Research Fellow - Examining Cellular Agriculture as a Just Transition to Environmentally, Economically and Socially Sustainable Food Systems

Fixed Term:

Two Years full time 1.0 FTE (35hrs pw) or up to 3.5 years 0.5 FTE (17.5 hrs pw)

The Royal Agricultural University (RAU) is leading Work Package 6 of the CARMA (Cellular Agriculture Manufacturing) Hub Project, focused on developing novel foods through cellular agriculture. This involves the production of agricultural products from cell cultures using a combination of biotechnology, tissue engineering, molecular biology and synthetic biology to create and design new methods of producing proteins, fats, and tissues that would conventionally come from agriculture.

Work Package 6, Engaging Public and Policy, aims to help guide CARMA’s research efforts and challenge its assumptions by listening to wide-ranging perspectives from the general public and stakeholders.

CARMA envisions a just transition to environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable food systems, which involves novel approaches to cultivated meat and other cellular agriculture products.

We are looking for a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow with a background in the humanities and social sciences, specifically with knowledge in food systems thinking, citizens science, ethics and justice to examine and explore CARMA’s vision.

Key Responsibilities

The role will focus on the following:

• Central to coordinating the project, directly involved in delivering social research and stakeholder engagement activities.
• Day-to-day project management, keeping close track of plans, and arranging weekly meetings between the Work Package Lead and other project partners and collaborators.
• Recruiting, conducting and analysing research participant focus groups, and organising stakeholder engagement activities including workshops.
• Lead, organise and manage stakeholder and citizens forums through a citizen’s science approach.
• Critically explore the question of a just transition within the cell-agricultural industry and sector.
• Review evidence of the state of knowledge, key gaps and areas under active debate with regard to the development of cultured meat.
• Support ongoing work to establish clear outcome indicators for the importance of proper citizen and stakeholder engagement within CARMA and the cell Ag sector in general.
• Contribute to research outputs including peer review publications, reports and conference presentations.
• Communicate and engage with wide ranging stakeholders including citizens, senior policymakers, and colleagues within CARMA.
• Deliver teaching at the RAU.

Skills and Qualifications

• PhD in the humanities and/or social sciences, specifically with a background in food systems thinking, citizens science (knowledge in ethics and justice is desirable)
• In-depth knowledge of qualitative research methodologies, e.g. participatory action research, citizens science
• Experience of project management
• In-depth knowledge of food system thinking
• Experience conducting qualitative research methods, e.g. interviews, focus groups, stakeholder analysis
• Experience of organising meetings, workshops, events
• Advanced digital skills for organising and facilitating online meetings
• Track record writing reports for technical and lay audiences
• Good critical thinking and intercultural communication skills, verbal and written

To Apply

If you feel you are a suitable candidate and would like to work for the RAU, please apply through our website, by clicking the 'Apply' button, above.

Closing Date: 1 June 2025 with interviews on 11th June 2025

The University is a Disability Confident and Equal Opportunities Employer, and we particularly welcome applications from black and minority ethnic candidates as they are under-represented within the RAU at this level.

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