Call for Expression of Interest
I invite expressions of interest from outstanding candidates who may wish to join the FIS-2 project SOCIAL (“Social relations, digital technologies and wellbeing of older people”), PI: Bruno Arpino.
The project investigates how social relationships and digital technologies shape wellbeing in later life, with particular attention to family relations, digital inequalities, and the consequences of digitalization for older people’s social inclusion, autonomy, and quality of life. The research programme combines substantive theory-driven social-science questions with advanced quantitative and computational methods.
Depending on candidates’ profiles and on project needs, future official calls may concern 18-month research appointments in one or both of the following categories: postdoctoral research appointments, for candidates holding a PhD, and research appointments for early-career scholars, for candidates holding a master’s degree obtained no more than six years before the date of the official call.
The candidates’ profile
Candidates should show a strong interest in the substantive themes of the SOCIAL project and/or in the methodological tools required for its implementation. Expressions of interest are welcome from candidates trained in sociology, social gerontology, demography, statistics, data science, communication and media studies, digital studies, social policy, political science, or closely related fields.
We are particularly interested in candidates with expertise in one or more of the following methodological areas:
advanced statistical analysis, including longitudinal analysis, multilevel models, and causal inference;
machine learning and related computational approaches;
survey design, questionnaire development, data collection, and data management;
data visualization, reproducible workflows, and research programming.
We are also keen to receive expressions of interest from candidates with substantive expertise in one or more of the following areas:
sociology of the family and intergenerational relations;
social gerontology and ageing;
digital inequalities, digital media, communication, and platform use;
socio-demography and population studies;
social policies and welfare states;
wellbeing, social inclusion, and the social consequences of technological change.
Candidates should demonstrate the ability to work independently and as part of an interdisciplinary team. For postdoctoral appointments, a solid publication record in the areas mentioned above, appropriate to career stage, will be considered an asset. For research appointments aimed at early-career scholars, strong analytical skills and clear motivation to develop a research career will be especially valued.
The positions
At this stage, this call is intended only to collect expressions of interest from potentially suitable candidates. The information gathered will help the project team prepare future official calls expected, plausibly, in autumn 2026.
The envisaged appointments are expected to have a duration of 18 months. Depending on the type of official call eventually issued, the main eligibility requirements are expected to be:
Postdoctoral research appointments (“incarichi post-doc”): candidates should hold a PhD by the time of the official application.
Research appointments (“incarichi di ricerca”): candidates should hold a master’s degree obtained no more than six years before the date of the official application.
Successful candidates would be expected to contribute to the development of high-quality research outputs, collaborative project activities, and the broader intellectual life of the project.
How to express your interest
Interested candidates should send their application by 30 June 2026 to bruno.arpino@gmail.com with the subject line: EOI_social.
Applications should include:
an up-to-date CV including a complete list of publications;
a motivation letter of no more than two pages.
Requests for information may be sent to the same email address.
A preliminary evaluation of the expressions of interest received will be completed by 31 July 2026. Such evaluation will be exploratory and non-binding, and it will not replace or predetermine any formal selection procedure that may later be opened.
Please note that this is a call for expressions of interest only and not an official job vacancy announcement. Any formal job openings will be advertised separately in accordance with applicable regulations and procedures.
About the SOCIAL project
SOCIAL – Social relations, digital technologies and wellbeing of older people is a three-year research project funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research through the Italian Fund for Science – FIS-2 Advanced Grant scheme. The project runs from 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2028 and has a total budget of €2,068,275.
The project investigates how digitalisation is reshaping the social lives of older people, with a particular focus on inequalities in digital access, skills, confidence, and support. Rather than considering internet use as an individual behaviour only, SOCIAL examines how digital technologies are embedded in everyday relationships, care arrangements, support exchanges, and opportunities for participation in later life.
The project addresses three main research questions: who is included or excluded from digital participation in later life; how digital technologies affect social relations, family support, and access to services; and whether digital resources contribute to, or instead reinforce, inequalities in wellbeing among older adults. A key aim is to understand the conditions under which digital technologies become a resource for autonomy, social participation, and wellbeing, and when they may instead generate new forms of dependency or exclusion.
SOCIAL combines the analysis of existing national and cross-national datasets with the collection of new primary data in Italy. A central component of the project is a nationally representative face-to-face survey of older adults in Italy, designed to collect detailed information on social networks, family relations, digital technology use, digital skills and attitudes, support exchanges, access to services, and multiple dimensions of health and wellbeing. By integrating secondary data analysis with new survey evidence, the project will provide an empirically grounded assessment of how social and digital inequalities intersect in ageing societies.