Research Associate

About us 

The Department of Political Economy is a unique interdisciplinary enterprise located in the heart of London with proximity to both the world of politics and the City. Founded in 2010, it is the only dedicated Department of Political Economy in the United Kingdom. The teaching and research recognises that the disciplines of Politics, Philosophy, and Economics are inextricably linked: it is not possible to properly understand political processes without exploring the economic or value contexts in which politics operates. Similarly, sound economic analysis requires an awareness of how resource allocation is conditioned both by the values and principles of individuals & communities. 

About the role 

The successful candidates will contribute to realising the ERC Synergy research project POPGOV (Popular Government in Global Perspective). The project seeks to uncover the principles and institutions of popular government, understood as those which empower ordinary citizens rather than socio-economic elites. The project contrasts popular government with the dominant model of democracy, representative government, in which political participation is restricted to electing rulers who enjoy significant independence from the electorate. POGOV is led by four co-PIs, Udit Bhatia (King’s College London), Bruno Leipold (LSE), Pierre-Etienne Vandamme (UC Louvain) and Yanina Welp (Girona), who will each recruit and host a team of postdoctoral researchers. The work package to be carried out at KCL under the supervision of Udit Bhatia, will focus on popular government in the Global South, with a particular interest in constituent moments in Chile, India, and South Africa. Candidates may, in their applications, and based on their research expertise, propose alternative constitutional moments from the Global South insofar as they raise important insights for the study of popular government. The KCL team will regularly integrate its findings with the empirical, comparative and philosophical work carried out by the wider research group. Through the post, candidates are expected to develop a research profile and competencies that prepare them for successfully applying to permanent, tenure-track positions in academia. The focus of the position is therefore research with no teaching obligations. Candidates are asked to outline their proposed research project on popular government in the Global South and how it contributes to the broader aims of POPGOV in their research statement.

Successful applicants will be required to travel for fieldwork activities and to project meetings every 6 months and these will be held in London, Girona & Brussels by rotation.

This is a full-time post (35 hours per week), and you will be offered a fixed-term contract from 1st August 2026 to 31st July 2030.

Research staff at King’s are entitled to at least 10 days per year (pro-rata) for professional development. This entitlement, from the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers, applies to Postdocs, Research Assistants, Research and Teaching Technicians, Teaching Fellows and AEP equivalent up to and including grade 7. Visit the Centre for Research Staff Development for more information.

How to Apply

Please apply via the KLC portal at  https://www.kcl.ac.uk/jobs and attach the following additional documents to your application:

1. Up-to-date CV.
2. A supporting statement, detailing how you meet the essential criteria listed in the person specification section of the job description. 
3. Two-page research statement outlining the research you would undertake for the project. The statement should outline your proposed research project on popular government in the Global South and how it contributes to the broader aims of POPGOV.

Advert information