Join Our Research Team! @SMLabTO is Hiring a Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Anatoliy Gruzd
- Research Unit: Social Media Lab, Ted Rogers School of Management, Toronto Metropolitan University (Toronto, Canada)
- Position Supervisors: Anatoliy Gruzd and Philip Mai
- Contract Length: 1 year with the possibility of a 1-year extension
- Yearly Salary: $70-75k CAD per annum (based on experience) plus a comprehensive benefits package.
- Start Date: On-site – Fall 2026 or Winter 2027 – exact date negotiable
- Position Type: Postdoctoral Research Fellow
- Deadline Date: March 31, 2025; the review process will continue until the positions are filled.
The Social Media Lab at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) invites applications for a Postdoctoral Research Fellow. The successful candidate will join a vibrant and interdisciplinary research lab led by co-directors Anatoliy Gruzd (PhD) and Philip Mai (JD). We have a strong track record of preparing and placing our postdocs in relevant positions after a short one- or two-year stint in the lab. Many of our alumni have gone on to secure tenure-track positions in academia, government, or the private sector.
The Social Media Lab is a leading research laboratory in Canada dedicated to understanding the social and cultural implications of social media and related emerging technologies. Our team comprises scholars from various disciplines, including information science, communication studies, computer science, sociology, and psychology. We approach the analysis of social media and digital technology using various methods, including content analysis, network analysis, and machine learning.
THE OPPORTUNITY
As the Postdoctoral Research Fellow, you will have the opportunity to work on exciting and diverse projects and contribute to the development of innovative approaches for studying social media platforms. You will be a member of the Social Media Lab, headed by co-directors Dr. Anatoliy Gruzd, Canada Research Chair and Professor at the Ted Rogers School of Management, and Philip Mai, Executive Director and Senior Researcher.
The successful candidate will be required to work on-site at the Social Media Lab in Toronto, Canada. Your responsibilities will include investigating social media phenomena such as platform usage and adoption, the diffusion and amplification of mis- and disinformation narratives, and the proliferation of anti-social behaviours online in the context of digital activism and online participation. You will be responsible for developing and executing research plans, analyzing data, contributing to academic publications and conference presentations, and preparing and writing grants. You will also be expected to actively participate in the intellectual life of the lab by attending lab meetings, presenting your own work, and collaborating with other researchers associated with the lab.
We particularly welcome applicants who are interested in contributing to and have a demonstrable expertise in at least one of the following areas:
- This research stream takes a comprehensive, multi-platform look at how generative AI is reshaping the production and consumption of visual content on social media. The initiative asks three core questions: (i) How has the introduction of generative AI tools changed the creation, consumption, and circulation of images on social platforms? (ii) How do users engage with authentic versus AI-generated images, including content labelled “Created with AI”? (iii) Which social, platform-specific, or artifact-related factors influence the virality of AI-generated images? Visit the Deepfakes Tracker research portal for more details about this research stream.
- As part of the pan-Canadian “Migrant Integration in the Mid-21st Century” initiative led by Toronto Metropolitan University, this research stream examines the digital landscape of narratives and public discourse targeting immigrants and immigration policies. The project specifically examines how toxic, anti-social behaviour on social media shapes societal attitudes toward immigrants and refugees.
REQUIREMENTS:
- PhD (awarded within five years) in a relevant field such as information science, computer science, communication, applied sociology, political science, psychology, statistics, or related disciplines
- Experience in collecting and analyzing social media data
- Expertise in one or more areas of computational social science (such as machine learning, social network analysis, or natural language processing) is highly desirable
- Excellent analytical and methodological skills
- Strong written and oral communication skills
- Ability to work independently and in a collaborative team environment
- Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities
- Experience with programming languages commonly used in data analysis, such as Python or R (preferred but not required)
HOW TO APPLY:
To apply, please submit the following materials to: in...@socialmedialab.ca
- A cover letter outlining your research interests and how they relate to the work of the Social Media Lab
- A CV
- Names of two references and
- Use subject line: SML Posdoc 2026
The deadline date is March 31, 2025. Review of applications will continue until the position is filled. Reference checks will be conducted with short-listed candidates.
INSTITUTIONAL BACKGROUND:
The Social Media Lab is an internationally engaged interdisciplinary research laboratory at the Ted Rogers School of Management in Toronto, Canada. The Lab studies how social media and other emerging digital technologies, such as Generative AI, are changing the ways in which people and organizations communicate, disseminate information, conduct business and form communities online, and how these changes impact society. The aim of the lab’s various research initiatives is to advance the public’s understanding of the benefits and pitfalls of social media adoption. The Lab was established in 2010 and is the first of its kind in North America. The Lab attracts a diverse range of outstanding multidisciplinary scholars from around the world each year. It is a leader in social media studies and the founder of the International Conference on Social Media and Society (#SMSociety). The Lab is led by co-directors Anatoliy Gruzd (PhD) and Philip Mai (JD).
Ted Rogers School of Management is home to over 13,000 students and more than 200 industry-connected faculty, the Ted Rogers School of Management in Canada’s leading diverse, entrepreneurial business school centered in an urban learning environment. TRSM offers 14 undergraduate programs, the Ted Rogers MBA, a Master of Health Administration, a Master of Science in Management, and a new PhD in Management. TRSM is also home to 18 innovative research centres, institutes and labs, including the Social Media Lab.
Toronto Metropolitan University, with over 45,000 undergraduate and graduate students is located in the heart of one of the world’s most culturally and linguistically diverse urban centres. Research at Toronto Metropolitan is on a trajectory of success and growth, as evidenced by a doubling of externally funded research over the past 5 years. Longstanding partnerships with the community, industry, government, and professional practice drive research and innovation that address real-world problems.
At TMU, we firmly believe that equity, diversity and inclusion are integral to this path; our current academic plan outlines each as a core value, and we work to embed them in all that we do. We welcome those who have demonstrated a commitment to upholding the values of equity, diversity, and inclusion and will assist us in expanding our capacity for diversity in the broadest sense. In addition, to correct the conditions of disadvantage in employment in Canada, we encourage applications from members of groups that have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized, including First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples, Indigenous peoples of North America, Black-identified persons, other racialized persons, persons with disabilities, and those who identify as women and/or 2SLGBTQ+.