King's College London

About us 

The School of Education, Communication & Society (ECS) has been at the forefront of teacher education and education research for over 130 years. Today we are renowned for our teaching and research expertise in science and mathematics education; language, culture and communication; and public policy.

We are a part of the Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy and are based at our Waterloo campus. For more information about the School please see our website: www.kcl.ac.uk/ecs

About the role

The School of Education, Communication and Society (ECS) at King’s College London invites applications for a ten-month Postdoctoral Research Fellowship within the Global Observatory on Academic Freedom project (GOAF).

GOAF is a research endeavour launched in 2020 focusing on the study of contemporary understandings and practices of academic freedom across various jurisdictions, higher education systems and institutions. A key aspiration of GOAF is to produce research that supports the development of conceptual reference points and practical guidelines for academic freedom that are better adapted to the present times and challenges in this area. For this, GOAF engages with academic communities and other relevant stakeholders to both reimagine the concept and strengthen effective practices of academic freedom that transcend yet have utility in diverse academic, regulatory and social-political contexts.      

This is a full time post and you will be offered a fixed term contract for 8 months from the day you start.

About you

To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience: 

Essential criteria

1. A PhD in social sciences, law or humanities (or pending results).
2. A record of research, writing and/or policy and public engagement on academic freedom and related subjects.
3. A commitment to the principles and practice of intellectual autonomy and academic freedom and to advancing these values in academia and society.
4. Excellent communication skills.
5. Planning skills, efficient time management and ability to work independently.
6. Initiative, creativity and flexibility.

Downloading a copy of our Job Description

Full details of the role and the skills, knowledge and experience required can be found in the Job Description document, provided at the bottom of the next page after you click “Apply Now”. This document will provide information of what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process.

Please note that this is a PhD level role but candidates who have submitted their thesis and are awaiting award of their PhDs will be considered. In these circumstances the appointment will be made at Grade 5, spine point 30 with the title of Research Assistant. Upon confirmation of the award of the PhD, the job title will become Research Associate and the salary will increase to Grade 6. 

Further information 

We pride ourselves on being inclusive and welcoming. We embrace diversity and want everyone to feel that they belong and are connected to others in our community. 

We are committed to working with our staff and unions on these and other issues, to continue to support our people and to develop a diverse and inclusive culture at King's.

We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV, and a supporting statement, detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the advert. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our final shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible.

To find out how our managers will review your application, please take a look at our ‘How we Recruit’ pages.

We are not able to offer sponsorship for candidates who do not currently possess the right to work in the UK.