Postdoctoral Research Associate (TWICEASGOOD)

Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences

This ERC H2020 funded part time (0.2FTE), 12 month post is available in the Department of Social and Political Sciences, Philosophy, and Anthropology to support the work of Susan Banducci. Start date is 1 June 2024 or as soon as possible thereafter.  

The post

The successful applicant will manage media (social and traditional) data and analysis. They would also support work on upcoming British national elections, analyse existing material from other in case study countries.  There may be additional related tasks during the period of appointment.

We are pleased to offer an opportunity for a Postdoctoral Research Associate to join the TWICEASGOOD project (Twice as Hard, Half as Good? Women Candidates’ Experience of Sexism on the Campaign Trail, an ERC Advanced grant funded by the European Research Council (101019284).

TWICEASGOOD, a five-year programme of research (2022-2027), aims to better understand how encounters of “everyday sexism” on the campaign trail, both online and offline and in the media, shape women’s campaign efforts and chances at electoral success.  

We are recruiting a research assistant with expertise in automated text analysis. We are open to and encourage applications from researchers from political science, anthropology, sociology, or other related social science disciplines. The research assistant would complement the expertise and language skills of the other researchers on the team, share expertise and explore new methods in collaborating with researchers from diverse backgrounds.  

The main purpose of the research assistant is to support data collection and analysis on the workpackage: Media, Sexism and Violence on the Campaign Trail. The research team, including the PDRF, will conduct, depending on expertise, either automated media analysis of campaign coverage or ethnographic fieldwork including interviews and participant observation. Central to the media analysis is capturing relevant campaign media coverage, processing and analysis using NLP and LLM.

Work is based in Exeter. The post is not suitable for job-sharing. 

About you

You will:

• possess a relevant PhD (or be nearing completion) or possess an equivalent qualification/experience in a related field of study
• be able to demonstrate sufficient knowledge in the discipline and of research methods and techniques to work within established research programmes

• be able to present information on research progress and outcomes, communicate complex information, orally, in writing and electronically and prepare proposals and applications to external bodies.

Please ensure you read the Job Description and Person Specification for full details of this role.

What we can offer you

• Freedom (and the support) to pursue your intellectual interests and to work creatively across disciplines to produce internationally exciting research
• Support teams that understand the University wide research and teaching goals and partner with our academics accordingly
• An Innovation, Impact and Business directorate that works closely with our academics providing specialist support for external engagement and development
• Our Exeter Academic initiative supporting high performing academics to achieve their potential and develop their career

• A beautiful campus set in the heart of stunning Devon

The University of Exeter

We are a member of the prestigious Russell Group of research-intensive universities and in the top 200 universities in the world (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024 and QS World University Ranking 2024).  We combine world-class teaching with world-class research, achieving a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework Award 2023, underpinned by Gold ratings for Student Experience and Student Outcomes.

Our world-leading research impact has grown more than any other Russell Group university in recent years, and we are home to some of the world’s most influential researchers, seeking to answer some of the most fundamental issues facing humankind today.  More than 99% of our research is of international quality and 47% is world-leading (2021 Research Excellence Framework).

We encourage proactive engagement with industry, business and community partners to enhance the impact of research and education and improve the employability of our students. Read about our world leading research – Green Futures and how we are transforming education for a changing world. We are located in a beautiful part of the country and Exeter (a fast growing tech hub) is one of only a few UK cities to have been designated as a UNESCO Creative City

Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Commitment

We are committed to ensuring reasonable adjustments are available for interviews and workplaces.

Whilst all applicants will be judged on merit alone, we particularly welcome applications from groups currently underrepresented within our working community. 

With over 30,000 students and 7,000 staff from 150 different countries we offer a diverse and engaging environment where our diversity is celebrated and valued as a major strength. We are committed to creating an inclusive culture where all members of our community are supported to thrive; where diverse voices are heard through our engagement with evidence-based charter frameworks for gender (Athena SWAN and Project Juno for Physics), race equality (Race Equality Charter Mark), LGBTQ+ inclusion (Stonewall Diversity Champion) and as a Disability Confident employer.

Further information

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Susan Banducci, [email protected]