Research Fellow

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

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