Research Assistant

at  University of Glasgow

JOB PURPOSE

You will contribute to a collaborative and rights-based project focused on addressing the unmet legal needs of Gypsy Traveller communities in Scotland. This project, in partnership with Making Rights Real, seeks to empower Gypsy Traveller communities to identify their legal needs and co-create calls to action, particularly in anticipation of upcoming international human rights monitoring cycles.
Preliminary conversations with Making Rights Real and members of the Gypsy Traveller community have highlighted some of the profound challenges faced by these communities in Scotland. These include recurring themes of systemic discrimination, prejudice, and a pervasive sense of being unheard. The barriers to accessing justice are multifaceted, including racism, limited awareness of legal rights, and poor access to advice and legal representation.
The successful candidate will work closely with Professor Nicole Busby and Mr Cameron Wong McDermott in undertaking scoping research to identify and address the unmet legal needs of Gypsy Traveller communities in Scotland. This will involve supporting gap analysis and stakeholder mapping, capturing the lived experiences of community members, and co-designing solutions to improve access to justice. The research assistant will contribute to the formulation and submission of research publications and proposals, and will help manage and direct this complex and challenging project as opportunities allow.
By joining this project, you will contribute to the GO Justice Centre’s mission to drive social change through legal education and research, with a particular focus on empowering communities and individuals to use the law to access justice and achieve social and economic inclusion. To this end, you will play a role in supporting Cameron Wong McDermott in managing the work of a new Social Change Law Clinic. We anticipate that the Clinic will work towards producing a report that will serve as evidence for the Council of Europe Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, who will undertake evaluation of the UK’s compliance with the Convention in the first half of 2025.
This role will be part time (4 hours per week) and will therefore be of interest to postgraduate (LLM or PHD) or Diploma in Professional Legal Practice students.

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Perform the following activities in conjunction with and under the guidance of GO Justice staff:
1. Plan and conduct assigned research individually or jointly in accordance with the project deliverables and project/group/School/College research strategy.
2. Document research output including analysis and interpretation of all data, maintaining records and databases, drafting technical/progress reports and papers as appropriate.
3. Develop and enhance your research profile and reputation and that of The GO Justice Centre, including contributing to high quality reports and other publications, enhancing the research impact in terms of economic/societal benefit, and gathering indicators of esteem.
4. Contribute to the presentation of work at international and national conferences, at internal and external seminars, colloquia and workshops to develop and enhance our research profile.
5. Contribute to the identification of potential funding sources and to assist in the development of proposals to secure funding from internal and external bodies to support future research.
6. Collaborate with colleagues and participate in team/ group/ meetings/ seminars/ workshops across the GO Justice Centre, School of Law, College, University and wider community.
7. Perform administrative tasks related to the activities of the project, including Budgets/Expenditure.
8. Keep up to date with current knowledge and recent advances in the field of human rights and equality law.
9. Engage in continuing professional development activities as appropriate.
10. Undertake any other reasonable duties as required by GO Justice staff.
11. Contribute to the enhancement of the University’s international profile in line with the University’s Strategic Plan, Inspiring People Changing The World.