Address
Form of work
Salary:
Research Assistant: £31,396 to £32,982 per annum, pro rata
Research Associate: £33,966 to £33,966 per annum, pro rata
Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.
Closing Date: 09 June 2024
The Role
Cultural Dynamics: Museums and Democracy in Motion is a three-year AHRC-DFG funded project led by Professor Susannah Eckersley, Media Culture Heritage (MCH) at Newcastle University, with Professor Guido Fackler, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Germany. We are investigating the values and narratives, symbols and sites, issues and actors connected to cultural institutions (museums, memory and heritage sites) and their changing role as public spaces of democracy in the UK and in Germany.
You will work with Professor Eckersley (the Principal Investigator) and full project team to contribute to collective project goals. Under the leadership and support of the PI, you will undertake research that makes a major contribution to WP5: Issues and Actors, identifying how and why museums and cultural ‘activism’ in the UK and Germany are changing as ideas of democracy change, including analysing new museum initiatives and activism connected to museums. You will contribute to collective project outputs and events, including workshops and publications.
You will be expected to take a significant role in the organisation and running of events for museum and cultural professionals in order to develop an online toolkit. You will also be responsible for managing and updating the project website.
This post is part-time, at 0.8fte (29.6 hours) per week for 18 months from September 2024. Alternatively, a reduced fte for a slightly longer period could be considered (for example 0.6fte for 20 months) - options may be discussed during the application and assessment process.
Applications will be considered from those very close to completing their PhD; in this instance you will be appointed as a Research Assistant in the range £31,396 - £32,982 (pro rata) with progression to £33,966 (pro rata) on completion.
We anticipate that interviews will be held on Zoom on Tuesday 2 July and Wednesday 3 July.
The position is based in Media Culture Heritage (MCH) within the School of Arts and Cultures at Newcastle University www.ncl.ac.uk/sacs. Informal enquiries may be made to Professor Susannah Eckersley susannah.eckersley@ncl.ac.uk.
Key Accountabilities
- Undertake research for the project
- Responsible for managing and updating the project website
- Organise practitioner events in the UK
- Develop and create content for an online toolkit
- Collaborate with the project team on academic publications and events
- Present at workshops and conferences in the UK and Germany
The Person
Knowledge, Skills and Experience
- Expertise in Museum Studies, Critical Heritage Studies, Memory Studies, Sociology, Cultural Studies, or a related discipline, with a focus on the UK and/or Germany
- A proven track record of excellent English & German language skills
- Demonstrable experience and relevant knowledge of qualitative research methods and analysis
- Evidence of research interests in line with the project, for example: museum theory; cultural policy; museum practice; democratic and/or participatory cultural practices
Desirable
- Some experience of academic publications and/or conference presentations (commensurate with career stage)
- Events organisation and website content management experience
- Experience of working with museum and/or cultural sector professionals
Attributes and Behaviour
- Proven ability to work both independently and as part of a team
- Evidence of openness to interdisciplinary research
- Willing to undertake training (including for the website CMS) as needed
- Ability to work in multilingual (German – English) settings
- Ability to undertake essential travel in the UK and Germany
- Clear commitment to EDI and ethical research practices
Qualifications
- PhD (completed or very close to completion for assistant) in Museum Studies, Critical Heritage Studies, Sociology, Cultural Studies, German Studies, or a related discipline
- English and German language qualifications/skills at minimum B2, ideally C1 or C2 level, or equivalent level of spoken and written competence in both languages
Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.
We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society. We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent. We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.
At Newcastle University we hold a silver Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality. We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC. We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.
In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe.
Requisition ID: 27072
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