Post-Doctoral Researcher (38-2019)
| Hours per week: Full Time, 35 hours per week |
| Contract Type: Fixed Term (24 months) |
| Grade: Grade 7 |
| Salary: £36159 to £41196 per annum |
| Closing Date: 23.59 hours GMT on Thursday 05 December 2019 |
| Interview Date: 03/01/2020 |
Who We Are
The Institute of Development Studies (IDS) is a global leading institution for research, teaching and learning, and impact and communications, based at the University of Sussex. We are ranked first in the world for development studies by the QS University Rankings, together with the University of Sussex. We are also ranked best international development policy think tank.
Our Vision
Our vision is of equal and sustainable societies, locally and globally, where people everywhere can live their lives free from poverty and injustice. We contribute to this by transforming the knowledge, action and leadership needed through our world-class research, learning and teaching.
Our Values
We aim to ensure that our core values based on respect, resourcefulness, excellence and inclusivity are reflected in the environment we work in.
Our Commitments
• Upholding climate and environmental justice
• Reducing extreme inequities
• Fostering healthy and fulfilling lives
• Nurturing inclusive, democratic and accountable societies
Our Priorities
• Collaborate across sciences, sectors and communities to do research that brings about progressive change
• Build future leadership for development
• Champion the use of evidence for social and environmental justice
• Work with partners to expand international research and mutual learning networks for development
• Create a sustainable, resilient and equitable institution.
For more information go to: www.ids.ac.uk
Job Description
Overall purpose of the role:
Post-doctoral research posts at IDS provide the opportunity for recent PhD graduates to develop further research experience, in collaboration with more senior colleagues. This is seen as a transitional position between a PhD and a longer-term research career. The position should also provide opportunity for the Post-doctoral post holder to write and publish, either collaboratively with others, or drawing from their own work, but the time and structure of this will depend on the nature of the funding for the post.
The post-doctoral Researcher will undertake an agreed programme of work, normally over a two year period, suitable to their funding source. This particular post involves a post-doctoral research position in the project titled ‘Sustaining Power: Women’s struggles against backlash in contemporary South Asia’, an ESRC-funded five year project. He or she will also contribute to the development of new research projects, and may also undertake consultancy assignments directly related to their area of expertise.
The SuPWR project aims to understand the strategies and mechanisms through which women’s movements are able to retain power and sustain gains against backlash and counter attacks. This is especially pertinent to capture in the South Asian context of deep patriarchal structures and persistent gender inequalities, yet also containing activism and a diversity of on-going and highly contentious women’s struggles. Accordingly, the project will examine 16 cases of women’s struggles across four countries: Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan; working collaboratively with these struggles to deliver contextualised and relevant knowledge that is co-constructed with women’s struggles and research partners. We will track normative and institutional change processes in four institutional spaces of struggle vital to the empowerment of women – family, community, market and the state. This research is particularly interested in women’s own understandings of power and struggle in these four institutional spaces, and how these change over time. The project’s work and ambit is deeply political, and the post-doctoral researcher will contribute to our conceptualisation of how power is gained, sustained and retained in the face of backlash, as well as creating learning opportunities across women’s struggles.
The work will be under the direction and line management of the Principal Investigator of this project. The line manager is responsible for induction, appraisal, support and ongoing management to support excellent performance, though these activities can be designated to other senior colleagues by agreement.
The line manager will support the Post-doctoral Researcher to achieve a programme of published work and in the second year of the post, to identify and pursue suitable future funding opportunities, building up independent fundraising skills. The income target is currently 192 days. In the event that funding at the expected level is not secured, a number of supportive steps will be followed, as set out in the RARO/PDR policy.
The Post-doctoral Researcher will also be a member of the Governance Cluster, whose leader and members can be expected to provide broader intellectual support, but who are not responsible for fundraising or career progression. The Governance research cluster works across a number of thematic areas that are focused on ensuring citizens are represented and governed fairly in a world of changing state authorities. Members of the cluster have an interest in the politics of public policy, tax and public finance management, gender and politics, decentralisation, democratisation and accountability.
Postdoctoral Researchers will have a ‘career progression review’ towards the end of their two years in post, conducted by a designated small group of IDS research leaders and managers, to take stock of performance and advise on career development prospects.
All post-doctoral Researchers are additionally welcome to take advantage of the Institute’s mentoring scheme.
Responsibilities
The responsibilities of the Postdoctoral Researcher include:
Research activities
Undertake a range of desk research, including carrying out literature reviews around women’s struggles, backlash and other background research activities in timely fashion to the agreed standard.
Undertake field-based research in the four project countries – Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan.
Maintain up to date knowledge of key literatures and methodologies on the relevant areas of research around women’s struggles.
Write up literature reviews, formal reports and other syntheses of projects, including web topic guides, issue papers and other documents as required in accordance with the agreed specifications.
Produce high quality publications, aiming at a minimum of one article-length piece during each year of the post-doctoral fellowship
Assist with managing projects in collaboration with hub staff and the relevant research leader, including budgets, timelines and outputs.
Networking and liaison
Build and maintain networks and relationships with clients, funders and partner organisations ini the four project countries.
Promote the work of the Institute both nationally and internationally.
Develop links with external contacts to foster collaboration and partnerships.
Communications
Work on all aspects of effective communication outputs, including social media, media interviews, and the production of high quality publications.
