This post is for a Research Associate to work with Professor Fieldhouse and Professor Gibson to prepare a large grant application on Democracy and Representation in the Digital Age for submission in 2023. We are looking for an enthusiastic and talented Research Associate with a PhD on a topic relevant to the focus of the grant, who has strong skills in reviewing and synthesising literature and critically engaging with theoretical and empirical sources.
The Research Associate will be responsible for gathering, reviewing and synthesising existing research on the current state of democracy in the 21st century and particularly the challenges and opportunities it faces in light of the digitization of everyday life. This work will produce three main outputs. The first will be a grant proposal for an ESRC Research Centre, focusing on how democracy and representation in the UK is being transformed by adaptation to the digital and online world. The second will be a longer length academic review paper of the literature around the threats and opportunities that digital technologies pose for liberal Democracy. This will be developed for submission to a peer reviewed international scholarly journal. Third, the RA will help to organise and participate in a series of workshops with UK and international researchers and policy makers which will focus on drawing up a roadmap or ‘blueprint’ for future research on this topic.
The post is an excellent opportunity to help to build a wide-ranging, interdisciplinary national and international network of academics, policy makers and practitioners. The post-holder will develop their expertise on issues relevant to understanding democracy in the digital era, from multiple disciplinary and stakeholder perspectives. They will have opportunities to hone their skills in literature review and synthesis, knowledge exchange and communication with non-academic audiences.
The successful candidate will be able to engage across disciplinary boundaries, working with social scientists, technologists, and data scientists. They will have an interest in the study of democratic systems, representation and digital communication, expertise in quantitative and/or qualitative methods, and a PhD in a relevant area, such as Political Science Sociology, Psychology, Public administration, Education and Digital Literacy, Digital Humanities, Computer science, Data Science, Mathematics and AI.
The Research Associate will be based in the Cathie Marsh Institute for Social Research (CMI) in the School of Social Sciences at the University of Manchester. The post-holder will report directly to the PI (Professor Gibson). The team will actively promote the RA’s development by encouraging her/his involvement in the wider project and department activities as well as sharing authorship of research outputs.
As an equal opportunities employer we welcome applicants from all sections of the community regardless of age, sex, gender (or gender identity), ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation and transgender status. All appointments are made on merit.
Our University is positive about flexible working – you can find out more here
Blended working arrangements may be considered
Please note that we are unable to respond to enquiries, accept CVs or applications from Recruitment Agencies.
Enquiries about the vacancy, shortlisting and interviews:
Name: Professor Ed Fieldhouse / Professor Rachel Gibson
Email: ed.fieldhouse@manchester.ac.uk / Rachel.gibson@manchester.ac.uk
General enquiries:
Email: People.Recruitment@manchester.ac.uk
Technical support:
https://jobseekersupport.jobtrain.co.uk/support/home
This vacancy will close for applications at midnight on the closing date.
Please see the link below for the Further Particulars document which contains the person specification criteria.
