Research Assistant

Part-Time, Fixed-Term (until June 2023)

25 hours per week

Starting Salary is £25,849 pro-rata, per annum (including London Allowance)

*This is the expected starting salary for this post however appointment at a higher point may be made for candidates who demonstrate exceptional skills and experience relevant to the role.

Applications are invited for the post of research assistant to support the successful delivery of the British-Academy-funded Caring for Plants in Modern Philosophy project through completion of Administrative and Research Activities.

The post will run from 1 April 2023 to 30June 2023 and is part-time—approx. 25 hours per week, although working patterns can be agreed once the postholder is in place.

The post is fully funded by the British Academy project, a collaboration between the Department of Politics, International Relations and Philosophy at Royal Holloway and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. The postholder will spend a significant proportion of the post embedded within the Programme Team at Kew’s Wakehurst site in West Sussex (https://www.kew.org/wakehurst), working to develop the ‘Nature Connectedness’ work package that forms part of Kew’s current research strategy. This work package aims to investigate how people connect with, understand and are impacted by green landscapes, with a particular emphasis on the contribution of landscapes to wellbeing (however conceived).

Applicants should:

1. be able to work frequently on the Wakehurst site for the duration of the project;
2. have the potential to develop relationships across Wakehurst’s Programme Team; and
3. possess some pre-existing familiarity with wellbeing theory, evaluation strategies, qualitative data analysis or reflective inquiry, in either the humanities or the social sciences.

The Research Assistant will be expected to:

• Co-deliver reflective inquiry sessions with visitors to Wakehurst on topics relating to ‘connectedness with nature’, so as to build up a conceptual vocabulary that will ground the work package;
• Support innovation in visitor evaluation and feedback that might provide further insight into visitor attitudes towards their connectedness to nature, particularly effects on visitor wellbeing.

In return we offer a highly competitive rewards and benefits package including:

• Generous annual leave entitlement
• Training and Development opportunities
• Pension Scheme with generous employer contribution
• Various schemes including Cycle to Work, Season Ticket Loans and help with the cost of Eyesight testing.
• Free parking

For an informal discussion about the post, please contact Prof. Daniel Whistler, on daniel.whistler@rhul.ac.uk.

Royal Holloway recognises the importance of helping its employees balance their work and home life by offering flexible working arrangements.  We are happy to consider a request for flexible working for this post including part time, job share or compressed working hours.

Please quote the reference: 1122-535

Closing Date: 23:59, 5 January 2023  

Interview Date: 20 January 2023

Royal Holloway is committed to equality and diversity and encourages applications from all sections of the community. Read here about structures and initiatives around equality and diversity, including information on staff diversity networks.

Please note that it will not be possible for the College to issue a Certificate of Sponsorship. Successful candidates will therefore need to be eligible to work in the UK or have limited leave to remain in the UK and associated right to work for the duration of their employment with the College, in accordance with the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006.

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