Research Fellow - FLOODTWIN and CWCR

The job information is shown below. Please click on the links to see full details.

About this role

The Centre for Water, Community and Resilience (CWCR), based at UWE Bristol, seeks a Research Fellow (0.8 FTE) to support the FLOODTWIN project and research development with the Centre for Water, Communities and Resilience. The division of time is 0.6 FTE to FLOODTWIN; 0.2 FTE to CWCR.

The FLOODTWIN project is one of five projects funded under Natural Environment Research Council’s ‘Digital twins (DT) for Environmental Science’ Call. The project is focused on Water-related hazard forecasting in Hull and East Riding of Yorkshire. It is running for 15 months from January 2024 to March 2025.  This project involves collaboration with a research team led by the University of Hull, working with British Geological Survey, Imperial College, London and University of the West of England, Bristol. This post is to co-develop the social science integration in FLOODTWIN.

Background information about the FLOODTWIN project:

This research fellow post will provide research support for the interdisciplinary team in FLOODTWIN. This part of the job involves developing and delivering the social science/science communication research within the NERC funded FLOODTWIN project: Water-related hazard forecasting in Hull and East Riding of Yorkshire.This is one of five projects funded under Natural Environment Research Council’s ‘Digital twins (DT) for Environmental Science’ Call. A digital twin is dynamic virtual copy of a physical asset, process, system or environment that looks like and behaves in real time identically to its real-world partner. This post supports a key objective in the project: Undertake extensive stakeholder engagement in a co-creative approach to DT development enhancing stakeholder ownership and assessing their interaction and use of the DT. The job involves interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary working with organisational stakeholders in flood risk management in the Hull area. The process involves elements of co-production, designing creative participatory methods, co-design of digital environments, visualisation, rapid gamification and scenario-ing, working with stakeholders. The post involves both individual and team working.

The Centre for Water, Communities and Resilience

Part of this job supports research development and bidding in innovative stakeholder-focused water resource management, working with staff within Centre for Water, Communities and Resilience (CWCR). This includes concern for both methodological development (e.g. participatory and creative methods working with the arts and humanities) and its application (e.g. in areas of AI/ digital twins; water/environmental/climate science communication and learning).

The Centre for Water, Communities and Resilience promotes world-class, interdisciplinary research of extreme weather and water risk, vulnerabilities and what makes communities resilient.  This project forms part of a thematic area of work around children, complex risks and resilience.  Further information about the Centre for Water, Communities and Resilience can be found at Centre for Water, Communities and Resilience (CWCR) - Research centres and groups | UWE Bristol

About you

We are looking for an enthusiastic and highly self-motivated candidate to join us, in a research project involving co-working between hydrologists and social scientists. You should have a sufficient breadth or depth of specialist knowledge in at least one related discipline or an (inter)disciplinary area (e.g. geography, hydrology, science communication, risk management), and expertise in social science methods. You will be working towards completion of, or have completed, a PhD. You will be a team player who can collaborate well with other researchers and with the ability to work across disciplines and with a range of different professional stakeholders in water risk management.

Where is this role based?

This post is based at our lively Frenchay campus where we have invested in the latest facilities and resources to give both our staff and students access to everything they need to succeed.

Why UWE Bristol?

We are one of the largest providers of Higher Education in the South West with 38,000 students and 4,000 staff from right across the globe. Based in Bristol , one of the UK’s most exciting and forward-thinking cities, we are regionally embedded and globally connected, with an established network of employer and academic partners.

We offer a wide range of employee benefits including progressive pay rates, generous annual leave and career average pension schemes as well as retail savings, onsite nursery and opportunities for training and personal development.

We also provide a tailored professional programme to support our academic colleagues in delivering the highest in professional teaching standards.

Add your individuality to ours

UWE Bristol recognises the power of a truly diverse university community .

We are proud to be part of a vibrant, multicultural city that celebrates diversity, we’re always looking for talented people from all backgrounds to join us. Our people are our strength, and diversity enhances our creativity and leads to better decision-making and problem-solving. Bring your talent and ambition to our growing community and find yourself in a stimulating and supportive environment where you’ll thrive.

We particularly encourage applications from Black, Asian, Multiple Heritage or Other Minority Ethnic candidates as we are currently under-represented in these areas within UWE Bristol, however all appointments are made strictly on individual merit.

We particularly encourage applications from Black, Asian, Multiple Heritage or Other Minority Ethnic and female candidates as we are currently under-represented in these areas within UWE Bristol, however all appointments are made strictly on individual merit.

As a Disability Confident employer, we welcome applications from those who identify as having a disability.

Further information

Please see the Job Description for more details.  Further enquiries about the post can be directed to Professor Lindsey McEwen ([email protected] ; 0117 32 83383).

Interviews are scheduled to take place at our Frenchay Campus week commencing 25th March.

This is a fixed-term post until 31st March 2025, and is part-time working on a 0.8 FTE contract.

This post is not available on a job share basis.

UWE Bristol is a campus-based University and it is vital to our success and the delivery of an outstanding experience for our students that our campuses are dynamic and vibrant places to learn and spend time. This role is therefore campus based for two days per week, with the opportunity to work from home on the remaining days.

We are unable to provide sponsorship for this role under the Home Office Skilled Worker visa route as this role is part time so the salary would not meet the minimum requirements. As we are unable to sponsor anyone requiring a visa for this role candidates must therefore be able to provide their own right to work in the UK.

Should you be shortlisted you will be asked to provide your right to work documents at your interview. Please refer to the Home Office Right to Work Checklist which provides details of which documents are acceptable.

Please note that UWE does not cover any visa or health surcharge costs.

You may also wish to explore other visa options which you are eligible for which will allow you to work in the UK.

Advice to applicants

We’d love to hear from you - if you are excited about joining us at UWE please complete our application form as soon as possible.

Tell us about how your skills and experience relate to the requirements of this role by describing how you meet each of the essential and desirable criteria listed in the Person Specification section of the Job Description, and include specific examples wherever possible.

Once we have completed shortlisting we will let you know the outcome of your application by email, so please check your inbox for updates.