Policy Impact Fellow Educational Equity

Salary: Full time starting salary is normally in the range £34,980 to £44,263 with potential progression once in post to £46,974. Grade 7

Contract Type: The position is fixed-term for 1 year

Closes: 30th May 2024

University of Birmingham Educational Equity Initiative 

The University of Birmingham has established an Educational Equity Initiative to act as a hub for education institutions, government agencies, community groups and employers to work together to create more equitable learning pathways across the life-course. 

Its purpose is to generate a step-change in understanding of, and approaches to, educational equity, leading to better outcomes for people from disadvantaged and marginalised backgrounds, and the communities in which they live and work. 

Led by Professor Julie Allen and Professor Chris Millward, the Educational Equity Initiative is recruiting a Policy Impact Fellow to support its work. The position is fixed-term for 2 years at Grade 7 on the Academic & Research scale. 

The purpose of the role is to create and contribute to the creation of knowledge by undertaking a specified range of research and policy-related activities within the EEI programme. This will particularly involve work with the EEI research team and partners across the School of Education, the College of Social Sciences and the wider University of Birmingham to make connections between their research and policy makers, stimulate dialogue between researchers, practitioners and government on education policy, produce research informed briefings on education policy and develop strategies for research impact.

Role Summary

Operating within the specified research programme of the EEI and drawing on their own research specialism, the Fellow will:

• Contribute to generating funding, including through writing of funding bids
• Analyse and interpret research findings and results 
• Support public understanding, policy engagement and other forms of knowledge exchange 
• Design and organise research and policy related events, briefings

Working with the direction of Professor Allan, the post-holder will make substantial contributions to research impact relating to educational equity across the life-course

Main Duties

To plan and carry out research, using appropriate methodology and techniques. This may include, where appropriate to the discipline:

• Develop research objectives and proposals for joint research, under supervision from the EEI leads
• Contribute to public and policy engagement activities, under supervision from the EEI leads, such as policy events and briefings
• Co-ordinate information gathering about research impact and the development of impact case studies
• 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
• Contribute to developing new models, techniques and methods 

Person Specification

• First degree in area of specialism and normally, a higher degree relevant to education equity research or equivalent qualifications
• 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 

Informal enquiries to Christopher Millward email: [email protected]  

To download the full job description and details of this position and submit an electronic application online please click on the 'Apply' button above.

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We value diversity and inclusion at the University of Birmingham and welcome applications from all sections of the community and are open to discussions around all forms of flexible working.