Action Research Fellow

Funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) as part of its work to create opportunities and improve outcomes. 

Hours: 37.5 per week

Contract: Fixed-term for 4-years

OVERVIEW

We are seeking to recruit someone to coordinate research and practice between three different stakeholders: students, community, and a wider national network of researchers exploring community engagement and co-production of knowledge: The Centre for Collaboration in Community Connectedness (C4) research network.  

The C4 Centre for Collaboration in Community Connectedness (C4) is a £10 million initiative, led by the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research (CRESR) at Sheffield Hallam University. Black Mountains College is a key partner. The centre is funded by the Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC) and brings together researchers from a wide range of academic disciplines who will work closely with non-academic partners including policy makers, charities, and community practitioners. It will embed its work in five communities across the UK, including Mid Wales, to explore how different factors help or hinder participation and connectedness in different places.  

This is an urgent question in the light of the need for community preparedness in response to multiple challenges and, in particular, looming climate-driven shocks in the near future. 

The position requires strong teamwork and communication skills, reliability, attention to detail, effective time management, and the ability to work independently under the supervision of project and line managers. 

The role will sit within our Higher Education team, and report to Dr Andre Pusey (Programme Lead), but with opportunities to connect to activities across the College, including further education and public education programmes. 

RESPONSIBILITIES 

The role will include the main duties of: 

• Leading on the co-design and co-delivery of innovative new research projects bringing together students, community and other partners on topics of mutual concern. 
• Building the qualitative and quantitative research skills and capacity of students on our tertiary and public education programmes alongside community partners to enable them to play an active role in the C4 research programme and the emerging BMC community of practice. 
• Supporting residents and community organisations to participate in an engage with all aspects of the research process, ensuring equity and parity of esteem, including via activities in the College’s public education programme where relevant.
• Working collaboratively with researchers and partners across C4, including in the other Community Catapult neighbourhoods in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. 
• The production of reports and other research outputs to meet the evidence needs of a diverse range of stakeholders (community, public sector, academic). 

In addition the role will: 

• Support the ongoing development of a community of practice at the College, drawing on expertise from across society and concentrated in the Change in Practice modules offered across further and higher education programmes. 
• Teach and mentor students undertaking group or individual community-based action research projects as part of their studies to enable them to become effective community-researchers. This may include convening at least one of the core Change in Practice modules on the undergraduate degree. 
• Create new connections and partnerships that support the research undertaken and that may be nurtured as long-term relationships for the College where appropriate. 
• Contribute to curriculum development activities at the College, to embed principles and practices from the research in all relevant programmes. 
• Support students and community in their research activities and relate the work to the wider themes and activities of the C4 network. 
• Develop research objectives and proposals for own and collaborative research. 
• Collect data using a range of suitable techniques. 
• Analyse primary and secondary data gathered through a variety of methods. 
• Continually update knowledge and understanding in field or specialism. 
• Contribute to the development of ad hoc grant applications and project / consultancy bid writing related to C4. 
• Maintaining good relationships with C4 partners and wider stakeholders, updating them on findings and progress. 
• Input to promoting the work of the C4 and identifying future opportunities related to C4, as required. 

Essential Criteria 

• Doctorate (or working towards) in a relevant discipline (or equivalent). Equivalent research experience will also be considered, which may have been gained in a variety of relevant sectors or contexts. 
• Experience and knowledge of techniques relating to co-production and/or community engagement and involvement. 
• Experience supporting and facilitating action research or citizen science by students, community groups or similar. 
• Knowledge of community interventions, social capital and connectedness, and related current UK and Welsh policy context. 
• Interpersonal and communication skills to manage relations with a variety of stakeholders internal and external to the college. 
• Experience of report writing and contributing to research outputs, including presentations, reports and creative community facing outputs. 
• Experience of academic publication, including conference papers, journal papers. 
• Ability to work effectively both independently and collaboratively, both on projects and as part of a small team. 

Desirable Criteria 

• Postgraduate degree with research dissertation or equivalent research experience. 
• Experience of different or creative research methodologies for example using art or technology to promote engagement and data gathering.  
• Experience of supporting bid writing /external funding. 
• Welsh speaker. 

For more information on Black Mountains College, see here: Black Mountains College – We are teaching the Future 

For more information on C4, see here: Centre for Collaboration in Community Connectedness | Sheffield Hallam University 

Closing date for applications is midnight on 18 August 2025. 

Please apply with a CV and Cover Letter by email via the 'Apply' button above (e: jobs@blackmountainscollege.uk).

Interviews are expected to take place on the week commencing 26 August 2025 or 2 September. 

Start date: As soon as possible from September 2025. 

This centre is supported by UKRI through its creating opportunities, improving outcomes theme, one of five UKRI-wide initiatives aiming to harness the full power of the UK’s research and innovation system to tackle large-scale, complex challenges. Through a five-year strategy, ‘Transforming Tomorrow Together’, UKRI aims to harness the full power of the UK’s research and innovation system to tackle large-scale, complex challenges. To do this, UKRI is investing £185 million in five strategic themes which will continue tackling existential threats to humanity by encouraging new ways of working across disciplines.