Post-Doctoral Research Associate, MoonRISE (FBL)

Fixed Term Contract: End Date:  21 months from start date

Change your career, change lives

The Open University is the UK’s largest university, a world leader in flexible part-time education combining a mission to widen access to higher education with research excellence, transforming lives through education. Find out more about us and our mission by watching this short video (you will be taken to YouTube by clicking this link).

About the Role

You will be welcomed as Research Associate in the team of the MoonRISE project, an interdisciplinary research project funded by UKRI, investigating the cultural, scientific and environmental factors that determine what can be considered as sites of interest on the Moon. It also examines the governance and ethical implications of defining sites of interest for different communities and cultures. You would be based within the Law School to undertake research on Lunar governance, in close collaboration with members of the team. 

About AstrobiologyOU

AstrobiologyOU is an interdisciplinary research group addressing the scientific, ethical and governance challenges associated with the advancement of astrobiology and related space exploration missions. It spans three Faculties: The Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, the Faculty of Business and Law, and the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, bringing together 60 members with expertise in science, international development and governance.  The Group’s activities are supported by funding from UK Research councils, The UK Space Agency, The European Space Agency, and commercial activities, and has grown to its current strengths through a £7.4 million investment from Research England’s Expanding Excellence in England scheme.

About the Unit

The Faculty of Business and Law is one of the four faculties of The Open University. It brings together two Schools – The Open University Business School and The Open University Law School – and has a strong reputation as a high-quality and innovative provider of management and legal education.  Our courses and qualifications are studied by a wide range of people from all backgrounds – we are proud to promote opportunity and social justice by making higher education open to those unable to attend a more traditional campus-based university.  

Student satisfaction is a high priority, and we are determined to deliver the best outcomes for everyone studying with us. Our students return some of the highest satisfaction scores in the National Student Survey – they have ever since the NSS began. 

Around 35,000 students are currently enrolled on our business, management and law programmes; about quarter of them are based outside the UK in 80 countries. The majority of our students are employed and study part-time with us. 

We are committed to developing our staff to achieve their full potential and offer a range of formal and informal training and development opportunities to support individual and Faculty objectives.

The Open University Business School is triple accredited (AACSB, AMBA and EQUIS). Our internationally recognised teaching and learning methods take education right to the heart of leadership and management practice. Tutors are experienced business professionals, and because our distance learning approach allows managers to continue at work while studying, you can apply new knowledge and skills right from the start.  Over 100,000 people from more than 125 countries have already studied with The Open University Business School.

Key Responsibilities

•  To undertake research on policy and academic literature on protection of lunar sites (this includes draft Space Resources principles, Long-term sustainability guidelines, ESSI sustainability guidelines etc.).
• To evaluate examples of governance successes and legal analogues on Earth (particularly focusing on Antarctica and law of seas/UNCLOS).
• To contribute to research on the values of lunar exploration activities and extrapolating principles for conflict resolution in space governance.
• To work with external partners on standards for space activities.
• To engage with different audiences and communities who may be differently affected by changing and increasing lunar activities, including to understand the question of justice in relation to knowledge production;
• To undertake research that is internationally excellent and leads to high-impact peer-reviewed publications.
• To be an active member of the MoonRISE project team, attending regular research group meetings and sharing knowledge with other members of the team.
• To organise internal and external events such as workshops and evidence cafés (in person and hybrid).
• To present research updates and results and participate in seminars and workshops aimed at sharing research outcomes, fostering interdisciplinary collaborations.
• To carry out administrative tasks associated with this work, such as risk assessments, workload planning, career development and staff appraisals.
• To participate in national and international conferences (at least one per year) and events of learned societies.
• To undertake professional development aligned with the job role and future aspirations.
• To have a strong commitment to the principles and practice of equality and diversity.
• To undertake other duties, as directed by their Line Manager.

About You

Essential criteria:

• PhD completed ('completed' is defined as having received your certification rather than having submitted your viva/thesis pending amendments) in, or recent experience in, international law and governance, ideally with a space law and policy focus or a cognate subject area including international relations, public policy, or philosophy.
• The ability to evaluate case studies related to environmental and/or cultural heritage protection that are relevant to space law and governance.
• The ability to analyse policy briefs and other legal documents, and draft legal texts (e.g. guidelines, principles, or MoU)
• Experience of working in interdisciplinary teams.
• Experience of working with non-academic partners and/or engaging with communities beyond academia.
• A demonstrable record of communicating research through peer reviewed publications and conference presentations (as fitting career stage).
• Excellent oral and written communication in a variety of contexts, including the ability to offer and receive constructive criticism.
• The ability to plan and prioritise own workload and work to agreed deadlines.
• Demonstrable evidence of taking responsibility and accountability for tasks while making effective use of available resources, information and feedback to improve efficiency, productivity and overall performance.
• Evidence of a personal commitment to developing interpersonal skills, with an understanding of impact on individuals, respecting and valuing diversity.

Desirable criteria:

• Experience in, or knowledge of, governance, ethical and philosophical debates related to space exploration.
• Knowledge of global institutions; knowledge of space policy.
• Experience of working with/within the space sector.
• Evidence of contributions to public engagement or educational activities.

Support with your application

If you have any questions, or need support or adjustments relating to your application, the recruitment process, or the role, please contact us on 01908 541111 or email careers@open.ac.uk quoting the advert reference number.

What's in it for you?

At The Open University, we offer a range of benefits to recognise and reward great work, alongside policies and flexible working that contribute towards a great work life balance. Get all the details of what benefits we offer by visiting our Staff Benefits page (clicking this link will open a new window).

Flexible working

We are open to discussions about flexible working. Whether it’s a job share, part time, compressed hours or another working arrangement. Please reach out to us to discuss what works best for you.

It is anticipated that a hybrid working pattern can be adopted for this role, where you can work from home and the office. However, as this role is contractually aligned to our Milton Keynes office some attendance in the office will be required in response to business needs. We’d expect this to be at least 2 days per week, but this could be more often as business needs dictate.

Next steps in the Recruitment process

We expect interviews to take place on 1st and 2nd June 2026. These will be held in person at our Milton Keynes site.

Early closing date notification

While most roles will remain open until the advertised closing date, applications may be reviewed on an ongoing basis. In some cases, vacancies may close earlier if a sufficient number of suitable applications has been received and equality impacts have been appropriately considered. All roles will remain advertised for a minimum of one week before any early closure is implemented. If you have started an application or were in the process of applying when the advert closed, we encourage you to get in touch. We are committed to understanding individual circumstances and can offer further support where needed, including reasonable adjustments for applicants with protected characteristics.

How to apply

To apply for this role please submit the following document(s):

• CV
• Supporting statement of up to 1000 words clearly demonstrating how you meet the essential criteria for the role.

You can view your progress and application communications when you are logged into our recruitment system.  Please check your spam/junk folders if you do not receive associated email updates.

Information at a Glance

Contact us

If you have any queries or questions about the recruitment process, or regarding your application, please contact: Careers@open.ac.uk.

The Open University is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion which is reflected in our mission to be open to people, places, methods and ideas. We aim to foster a diverse and inclusive environment so that all in our OU community can reach their potential. We recognise that different people bring different perspectives, ideas, knowledge, and culture, and that this difference brings great strength. We strive to recruit, retain and develop the careers of a diverse pool of students and staff, and particularly encourage applications from all underrepresented groups. We also aspire to make The Open University a supportive workplace for all through our policies, services and staff networks.