Research Assistant (CAST)

Francis Close Hall Campus, Cheltenham

1.0FTE, 37 hours per week

The post is fixed term for 6 months in line with external funding, though there is a possibility of extension or permanency (not guaranteed).

The Countryside and Community Research Institute (CCRI) (www.ccri.ac.uk) is the largest specialist rural research centre in the UK, having expertise in all aspects of research in policy and planning for the countryside and the environment of the UK, Europe and further afield.

We are now seeking to appoint a Research Assistant to work on the Catchment Systems Thinking (CaST) project. The role will involve working closely with farmers, land managers and various stakeholders to develop a citizen science monitoring framework to underpin the 3-year project. This work provides a unique opportunity to showcase how integrating co-design into the development of a citizen science project prior to its launch will likely result in greater uptake and meaningful engagement from stakeholders. The position offers considerable professional and personal development opportunities, including literature reviews, stakeholder mapping and engagement, designing, carrying out, and analysing interviews and workshops, and report writing. 

Additionally, the post will support the delivery of other existing and new contract and grant-funded research projects and contribute to the wider work of the CCRI, in research, communication and dissemination.

This position offers an excellent opportunity to start or develop an applied research career within a high-performing and supportive research team.  With a minimum of a master's degree in a cognate discipline, experience working with the farming community and wider stakeholders, a disposition towards collaborative work, and a commitment to high-quality, impactful research, the successful candidate will become a vital part of the CaST project. Furthermore, experience or an interest in British agriculture would be desirable.

As part of the project, you will be required to visit West Sussex to complete 6 workshops with our client. Therefore we are open to discussions about agile working, however there would be a requirement to be on campus with the CCRI team on a semi-regular basis. We cannot, therefore, offer this role on an entirely remote working basis.

Please contact Matt Reed, Director of CCRI, for further information or an informal discussion: mreed@glos.ac.uk 

Closing Date: midday Friday 24^th March 2023

Interview Date: Thursday 30^th March 2023

The University is committed to building a diverse and inclusive staff community and welcomes applications from currently under-represented sections of our workforce. We are proud to be a Disability Confident Leader, guaranteeing an interview to everyone who meets the definition of disability set out in the Equality Act 2010 and the essential criteria contained within the person specification.

To apply, please submit a CV and cover letter, or download our application form from the job you wish to apply for. Please see applicant guidance for help and advice on how to complete the application process

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