Research Associate

Vacancy terms: Full-time or job share, fixed term contract to 31 January 2028

Hours per week: 37.5

About the role

We are seeking a Research Associate to join an international project funded by the UKRI-CONFAP Amazon+10 programme. This post involves the development of a mobile digital platform to document and catalogue socio-biodiversity through co-created local and indigenous knowledge. Based primarily in Brazil’s Legal Amazon region across Pará, Amazonas, and Maranhão, the project brings together an international consortium of universities with the goal of empowering traditional communities by linking their ecological knowledge to global scientific data.

As part of an interdisciplinary team, you will coordinate and conduct extensive fieldwork in Brazil, liaising with both UK and Brazilian partners, leading focus groups, interviews, and community engagement activities. You will play a key role in data collection, project reporting, and scholarly dissemination, while contributing to a wider research agenda that emphasises participatory action, epistemic sovereignty, and technological innovation within the framework of environmental justice.

About you

You will hold a PhD in Geography, International Development, or a closely related social science field such as Sociology or Anthropology. Significant experience conducting social science research in Brazil is essential, as is fluency in Portuguese. You will demonstrate strong qualitative research skills, including the ability to lead participatory fieldwork and facilitate intercultural knowledge exchange. Your experience will ideally include working with indigenous or traditional communities, and you will be motivated to support collaborative, ethical research in challenging environments.

Additional information

Informal enquiries can be made to Ben Coles on bfc2@leicester.ac.uk

We anticipate that interviews will take place on 4 July 2025.  

As part of the University’s ongoing commitment to professional development, this role will also be considered on a seconded basis for existing staff members. Please ensure this is discussed with your line manager prior to applying.  

The University of Leicester has been changing the world, and changing people’s lives, for 100 years. When you join us, you’ll become part of a community of Citizens of Change, which includes not only our staff and our current students but also thousands of Leicester graduates around the world. 

As a diverse and forward-thinking employer, we embed the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion into everything we do. That includes not just our core missions of teaching and research, but also our support for staff, students and our local community through our values of Inspiring, Impactful and Inclusive through our values of Inspiring, Impactful and Inclusive. 

We’re committed to the wellbeing of all our staff and to the sustainability of our environment, on our campus and beyond. We offer a competitive salary package, excellent pension scheme and a generous annual leave allowance, along with opportunities to develop your career in a supportive and collaborative environment.

Advert closes midnight on: 15 June 2025

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