Research Fellow

About this role

The School of Social Sciences is looking to appoint a Research Fellow on a part time (0.6 FTE) fixed term contract basis.

The key responsibility of the role is to support the development of a research project evaluating Play Well For Life’s augmented reality board game, Dragons of Afterlands, which is a novel, peer-based digital mental health solution. You will conduct research individually and/or as part of a research team in relation to evaluating Dragons of Afterlands to achieve outcomes which will meet the objectives of the project. In addition, you will lead on collecting mixed research data with children, young people and associated professionals as well as supporting with dissemination. You will play a central role in contributing to the research, planning and writing of a final report and publications (desirable) and further develop an initial literature review. The project will work closely with several alternative (education) provisions who currently support school-aged pupils unable to attend school due to their mental health or other related needs. This research therefore aims to engage with a wide range of children, young people and other stakeholders to support them to undertake and share research on areas related to social and digital learning, belonging, trust, peer learning, wellness and mental health

About you

You will hold a PhD in a relevant discipline (and/or ideally equivalent research experience with children and young people). You bring proven expertise in participatory or youth-led research, with experience of a range of methods, including creative approaches with vulnerable groups. Skilled in analysing and presenting data, you can produce high-quality reports and communicate findings clearly to diverse audiences. You are confident working both independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team, with excellent interpersonal and communication skills. Flexible and organised, you can manage your own workload, travel within the UK, and work outside standard hours when needed. You are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion, and to addressing bias in research practice.

Desirable attributes include experience with digital learning, social science and education theory, conducting semi-structured interviews (including with children and young people with SEND), and writing for academic publication, alongside a willingness to continue developing expertise in youth, child or disability studies.

Why UWE Bristol?

We are one of the largest providers of Higher Education in the South West with 38,000 students and 4,000 staff from right across the globe. Based in vibrant Bristol, our ambitions are to make a positive difference to our planet, transforming futures through actions and solving real world challenges.

We offer a wide range of employee benefits including progressive pay rates, very generous annual leave and career average pension schemes as well as retail savings, onsite nursery and opportunities for training and personal development.

Further information

If you would like to contact us to find out more about this role please contact:
Dr Craig Johnston via email; c.johnston@uwe.ac.uk

Interviews are scheduled to take place via Microsoft Teams on Monday 13th October 2025.

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