Postdoctoral Research Associate (Children of War)

Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS)

This Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) funded post is available from 1 March 2024 for 20 months to support the work of Professor Stacey Hynd.

The post is full time however, applications from candidates seeking 0.8FTE rather than full-time will also be considered.

This role offers the opportunity for hybrid working – some time on campus and some from home.

The post

You will form part of an international team of researchers working on the AHRC Standard Grant ‘Children of War: Evolving Local and Global Understandings of Child Soldiering in African Conflicts, c.1940-2000’. This project will deliver the first historical analysis of patterns of child soldiering in warfare in Africa, with key case studies being Uganda, Angola and DRC/Rwanda, and also of humanitarian responses to children’s involvement in conflict.

The post will support the research on the evolution of humanitarian and human rights actions against the recruitment and use of children and youth in armed conflict, in Africa and in global perspective. This will include research on local and international responses to child recruitment and militarization selected case study conflicts, selected depending on the candidate’s expertise, but with a particular interest in the Horn of Africa. The research will also cover disarmament, demobilisation, rehabilitation and reintegration programming and the development of international law relating to child soldiering.  

The post will include:

• Working as part of a research team to develop the project aims and activities
• Undertaking interdisciplinary literature reviews, in English and French
• Conducting archival research and oral interviews
• Writing academic and impact outputs, including both co- and single-authored articles
• Development of impact and public engagement activities, including project website and social media

This position is developmental for early career scholars, with mentoring and training to support the development of digital, impact and communications skills.  

Applications are particularly encouraged from scholars from the African continent and global South, and those of African or Global Majority descent.

About you

You will:

• possess a relevant PhD (or be near completion) or possess an equivalent qualification/experience in African or humanitarian history or 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 undertake research and collaboration in English. Knowledge of French and relevant African languages is also strongly desirable
• have experience of conducting and analysing oral history interviews, including undertaking the appropriate ethics approvals
• have experience of conducting and analysing archival research, in African and/or international archives
• have knowledge of historical or interdisciplinary studies on children and/or youth in Africa, with knowledge of children and/or youth in armed conflict or humanitarian emergencies strongly desirable. Awareness of gendered perspectives on children and youth is also welcome
• ideally have experience of, or interest in, developing impact and public engagement around advocacy for children and youth
• be able to write up and publish academic research, both individually and collaboratively

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 multitude of staff benefits including sector leading benefits around maternity, adoption and shared parental leave (up to 26wks full pay), Paternity leave (up to 6wks full pay), and a Fertility Treatment Policy
• 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 Professor Stacey Hynd, [email protected]