Research Assistant (Scottish Literature)

At Edinburgh Napier University’s School of Arts and Creative Industries, our mission is to unlock innovation and growth, nurture talent and opportunities for collaboration, and enable graduates and staff to develop sustainable careers in tomorrow’s creative and connected communities.

Currently, we are working on a project exploring the Scottish Literary Renaissance of the early decades of the twentieth century and as such, have a new role available for a Research Assistant in Scottish Literature to work with our project lead in compiling information for a new edition of a book exploring this.

The Role:

As a Research Assistant on this unique project, you will have the opportunity to use your skills and experience to provide valuable assistance towards publishing the first ever scholarly edition of Hugh MacDiarmid and Lewis Grassic Gibbon’s book, Scottish Scene.

The role will allow you to capitalise on your investigative nature as you conduct literature and database searches and compile a Scots-language glossary of Scots words and phrases used in Scottish Scene, with facing English translations.

In conjunction with this, your research will also enable you to obtain details into the dates of publication and contexts of each of the book’s ‘Newsreel’ entries, information that will be included in textual notes.

For this, we expect that you will want to utilise your proactive nature and ability to self-manage, as you take ownership of this crucial element to the project and really showcase your experience and understanding of the Scots language, while satisfying your interest in Scottish culture.

You will have access to the British Newspaper Archive, as well as other online resources to help you achieve your objectives, as well as the full support of the project team, so if you have the research skills, an interest in Scottish literature and a general understanding of Scots language and its evolution, then we encourage you to get in touch.

What we will need from you: 

• - Postgraduate degree / Masters in a relevant subject
• - Experience of conducting research in an academic setting
• - Ability to undertake and record research
• - Ability to work independently and as part of a small team
• - Experience or general understanding of the Scots language 

Benefits we offer:

We offer annual leave entitlement based on 41 days (includes bank holidays and pro-rated accordingly), a generous pension scheme (17.6%), flexible working and professional development opportunities. Further information regarding our benefits can be viewed here. 

Additional information: 

Contract: Fixed Term – 6 months, Part Time – 7 hrs/wk

Interviews: Week commencing 23^rd April 2026

Please note: We are reviewing applications as they come in and may close the advert early once we find the right candidate. If this role interests you, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

The University holds Disability Confident, Carer Positive and Stonewall Scotland Diversity Champion status. More details can be found here. We are a flexible Employer.

On this occasion, the University will not consider applicants requiring sponsorship or visa support for this role. International applicants will therefore only be able to take up this role if they can demonstrate an alternative right to work in the UK.

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