Research Associate - Community Engagement & Participatory Design

The Open University's Institute of Educational Technology has been awarded funding from the Open Societal Challenges (OSC) scheme to deliver BELONG, a one-year citizen inquiry in heritage contexts. The project tests whether engaging underrepresented communities as citizen curators and co-designers can foster a sense of belonging and build research capacity in groups typically excluded from heritage and scientific institutions.

The Research Associate will deliver this pilot across two sites: Milton Keynes (in partnership with MK Museum and MK Living Archives) and Cardiff (in partnership with National Museum Wales).

The role runs for 7 months (October 2026 to April 2027) across two phases. Phase 1 (three sessions per site) focuses on heritage exploration and foundational data literacy. Phase 2 (three sessions per site) transitions participants into co-designers, who test digital tools and propose improvements. You will work collaboratively with museum partners, the research team, and community participants to build research capacity and generate evidence on inclusive community engagement.

About the Team You Would Join

You will be part of the BELONG project team led by Dr Maria Aristeidou (PI, Institute of Educational Technology), Prof Christothea Herodotou (Co-I and nQuire academic lead) and Sarah Roberts (OU Wales). You will work directly with heritage partners at MK Museum, MK Living Archives, and National Museum Wales. The team is committed to co-ownership, flexibility, and genuine collaboration with community participants throughout the project.

Key Responsibilities

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

• CV
• Supporting Statement (Your Supporting Statement should be no more than 1000 words and should outline how your skills and experience to date meet the essential and desirable criteria listed above).

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