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Birmingham Law School

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Fixed salary of £51,602

Grade: 7 (Spot)

Full Time, Fixed Term contract up to August 2029

Closing date: 31st January 2026

UK and International travel will be required for this role

The role will be salaried as an Early Career Researcher and will include a fully funded PhD studentship as part of the appointment.

This post forms part of an international multi-site programme with the title: Sociology of Authoritarian Law: Insights from Central Asia (SOCIAL), which is based at the University of Lund. It is funded under the auspices of the Horizon Europe MarieSk ł odowska‑Curie Doctoral Networks. The Principal Investigator at Birmingham University is Prof Chris Thornhill (Law). This post is focused on the analysis of Security Narratives & Legal Change in Central Asia, and the appointee will examine how some security discourses—such as counterterrorism and digital surveillance—drive constitutional and legal reforms in authoritarian regimes. The research will study how, in some contexts, law is instrumentalized to expand executive power and suppress dissent.

The appointee will create and contribute to the creation of knowledge by undertaking a specified range of activities within an established research programme.

• Work within specified research grants and projects and contribute to writing bids
• Operate within area of specialism
• Analyse and interpret research findings and results
• Contribute to generating funding
• Contribute to licensing or spin out deals with demonstrated commercial success (such as revenues, asset or company sales, IP generated) and/or public understanding of the discipline or similar

The responsibilities may include some but not all of the responsibilities outlined below.

• Develop research objectives and proposals for own or joint research, with assistance of a mentor if required
• Contribute to writing bids for research funding
• Analyse and interpret data
• Apply knowledge in a way which develops new intellectual understanding
• Disseminate research findings for publication, research seminars etc
• Supervise students on research related work and provide guidance to PhD students where appropriate to the discipline
• Contribute to developing new models, techniques and methods
• Undertake management/administration arising from research
• Contribute to Departmental/School research-related activities and research-related administration
• Contribute to enterprise, business development and/or public engagement activities of manifest benefit to the College and the University, often under supervision of a project leader
• Collect research data; this may be through a variety of research methods, such as scientific experimentation, literature reviews, and research interviews
• Present research outputs, including drafting academic publications or parts thereof, for example at seminars and as posters
• Provide guidance, as required, to support staff and any students who may be assisting with the research
• Deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines
• The successful candidates will be required to work in a team, to travel to conferences and network training events, and to take part in an academic and non-academic secondment abroad
• All Doctoral Candidates are required to undertake two secondments abroad, one academic and one non-academic, of between two and six months duration
• Promotes equality and values diversity acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture

Fully Funded MSCA PhD Positions Essential Criteria for applicants:

• To be eligible, Doctoral Candidates must have obtained a degree which formally entitles them to start a doctorate, either in the country in which the degree was obtained or in the country in which the researcher is recruited
• In addition, Doctoral Candidates cannot have been awarded a doctoral degree and/or completed more than four years of full-time equivalent research experience
• Doctoral Candidates must not have resided or carried out their main activity (i.e. work, studies) in the hosting country for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately before the recruitment date
• The successful candidates will be required to work in a team, to travel to conferences and network training events, and to take part in an academic and non-academic secondment abroad
• All Doctoral Candidates are required to undertake two secondments abroad, one academic and one non-academic, of between two and six months duration

For further information on eligibility criteria and on Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Networks in general, please refer to: Doctoral Networks - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions .

University of Birmingham Essential skills and knowledge requirements:

• High level analytical capability
• Ability to communicate complex information clearly
• Fluency in relevant models, techniques or methods and ability to contribute to developing new ones
• Ability to assess resource requirements and use resources effectively
• Understanding of and ability to contribute to broader management/administration processes
• Contribute to the planning and organising of the research programme and/or specific research project
• Co-ordinate own work with others to avoid conflict or duplication of effort
• Knowledge of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010, and how to actively ensure in day to day activity in own area that those with protected characteristics are treated equally and fairly

Prospective applicants should submit an online application including the following documents:

• Personal statement outlining how you meet the essential criteria listed in the job description. This can either be completed within the online application form or uploaded as a separate document
• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Research proposal indicating how you would contribute to the project within the parameters outlined above
• Transcript of grades

Informal enquiries to Chris Thornhill, email: c.j.thornhill@bham.ac.uk

We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website.