Research Fellow (Fixed Term)

Please note a full application including a covering letter detailing your experience alongside a CV is required for applications to be considered. Please be advised applications made without providing a cover letter will not be accepted.

Fixed Term for 1 year - 0.6 FTE per week

Background of department/role

We are seeking an experienced, highly motivated, and analytically strong researcher to join a multi‑disciplinary team on a Home Office‑funded project addressing domestic abuse and stalking perpetrator behaviour.

The project will generate a robust evidence base on the effectiveness of multi‑agency responses, examining how coordinated interventions shape perpetrator attitudes and behaviour and how victims and survivors (including children) can be more effectively supported and safeguarded.

Working closely with the Principal Investigator and the research team, the post‑holder will lead key elements of a rigorous mixed‑methods evaluation, confidently handling complex, large‑scale quantitative datasets drawn from multiple agencies (e.g., administrative, service‑level, and outcomes data), applying advanced analytical techniques to assess intervention effectiveness and engagement patterns across diverse cohorts, and ensuring data quality, transparency, and methodological integrity throughout.

Alongside this, they will conduct trauma‑informed qualitative research, designing and delivering ethically sensitive interviews with practitioners, stakeholders, and where appropriate, service users, demonstrating sound judgement around consent, participant wellbeing, safeguarding, and the particular ethical and emotional considerations inherent in research on domestic abuse and stalking.

The successful candidate will integrate quantitative and qualitative strands into a coherent evaluation framework, triangulating evidence to illuminate how multi‑agency collaborations operate in practice, where they achieve impact, and where system improvements are required.

A strong track record in academic writing is essential. The role includes leading and contributing to peer‑reviewed publications, policy‑relevant research reports, and concise evidence briefings tailored to academic, practitioner, and government audiences, as well as presenting findings at conferences and stakeholder events.

Candidates will bring substantive research experience and practical/working knowledge of domestic abuse and stalking, proven expertise in analysing large, complex datasets using appropriate statistical software, and a demonstrable commitment to trauma‑informed, ethically robust practice.

Experience evaluating complex interventions or multi‑agency programmes and familiarity with commissioned or government evaluation standards are advantageous, as is the ability to communicate complex findings with clarity to non‑specialist audiences and to work effectively across disciplines and sectors.

How will you work?

We are committed to supporting flexible methods of working wherever possible and this role is Flexible and connected.

Campus attendance will vary on a day-to-day basis and across the year but must purposefully align to the service being delivered and to the needs of our students, staff, and stakeholders. It is expected that the majority of your working time will be spent on campus.

How to apply

Closing date for applications: 1 December 2026
Interviews are to be held: 14 December 2026

If you require further information regarding the post please feel free to contact Mary Makinde, Head of Applied Criminology, Forensic Investigation and Sociology/Closing our Gap Strategic Lead, email: mary.makinde@canterbury.ac.uk telephone 01227 923 857 (strictly no agencies, thank you) quoting reference number REQ06473

Please note, Canterbury Christ Church University reserve the right to bring the closing date of this position forward where a high volume of applications is received. 

Additional Information

Canterbury Christ Church University truly welcomes fresh perspectives and new voices. We want you to bring the real you to work, so we are committed to building a genuinely inclusive working environment where everyone is welcomed and where everyone can have a true sense of belonging. Our spirit of community will help us to eliminate discrimination and will enable us all to thrive in a culture that is underpinned by fairness and justice. We therefore seek people to join us who will proactively support and shape this aim and contribute in their own unique way. If this is you, then we are waiting to hear from you. #yourCCCU

Our University is deeply committed to shaping sustainable futures as a key part of its mission and values. If you share this passion, we encourage you to join us in making CCCU a more socially and environmentally conscious, sustainable place to study and work

Employment Visa Clarification: According to the UK Government Points Based System, this position does not fulfil the requirements for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker Route application.

Please note applications must be made online via the University website; details sent directly via email cannot be considered.

No agencies, thank you.

For more information about this role, please view the job description.