Research Fellow

at  University of Sussex

CONTRACT TYPE

Fixed Term Contract
About the role
We are looking to hire a postdoctoral researcher to work on a Leverhulme Trust funded project with Dr Jonathan Moss at the University of Sussex and Professor Nick Clarke at the University of Southampton. The project uses previously overlooked longitudinal qualitative data from the Mass Observation Archive (MOA) to answer a fundamental research question: how do political understandings develop over the life course? It follows various individuals who wrote for the Mass Observation Project from the early 1980s to the present day, tracing their political development – the development of their political understandings, interests, preferences, habits, and identities – and the role of events, material circumstances, and cultural frames in this development. In doing so, the project aims to contribute a fresh perspective on emerging age divisions and the development of ‘grey power’ in British politics.

We are seeking a social scientist or historian:

• To assist in managing the project.
• To collect qualitative material from the Mass Observation Archive at the University of Sussex.
• To assist in analysing this material using NVivo and biographical analysis.
• To participate in dissemination of findings via academic conferences and journal papers.

About you
The Research Fellow will have or be about to obtain* a PhD in Politics, History, or a related subject (thesis must be completed before commencement of employment). They will have experience in qualitative research methods, as well as British politics and/or modern British history. They will have excellent communication skills and proven capacity to write and present research papers in various academic formats.
About our School
Politics is a well-established and successful research-led department with a record of excellence in research assessment exercises and in teaching. The department is home to 20 faculty and around 600 students. We have a thriving Masters in Corruption and Governance course which recruits between 15-20 students per year, together an online distance learning version of the degree. The department is home to the internationally renowned Sussex European Institute and the Centre for the Study of Corruption, and also has research strengths in British politics, party politics, citizenship and migration, and various phenomena that challenge the existing political order such as populism, anti-politics and protest politics. In the most recent REF, 96% of the department’s outputs were regarded as either world-leading or internationally excellent and the department’s GPA rose from 2.90 in 2014 to 3.38 in 2021. We performed in the most recent NSS improving our scores in almost every category with 85% of respondents evaluating our teaching positively.
Why work here
Our university is situated off the A27, next to the beautiful South Downs where you will enjoy everything that our 150-acre campus has to offer. We are accessible by public transport; Falmer train station is a five-minute walk to campus and several bus stops are located within campus. We also have dedicated cycling paths and encourage our staff to use these with our offering of a cycle to work scheme.
Sussex is a renowned, multi-accredited, research-led International University and this is only possible because of the people that work here. Whether you are a member of Faculty, part of a Professional Services team or a Student, it’s our people that make us great and we want you to be part of that.
Find out about our equality, diversity and inclusion
Further Key Information
Please contact Dr Jonathan Moss (j.moss@sussex.ac.uk) for informal enquiries.
Applications should be accompanied by a full CV, a sample of writing, and the names of two academic references.
For full details and how to apply see our vacancies page.
The University of Sussex values the diversity of its staff and students, and we welcome applicants from all backgrounds.
The University requires that work undertaken for the University is performed in the UK.
February 25, 2025 5:59 PM

Please refer the Job description for details