Postdoctoral Research Impact Fellow

Updated: 21 days ago
Location: Exeter, ENGLAND
Deadline: 17 Apr 2024

Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy

This Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC) funded, full time role is available immediately for 1 year in the first instance, with a potential extension until the end of the ACCESS project (31st January 2027) subject to evaluation of project needs and circumstances.

We welcome applications from candidates interested in working part-time hours or job-sharing arrangements. This role offers the opportunity for either remote or hybrid working (some time on Streatham Campus and some from home).

The post

This post is an opportunity to make a significant intellectual contribution to informing the development of environmental social science capacity and expertise in the UK and beyond.

ACCESS: Advancing Capacity for Climate and Environment Social Science is an exciting £6.25m five year climate and environment social science project funded by ERSC, headed by Professor Patrick-Devine Wright of the University of Exeter. It is led by the universities of Exeter and Surrey in a core team that includes the universities of Bath, Leeds and Sussex and the Natural Environment Social Research Network (Natural Resources Wales, NatureScot, Natural England, Environment Agency and Forest Research).

The successful applicant will work directly with the ACCESS leadership team to champion the development of environmental social science, including contributing to new research in this area. Specifically, the post holder would be working with task leads in the following areas of the project:

  • Analysis and writing up of survey data from the ACCESS Citizens Panel which focuses on public attitudes towards net zero policy.
  • Scoping future research pathways for ESRC
  • Working with the theme leads to refine and update the ACCESS Guiding Principles .
  • Working on the Agile Response task in response to requests from government stakeholders;

The postholder will be supported to continue to develop their own research agenda alongside the ACCESS programme, including time to attend conferences and write publications. 

About you

The successful applicant will possess a relevant PhD or equivalent qualification/experience in a related field of social science. They will possess sufficient specialist knowledge to develop research programmes and methodologies. Applicants will be able to collect and analyse qualitative and quantitative data, and write up findings in diverse formats for different target audiences.

They will have excellent research and communication skills (both written and verbal); be able to use a co-production approach to develop research objectives, projects and proposals with stakeholders; have a record of research outputs in high quality publications; and make presentations at conferences and other events.

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

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 percent of our research is of international quality and 47 percent 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.

We are proud signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant and welcome applications from service people.

For further information please contact Patrick Devine-Wright, via email:

[email protected].

The closing date for completed applications is 17 April.  Interviews are expected to take place on 29 April.



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