We’re hiring!
We’re excited to announce a new opportunity for a Research Associate to join our team.
The post will focus on Policy and Communities Knowledge Exchange at Grade 7 level, 0.6 FTE (21 hours per week) for 2 years. The full details are here.
Why this role matters
With the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s Pride in Place agenda and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s recently refreshed areas of research interest (ARIs), there’s a lot happening in this policy domain. As Professor Tom Crick, DCMS Chief Scientific Adviser stated in this blog, “the refreshed ARIs […] reflect the fact that many of the department’s most important questions are questions about complex and dynamic systems: how economic, cultural, technological and civic systems interact; how social, cultural and information infrastructure supports places, communities and public trust; how interventions generate benefits over time; how risks propagate through sectors and supply chains; and how public value is created, distributed and sustained”. Hence, the research of the Civic Imaginary Partnerships project is timely and relates to key government policy concerns and research priorities. The Policy and Communities Knowledge Exchange Research Associate role is important in communicating our research.
Our project is working with communities across the UK, developing evidence and methods that speak directly to these agendas. We’re looking for someone to lead creative and ‘traditional’ policy KE activities with a range of policymakers and the third sector.
What the role involves and what we are looking for
The successful candidate will work with us, our partners and collaborators across the UK to develop long-term ethnographic understandings of contemporary civic cultures. They will be supported to lead key activities relating to policy engagement with local and central governments and the third sector.
The role requires expert knowledge in local governance and participation, creative research methods in community settings and experience developing policy facing materials and activities. Theoretical/conceptual knowledge of place, the civic, and a detailed awareness of place-based policies and practices across the four nations of the United Kingdom and internationally will be an asset.
A flexible/hybrid working arrangement is possible. While the project includes national and international travel, we are committed to ensuring accessibility, and can plan adjustments to support candidates with specific needs.
Interested in applying?
The closing date for applications is 22nd June 2026 at 23:45. The application portal is available here.
For an informal conversation about the role, please contact Dr. Michael Howcroft michael.howcroft@glasgow.ac.uk.