Research Fellow (0.5 FTE)

About us

The Department of Political Science at UCL is a leading international centre for the study of all major fields of politics and public policy. Details can be found at https://www.ucl.ac.uk/social-historical-sciences/political-science.

The Supporting Transparency Reform in Policy Evaluation Systems (STRIPES) project sits within a programme of work on UK Government impact evaluation, led by Professor Jack Blumenau (UCL) and Dr. Anouk S. Rigterink (Durham University) and funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). This programme has previously produced the Transparency in Government Evaluation Research (TIGER) guidance, published as part of the Magenta Book, HM Treasury's central guidance on evaluation in government. STRIPES aims to support the implementation of the TIGER recommendations in government evaluation practice, and to produce new research on the use of open science practices in government. The project is run in partnership with the Cabinet Office's Evaluation Task Force.

About the role

The UCL Department of Political Science wishes to appoint a Research Fellow to work on the STRIPES project. The successful candidate will take a leading role, supported by Project Leads, in delivering the project's core activities: mapping current evaluation practices across UK Government departments through interviews with evaluation leads and a large-scale survey of government analysts; organising and presenting at implementation workshops in which central evaluation teams develop concrete plans to embed transparency recommendations in their departmental processes; supporting one-to-one follow-up as departments put those plans into practice; and co-authoring a set of transparency case studies alongside a short policy brief summarising the project's conclusions.

Drawing on data from the stakeholder interviews and the survey, the Research Fellow will co-author an academic article with the Project Leads on the use of open science practices in UK Government evaluation research.

This is an unusual opportunity to work at the interface of metascience and government practice, engaging directly with senior evaluation leads across departments, and contributing to real change in how evidence behind billions of pounds of public spending is produced and scrutinised.

The post is available from 01 October 2026 to 31 March 2027, at 0.5 FTE, and at Grade 7, spinal point 32, £46,261 pro rata per annum. UCL offers hybrid working, and the successful applicant may normally work remotely for up to 100% of the week if they wish.

About you

We are seeking applicants who hold a PhD in Political Science or a related subject, though applicants with equivalent professional experience working in government or public policy institutions may also be considered. The position is available for an immediate start or as soon as possible.

Candidates should have a strong understanding of the principles and practices of open science (such as pre-registration, power analyses, open data and code, reporting guidelines, and sensitivity analyses), a working knowledge of quantitative impact evaluation methods, including randomised controlled trials and quasi-experimental approaches, and a good working knowledge of UK government. Experience conducting interviews with individuals in political or governmental roles is essential.

Candidates should be self-directed and well organised, with communication and presentation skills suited to a professional audience. Skills in quantitative data analysis, and an existing network among analysts and evaluation leads involved in UK Government evaluation, are desirable.

It is expected that interviews for shortlisted candidates will be held online on Monday 12th October 2026.

Please note that the successful postholder may be required to obtain an ATAS certificate prior to commencing the role.

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