About the Job: Research Associate Theorising Ableism in the Academy

Overview

This post is for a Research Associate who will be based in the School of Education and iHuman (the interdisciplinary institute for the study of the human) to take a key role in supporting the delivery on a body of scholarship in relation to issues of equality, inclusion and diversity with a particular focus on disability.

The Research Associate will work closely with Professor Rebecca Lawthom, the Head of the School of Education, on an identified body of writing and scholarship that will be delivered over a two and a half year period. Collaborating with Professor Lawthom, you will identify and work on a number of theoretical and analytical outputs focused around (though not exclusively) on number of areas of research interest:
 

• The ways in which research, theory and scholarship are transformed by an engagement with critical disability studies.
• The positive presence of disability to enable more inclusive research and university environments.
• The ways in which we can reimagine representations of disability in society and culture.
• An exploration of equality, diversity and inclusion generated through a focus on anti-ableist and anti-disablist practice.

The postholder’s responsibilities primarily relate to:

• literature review and scoping;
• identification of key journals to write and submit articles to;
• development of analytical approaches and methods that respond to rapidly emerging secondary data (primarily qualitative);
• participating in a collaborative research environment which will give opportunities for joint writing and collaboration with live research projects.
• writing a number of journal articles - in collaboration with Professor Lawthom and others - that boast originality, significance and rigour.
• Submission of drafts of journal articles and responding to referees comments

Alongside these responsibilities the postholder will be given protected time to explore opportunities for their own career and research development in line with the Concordat on Researcher Development: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/research-services/researcher-development/our-commitment/concordat.

This may take the form of other scholarship and research funding opportunities.

The post requires a researcher with experience of and/or willingness to engage theoretically and analytically with secondary data who also has a keen interest in writing and scholarship. Excellent interpersonal skills are required to work across an interdisciplinary team. We welcome applications from researchers of higher education, inclusive education, critical disability studies, community psychology, literacy and education, medical humanities, medical sociology, medical anthropology, critical race and postcolonial studies. We welcome applicants from the social sciences and arts and humanities.

We anticipate three stages to recruitment: (i) shortlisting of candidates based on their application; (ii) shortlisted candidates asked to complete a written task which will be assessed by a panel and (iii) a final shortlisting of candidates for interview based on a review of the written task.

We are committed to inclusive recruitment and we address many Frequently Asked Questions here:
hyperlink https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/ihuman/disability-research-job-opportunities

We anticipate the following stages to recruitment: (i) candidates submit their application; (ii) shortlisted candidates asked to complete a written task which will be assessed by a panel; (iii) a final shortlisting of candidates for interview will be made based on a review of the written task.

Person Specification

You should provide evidence in your application that you meet the following criteria.

The University of Sheffield is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer, we commit to recruit and retain disabled applicants and support positive action. We encourage disabled people to apply for our jobs and to have the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, talent, and abilities at the interview stage. We commit to offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the job.  For further information on the Disability Confident Scheme, please follow the link.

	Criteria	Essential	Desirable
1	Have a good honours degree in the social sciences, arts or humanities	X
2	Have a PhD OR equivalent experience of independent research/scholarship/writing in the area of disability	X
3	Experience with secondary data analysis (especially qualitative data analysis)	X
4	Knowledge of the academic literature on anti-ableist and anti-disablist practice.	X
5	Previous experiences of and commitments to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion in the university sector.	X
6	A track record of writing for publication	X
7	Experience of working well as part of a team and taking responsibility for delivering a specific role	X
8	Excellent organisational skills; such as time management, decision making, planning, prioritising, attention to detail etc.	X
9	Evidence of planning one’s own future research and scholarship activities		X
10	Evidence of writing in different formats (e.g. reports, journal articles, audio, film) to meet the needs of different audiences (e.g. academics, policymakers, practitioners and wider public)		X

About the Team

This post will be based in the School of Education and iHuman in the Faculty of Social Sciences.
The Faculty of Social Sciences is a large and diverse grouping of thirteen departments that offer professional education alongside more traditional social science disciplines. This rich and exciting disciplinary mix encompasses both world-leading academic research and education and a strong practitioner focus in particular areas. It uniquely positions the Faculty among Sheffield's peer institutions.

The School of Education is internationally renowned for its research excellence and teaching quality. We have a wide range of full-time, part-time, distance and online programmes, making this a vibrant and stimulating environment for research-informed teaching. Our student body is growing in diversity, with full and part-time students, coming from a range of previous study experiences, from different contexts of educational practice and from different regions of the world. The School enjoys strong demand for its postgraduate and undergraduate programmes. We are respected internationally for our teaching quality and impact of our research. Our staff are engaged in high-quality international research focusing on diverse educational issues and methodological approaches, all underpinned by a commitment to social justice, equity and inclusion.

Many members of the School of Education are also members of iHuman; one of the leading interdisciplinary Social Research Institutes of the Faculty of Social Sciences. iHuman draws on expertise from across the social sciences, the humanities and STEM disciplines and brings together academics, community groups and third sector organisations. We promote risky conversations between and across disciplines and do this primarily through our funded research projects.

