University of Birmingham Calls for a Research Fellow in African Studies (paid position with a starting salary range of £34,980 to £44,263): Apply Now!!

Position Details

School of History and Cultures

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £34,980 to £44,263

As this vacancy has limited funding the maximum salary that can be offered is Grade 7, salary £44,263

Full Time, Fixed Term contract up to July 2026. Contract for 18 months starting in January 2025.

Closing date: 27th May 2024

Background

We seek a research fellow in African Studies to contribute to our research environment and teaching for 18 months. The Fellow will engage in a programme of research agreed with their mentor. This post is funded by an endowment that enables members of staff at sub-Saharan African Universities to spend a period of time at the University of Birmingham. The post is therefore limited to applicants currently based on the African continent and affiliated with an African Higher Education Institution.

Role Summary

• Focus on high quality research and publications in African Studies within the arts, humanities, or social sciences.
• Regional expertise on any area of Sub-Saharan Africa or its diaspora. Candidates with expertise on Ghana are particularly encouraged to apply. We welcome applications from scholars focused on contemporary or historical periods.
• Contribute to the research environment of the Department and wider School and University.
• Analyse and interpret research findings and results.
• Engage with Undergraduate and Postgraduate teaching as appropriate.

Main Duties

The responsibilities may include some but not all of the responsibilities outlined below.

• Develop research objectives and proposals for own or joint research, with assistance of a mentor if required
• Contribute to writing bids for research funding
• Analyse and interpret data
• Apply knowledge in a way which develops new intellectual understanding
• Disseminate research findings for publication, research seminars etc
• Supervise students on research related work and provide guidance to PhD students where appropriate to the discipline
• Contribute to Departmental/School research-related activities and research-related administration
• Contribute to enterprise, business development and/or public engagement activities of manifest benefit to the College and the University, often under supervision of a project leader
• Collect research data; this may be through a variety of research methods, such as field research, literature reviews, and research interviews
• Present research outputs, including drafting academic publications or parts thereof, for example at seminars
• Provide guidance, as required, to support staff and students
• Deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines
• Up to six hours of teaching and/or assessment related work per week, which may include designing and delivering a taught module.
• Promote equality and value diversity, acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture.
• Contribute to developing new models, techniques and methods

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Person Specification

Essential

• Currently based on the African continent and employed by or affiliated with an African Higher Education Institution.
• Candidates must EITHER not currently hold a permanent academic position OR submit, with their application, a statement confirming that they will be released by their home institution for the period of their appointment at the University of Birmingham.
• A doctorate examined and passed between 1 September 2018 and 1 April 2024. (Candidates whose thesis has been submitted and are awaiting examination are not eligible to apply.)
• A record of research and publications appropriate to the level of post-doctoral experience.
• The ability to construct a convincing and achievable research and publication proposal in the field of African Studies.
• Ability to contribute to undergraduate and Masters’ level teaching in African Studies.
• Knowledge of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010, and how to actively ensure in day to day activity in own area that those with protected characteristics are treated equally and fairly

Desirable

• Experience of collaborative research activity, including through participation in large research projects and meeting deadlines.
• An awareness of current policy issues and contacts with civil society organisations.

Applicants should include a full CV, a cover letter detailing their skills and experience, a research proposal covering the period of the Fellowship, a writing sample of up to 10,000 words (a published article or book chapter, or a chapter of an unpublished PhD dissertation), and the details of two referees.

Informal enquiries to Dr Jessica Johnson email:  [email protected].

View our staff values and behaviours here

You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website.