Teaching and Learning
Contribute to post-graduate teaching and the production of on-line teaching material as relevant.
Collegiality
The post-doctoral Researcher will be a member of the Governance Cluster and will have opportunities to participate in the activities of the wider cluster
Contribute to the strategic development of IDS, and taking part in IDS-wide discussions and debates
Carry out other IDS-related and ad hoc tasks as required
Contribute to the collegial life of IDS
Participate in cluster/department and Institute activities as required. Act as a responsible group member and develop productive working relationships with others
Funding
Depending on their main funding source and its expectations, the post doctoral Researcher will have opportunities to develop and seek funding for other research studies, including participating in and leading the development of new proposals.
Identify and pursue new funding sources.
Assist with, and increasingly, lead, the development and writing of bids and proposals
Build relationships which are likely to lead to funding
The Post Doctoral Researcher position is a fixed term position, normally for two years. It is normally fully funded in the first year and 75% funded in year two by which time individuals will be expected to start to diversify their funding and pursue funding opportunities. With support and training the aim is for the post doctoral researcher to develop their own portfolio of work. It is anticipated that for the right candidate this role will eventually lead to the possibility of application to a Fellowship position at IDS, subject to a vacancy arising and meeting the required standards as assessed by the Fellow Review and Promotion Board.
Person Specification
Skills and experience
| Selection Criteria Description | Essential [E] or Desirable [D] |
Assessed by * |
|
| Qualifications | |||
| • PhD in relevant discipline; • Demonstrate appropriate record of academic outputs |
E | A/I | |
| • Any training/ module in Gender Studies; Feminist theory | D | A/I | |
| Knowledge | |||
| • Broad, varied and in-depth knowledge of the theoretical and practical literature on women’s rights and gender justice • Fluency in spoken and written English • Strong grounding in the understanding of power (including your own positionality) |
E | A/I | |
| • Specific knowledge of literature on backlash and power struggles | D | A/I | |
| Experience | |||
| • Substantial work, research and/or programme/ fieldwork experience on developing countries or relevant roles • Research experience in South Asia • Experience of production of research outputs, demonstrated by appropriate record of working papers and reports. • Experience of designing and conducting a research study including secondary and primary research – involving primarily qualitative methods (including interviews, participatory tools and political economy analysis) • Experience of conducting fieldwork in isolated conditions • Experience of literature review and working with ‘grey literature’ • Experience of data management and analysis – including use of software such as Nvivo and Endnote/Zotero • Experience of writing for a variety of audiences – including academic (journals, book reviews) and non-academic (reports, papers, online material) |
E | A/I | |
| • Experience of quantitative research (including comparative research) • Experience in the development of research proposals • Experience of teaching at university level and development of teaching materials • Experience of turning research findings into policy-relevant outputs (eg policy briefings; effective communication or dissemination events or products) |
D | A/I | |
| Skills | |||
| • Excellent analytical, research methods (qualitative and quantitative) and writing skills, demonstrated by a record of projects, publications and reports • Ability to translate academic knowledge into policy and practice-relevant outputs • Strong organizational and time management skills, including the ability to manage a complex workload, and work with budgets. • Strong interpersonal skills, including: - Ability to work with researchers and women’s struggles from a variety of backgrounds and in a variety of contexts, including overseas - Ability to work collaboratively in multi-disciplinary and mixed skill teams (e.g. researchers and practitioners); - Skills in negotiation, problem-solving and decision-making – especially with partners |
E | A/I | |
| • Production of teaching materials for post-graduate students • Use of ICTs for dissemination of research methods and findings • Spoken and written communication abilities for a range of audiences • Language skills for working in South Asia (preferably a reasonable working grasp of spoken Hindi/ Urdu) |
D | A/I | |
| Attributes | |||
| • Self-motivated, goal-oriented, enthusiastic and entrepreneurial attitude • Demonstrated capacity for leadership and innovation in the field • Commitment to team and collaborative working • Problem-solving approach • Ability and initiative to work autonomously, with minimal supervision, in a fast-paced environment, working to rapid deadlines, with the ability to prioritise, communicate and manage • Passionate about women’s rights and gender justice • Sensitive and agile to be able to work with women’s struggles and research partners. |
E | A/I | |
Information to Candidates
Benefits At IDS we offer a number of additional benefits to staff. These include:
- a competitive salary, including cost of living awards and incremental increases on an annual basis as per policy and the option to join our pension scheme.
- interest free travel loans, following successful completion of a probationary period
- support in attainment of a relevant professional qualification in line with the Professional Development Policy
- childcare fund
- competitive maternity and paternity policies that offer compensation above the statutory minimum
- 24 days annual leave per year (pro-rata for part-time), plus public holidays and up to 6 non-negotiable closure days
- enhanced sickness pay entitlements
- support with relocation costs for staff joining us from outside the EU
- eligibility to use the University of Sussex gym and sporting facilities at staff rates
Location
The successful candidate will be based at the Institute of Development Studies on the University of Sussex campus. The University of Sussex is located 10 minutes away from the lively and cosmopolitan seaside city of Brighton on the UK South Coast, 60 minutes away from central London, 30 minutes away from London Gatwick Airport and is surrounded by the beautiful countryside of the Sussex South Downs. Situated between the sea and the South Downs, Brighton is one of the most vibrant and unique cities on the South Coast, for more information please go to http://www.visitbrighton.com/
How to apply
Please apply using the online application form.