-expanding array of innovative concert formats and public outreach activities, ASO reaches an audience of 80,000+ people annually, including upwards of 15,000 schoolchildren. The orchestra actively strives to bring classical music to more diverse populations and have long-lasting effects on everyone who hears them.

The School of Culture and Society
At the School of Culture and Society, the object of research and teaching is the interplay between culture and society in time and space:

• From the traditional disciplines of the humanities and theology to applied social research
• From Antiquity to the issues facing contemporary societies
• From local questions to global challenges

The school’s ambition is to produce compelling research with an international resonance and to offer teaching and talent development of the highest quality. The school has a broad cooperative interface with society as a whole, both in Denmark and abroad, and contributes to social innovation, research communication and further and continuing education.
For further information about the school, please see School of Culture and Society - Aarhus University (au.dk).

The application must be submitted via Aarhus University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aarhus University's website.