eLC News

Aim: The Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (Open University of Catalonia, UOC) eLearn Center (eLC) is offering Research Fellowship positions for outstanding researchers from around the world to spend time at the center in Barcelona to work on their research interests in e-learning and interact with the eLC’s researchers and doctoral students.

Proposed areas: The 2010 call focuses specifically on:
- Faculty and students’ managing, making the most of and regulating their time in online educational environments, especially, via mobile devices.
- Immersive environments and emerging technologies, tools and platforms in the framework of open social learning.
- Leading and organizing e-learning, paying special attention to sustainable and effective integration of ICTs in higher education.

Eligibility: Applicants must have a distinguished record of research and innovation in at least one of the proposed areas. They must currently hold a position at a university or research center. They must be fluent in English and/or Spanish (spoken and written). Knowledge of Catalan is not necessary but is a valued skill.

Length of stay: eLC Research Fellows will stay at the center for between 3 and 12 months, starting at any time between 15 September and 31 October 2010.

Value of the grant: Upon appointment as eLC Research Fellows, the UOC will provide compensation equivalent to ⅔ of the current gross salary received by the applicant in their home institution for the duration of their appointment. Therefore, applicants should indicate the amount of their salary when submitting their application. The UOC will cover the cost of one round trip between the current location of the appointed Fellow and Barcelona (economy class). The UOC will provide assistance in finding housing for appointed Fellows, although no housing allowance is available.

How to apply: Applicants should supply their complete CV, 3 letters of recommendation from experts in the proposed areas, and a brief research project (5 pages maximum) describing their intended activity in Barcelona. If selected, they should be prepared to be in full-time residence at the eLearn Center in Barcelona and participate in the seminars and research meetings at the center, while pursuing their own research project. A letter of intention motivating the application should be included in the file. Files should be sent to elearncenter@uoc.edu.

Closing date: The deadline for receiving applications is 15 May 2010.

Results: Successful applicants will receive notification of their appointment by 31 May 2010.

About the eLearn Center, UOC: The eLearn Center (eLC) is the center for research, innovation and training in e-learning at the UOC. It fosters research on e-learning with an interdisciplinary and practice-oriented approach. The eLearn Center is located in Barcelona and led by Professor Begoña Gros, alongside a distinguished faculty.
The UOC is an entirely internet-based, fully accredited university operating from Barcelona and serving over 40,000 students worldwide. The UOC has a doctoral program on the Information and Knowledge Society led by Professor Manuel Castells, and will be launching a second doctoral program on e-learning in 2011, which is to be led by Professor Elena Barberà and promoted by the eLearn Center.

For any further information, please write to elearncenter@uoc.edu.