Research Fellow

Are you an ambitious, impact-focussed researcher looking for your next challenge?  Do you have a research interest in policing and vulnerable groups, and the interactions between them and other service providers?  Do you want to further your career at a leading research-intensive University?

You will work within the ESRC Vulnerability and Policing Futures Research Centre, jointly led from the University of York and University of Leeds, with a team of over 25 leading researchers from diverse social science disciplines. Working alongside 38 regional, national and international partners, you will play an important role, assuming significant data collection responsibilities, writing up research findings, and developing and delivering knowledge translation through Continuing Professional Training and other impact work. With a doctorate or equivalent knowledge exchange, training or research experience relevant to this research field and proven experience of empirical research, you will conduct fieldwork, synthesise existing evidence, develop research-based collaborations and work with wide-ranging partners and communities to advance social change through research.

You will join a close and well-supported interdisciplinary team of seven existing full-time Centre researchers working on an exciting programme of high profile research related to policing vulnerabilities. You will play a crucial role in this research, and be able to demonstrate strong quantitative skills and experience of semi-structured interviews. You will also be expected to contribute to impact work and the development of potential future research projects.

These two full-time equivalent posts (one at York and one at Leeds) represent an exciting opportunity to contribute to the Centre’s innovative, interdisciplinary approach. We are building knowledge from problem-based and place-based perspectives, about the interactions between vulnerability and service providers’ responses, and using these findings to build new, integrated and innovative approaches to harm reduction that address the needs of vulnerable people.

You will be line-managed directly by either Professor Kate Brown at the University of York or Professor Adam Crawford at the University of Leeds, and will work alongside other Centre researchers and Co-investigators who are experts in their fields, delivering cutting-edge research on vulnerability and policing. You will contribute to team meetings and, with the support of senior academics, play an active role in research translation, application and impact, working with police, public services, communities, vulnerable people and NGO partners on policy and practice development.

The post holder will be expected to work on campus (either at York or Leeds) at least two days per week, including Wednesdays, when we have team meetings. The role will also include the requirement to travel to research sites and events throughout the UK, sometimes for extended periods of fieldwork.

Candidates must be willing and able to complete DBS and police vetting checks once in post. Additionally, because of the requirement to undergo police vetting to enable the research to be carried out, the successful candidate must have been resident in the UK for at least three years at the time of appointment.

Further information about the ESRC Vulnerability and Policing Futures Research Centre is available at https://vulnerabilitypolicing.org.uk/ and in our ‘about us’ video at https://vulnerabilitypolicing.org.uk/about/.

To explore the post further or for any queries you may have, please contact:

Professor Adam Crawford, email A.Crawford@leeds.ac.uk

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