Research Fellow in Anti-Autocratic Messaging Ref: 42236 (Fixed Term)

University of Sussex; Brighton; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading research university is seeking a Research Fellow in Anti-Autocratic Messaging to contribute to a project funded by the European Research Council. This role involves designing and analyzing surveys, co-authoring academic papers, and impacting policy through research. The ideal candidate will have a PhD in political science, experience in quantitative methods, and a strong interest in political messaging and anti-autocratic movements. The position offers opportunities for growth and a collaborative work environment.

Qualifications

• Experience with submissions for funding applications.
• Proficiency in generating content for public engagement.
• Experience in research coordination or mentorship.

Responsibilities

• Design, place and analyze surveys and experiments.
• Co-author papers for publication in political science journals.
• Contribute to follow-on funding applications.

Skills

Advanced quantitative research methods

Survey experiments

Public opinion analysis

Political messaging

Discourse studies

Ideology studies

Education

PhD in political science or a related subject

Job description

Research Fellow in Anti-Autocratic Messaging Ref: 42236 (Fixed Term)

Brighton, UK

Hours

Full time, 37.5 hours. Requests for flexible working options will be considered (subject to business need).

Grade 7 .1 £38,784 per annum, pro rata if part time.

Contract Type

Fixed Term Contract

About the role

NEWREPUBLIC is a research project funded by the European Research Council. It will investigate two urgent questions of our times: what ideas animate anti-autocratic movements, and how effective are these ideas as messages for persuading and mobilising against autocracy? As the Research Fellow in Anti-Autocratic Messaging, you will play a central role in that project alongside the principal investigator, two PhD students and a project officer. The project will involve placing three nationally-representative surveys in three African countries, each with a built-in survey experiment. You will work closely with the principal investigator to design, place and analyse the results of those surveys and experiments. You will co-author papers stemming from this research, for publication in the most highly-regarded political science journals. More widely, you will be pivotal to the success of NEWREPUBLIC. You will have opportunities to shape the project’s direction. You will play a key role in the core project activity of translating academic findings into impact. You will present at conferences, co-lead policy seminars, co-convene workshops and co-design follow-on research agendas. We hope to build an agenda beyond this project, and extend your role in it. You will contribute to that agenda by co-developing follow-on funding applications.

The ideal candidate will want to put the animating ideas of anti-autocratic movements, and the effectiveness of those ideas as messages, at the heart of their research agenda, for the duration of the project, and for years to come.

• You will have a PhD in political science or a closely related subject.
• You will have a track record of publications in highly-ranked peer-reviewed journals, commensurate with career-stage, which utilise advanced quantitative research methods.
• You will have expertise in survey experiments and public opinion analysis.
• You will have expertise in political messaging, political behaviour, discourse studies, and/or ideology studies.
• It would be advantageous if you had experience of submitting funding applications, presenting at academic conferences and generating content for public engagement
• It would be advantageous if you had expertise in African politics, US politics, autocratic politics, democratic resilience, and/or anti-autocratic movements.
• It would be advantageous if you had experience in research coordination, supervision, and/or mentorship.

About ourSchool

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.

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.

Please contact NEWREPUBLIC principal investigator, Dr. Dan Paget, at [e-mail] for informal enquiries.

Please submit a cover letter of no more than two pages, a CV, and a writing sample of no more than 10,000 words.

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.

Visa Sponsorship Queries: This role has been assigned an eligible SOC code and meets the salary requirements for Skilled Worker Sponsorship if full time and appointed at Grade 7.4. Please consult our Skilled Worker Visa information page for further information about Visa Sponsorship.

If you are experiencing any issues using our application portal or if you require adjustments to be made to the selection process, please contact us on [phone] or [e-mail] to discuss your requirements.