Postdoctoral Research Associate, School Government & Int'national Affairs

The Department

SGIA is a growing department over the next five years by which point we anticipate having 50 core academic staff, up from 29 in 2017-18. Building on current successes (QS top 100), SGIA aims to be amongst the World's top 40 and the UK's top 10 units in the field by the completion of our expansion. SGIA plans to be amongst the most diverse and inclusive departments in the UK, too. Our academic community ethos stresses equality and we will provide an environment that supports all its members effectively. The department holds an Athena Swan award at silver level and is developing a range of initiatives to enhance equality and diversity in our research, teaching and management practices.

The successful candidate will join a vibrant research culture which provides a stimulating and supportive environment for developing and refining research projects and outputs, networking with colleagues within and beyond Durham, and providing pump-priming financial support for research. All staff have access to excellent individual research support and Durham University’s wealth of research resources, as appropriate for a University that aims to be firmly within the world’s elite.  

SGIA attracts some of the most highly qualified undergraduates in the UK to its exciting undergraduate degree programmes, which are scheduled to expand significantly over the coming eight years. The postgraduate student community is large, at over 200 taught and research students, and highly international. 

Our vibrancy is linked to the two journals we host (Global Policy and East Asia: An International Quarterly), and our additional research Centres and Institutes in Global Security, Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies, Global Policy, Political Thought, Institutions and Political Behaviour, and Contemporary Chinese Studies. 

The Role

Applications are invited for two (2) Postdoctoral Research Associates in Political Ethnography with a particular emphasis on pro- and anti-migration mobilization in Mediterranean refugee reception sites. The positions are made possible by an ESRC-funded project “Contesting Migration: Pro- and Anti-Migration Mobilization in Mediterranean Refugee Reception Sites”. Specifically, the post-holders would play a major role in the conduct of primary research in Spain (1 post) and Italy (1 post), as well as associated publication, dissemination and project organisation. The project will employ another Postdoctoral Research Associate based at the University of Cyprus who will conduct research in Greece.

The project, that the successful candidates would play a part in, is led by Dr Olga Demetriou (at Durham) and Prof Antonis Ellinas (at the University of Cyprus). Using ethnographic methods alongside interviews and document analysis, the project studies the governance of migration through the lens of refugee reception sites with a focus on political contestation between pro- and anti-migration actors. It adopts a comparative methodology to analyse conventional, contentious, and cultural forms of activism and the effect of actions on the success of mobilization. The project takes a collaborative approach on field engagement through partnerships with institutions, and on the production of public outputs.

The post-holders will be expected to conduct ethnographic research in two reception locations in Spain (1 post) and two reception locations in Italy (1 post), comprising the full range of participant observation methods in order to document the narratives, events, activities, and processes that develop around migration in these sites. The post-holders should have English proficiency, as well as proficiency in the language in which the research will be conducted, i.e. Spanish and Italian respectively.

All research expenses are covered, and the successful candidate will be funded to attend and present at conferences as well as engage in knowledge exchange activities. The project leads will develop a bespoke programme of professional development for the project PDRAs.

Responsibilities: 

• To organise, and engage in, high-quality individual and collaborative research in Spain/Italy, as well as desk research, in service of the project aims and under the direction of the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder. This comprises two periods of 6-month ethnographic research (12 months in total per post).
• To contribute to and publish the research and writing of high-quality research outputs for academic and non-academic audiences.
• To liaise with project partner organisations in Spain/Italy and organise in-country workshops and seminars.
• To plan and manage own research activity and research resources in collaboration with others and contribute to planning as part of the research project.
• To understand and convey material of a specialist or highly technical nature to the team or group of people through presentations and discussions.
• To work with the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder and other colleagues in the research group, as appropriate, to identify areas for research, develop new research methods and extend the research portfolio.
• To deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines by discussing with the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder and offering creative or innovative solutions.
• To engage in wider citizenship regarding the ESRC grant, in the process enhancing career development (e.g. contributing to conference organisation, public outreach, giving an early career researcher perspective to grant activities).
• To contribute to fostering a collegial and respectful working environment which is inclusive and welcoming and where everyone is treated fairly with dignity and respect.
• To engage in continuing professional development by participating by attending relevant training and development courses.  

This post is fixed term for 30 months as the funding is linked to an ESRC project.  

The post-holder is employed to work on a research project. Whilst this means that the post-holder will not be carrying out independent research in their own right, the expectation is that they will contribute to the advancement of the project, through the development of their own research ideas/adaptation and development of research outputs.

Successful applicants will, ideally, be in post by March 2023.