Job Description

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop a number of identified literature reviews and academic papers - in collaboration with Professor Lawthom and others - that boast originality, significance and rigour.;
• Implement analytical approaches and methods that respond to rapidly emerging secondary data (primarily qualitative);
• Participate in a collaborative research environment such as joint writing and research projects.
• Submit a number of journal articles and respond to referees comments
• Write research outputs, which might additionally include book chapters, policy briefs and reports.
• Lead and contribute to the preparation of presentations at national/international conferences or seminars to disseminate research findings.
• Read academic papers, journals and textbooks and attend conferences to keep abreast of developments.
• Keep in regular contact with the line manager, including regular team meetings in person and via online communications.
• Coordinate and liaise with other members of the project team (when necessary).
• Plan own research schedule and workload within the wider project framework identifying milestones and objectives.
• Undertake mandatory online training required for members of The School of Education.
• Uphold the highest standards of ethics and research integrity.
• Organise and support the delivery of an agreed dissemination strategy.
• You will make a full and active contribution to the principles of the ‘Sheffield Academic’. These include the achievement of excellence in applied teaching and research, and scholarly pursuits to make a genuine difference in the subject area and to the University’s achievements as a whole.
• As a member of staff you will be encouraged to make ethical decisions in your role, embedding the University sustainability strategy into your working activities wherever possible.
• Any other duties, commensurate with the grade of the post.

Reward Package

Terms and conditions of employment: Will be those for Grade 7 staff. 

Salary for this grade: Grade 7.3, £37,099 per annum (pro rata). 

This post is fixed-term: To start as soon as possible with an end date of 01/07/26 This post is full-time.  

We are a campus based residential university and as such the expectation is that all staff will spend some of their time on campus. The university is committed to allowing its employees to work to a hybrid model with a combination of working on campus and remotely, where possible. This role has been identified as a role that could work to the hybrid model and if successful your manager will discuss these informal arrangements with you.

The School of Education is located in The Wave , our world-class Social Sciences building. As well as being the most sustainable building on campus, The Wave brings together students, staff and the wider community and encourages collaborative thinking, working and socialising.

If you join the University you will have access to a Total Reward Package that includes a competitive salary, a generous Pension Scheme and annual leave entitlement, as well as access to a range of learning and development courses to support your personal and professional development. You will have access to your own personalised portal where you can also access a comprehensive selection of benefits and offers to suit your changing lifestyle needs, for example financial wellbeing, travel options, shopping and cinema discounts.

The University is committed to tackling the global climate emergency. Our sustainability strategy forms an integral part of all we do. We strive to embed this in all areas of university life, from our students’ education, the globally impacting international research we contribute, to campus life.

We aim to empower staff to work sustainably by giving them the knowledge to make ethical decisions at work and home. Staff have the opportunity to be involved in impactful sustainability projects through the nationally recognised Green Impact scheme.

Staff have access to excellent green benefits including the cycle to work scheme with discounts and free secure bike storage, as well as many greener choices across campus.

If you have an interest in this area, the university will strive to passionately support you in these commitments. Check out www.sheffield.ac.uk/sustainability for more information.

The University of Sheffield recognises the importance of creating a positive environment, whereby all staff feel able to talk openly and with trust about wellbeing and mental health.

Our Staff Wellbeing offer, encourages and supports staff to maintain their own positive health and wellbeing through a range of accessible, inclusive and supportive services and activities.

Our leadership development has been designed to ensure that our leaders have the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed by the University.

Inclusion at Sheffield is everyone's responsibility. Our vision is to build a University community that actively attracts, engages and develops talented individuals from many different backgrounds.

We are proud of our award-winning equality, diversity and inclusion action, and we continue to work to create a fully inclusive environment where everyone can flourish.

To find out more about the benefits of working at the University, visit www.sheffield.ac.uk/jobs/benefits

Selection – Next Steps

Closing date: For details of the closing date please view this post on our web pages at www.sheffield.ac.uk/jobs

Following the closing date, we will contact you by email to let you know whether or not you have been shortlisted to participate in the next stage of the selection process. Please note that due to the large number of applications that we receive, it may take up to two working weeks following the closing date before the recruiting department will be able to contact you.

For more information on our application and recruitment processes visit www.sheffield.ac.uk/jobs/application-tips

Informal enquiries

For informal enquiries about this job and the recruiting department, contact: Professor Rebecca Lawthom r.lawthom@sheffield.ac.uk

For administration queries and details on the application process, contact the lead recruiter: Beth Mann on beth.mann@sheffield.ac.uk.

For all online application system queries and support, visit: www.sheffield.ac.uk/jobs/faqs

We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and communities, and in particular those that are

currently under-represented in our workforce. This includes those considered to have protected

characteristics under the Equalities Act (2010). Please let us know if there's anything we can do to

make the application process more accessible.

Creating a remarkable place to work

We build teams of people from different heritages and lifestyles from across the world, whose talent and contributions complement each other to greatest effect. We believe diversity in all its forms delivers greater impact through research, teaching and student experience.

We have a global reputation for impactful research, excellent teaching and learning. By joining the University, you will be joining award-winning teams and departments who are all working together to make the University of Sheffield a remarkable place to work.