Research Associate

The Norface network funded EUINACTION project seeks to explain and facilitate responsive and effective European Union (EU) policy reforms by increasing knowledge about the willingness and capacity for European integration in specific policy areas. It will investigate under what conditions politicians and institutions in the EU seek to increase or decrease specific policy competencies of the EU; when these actors and institutions manage to assert their positions in the policy-making processes; and to what extent their positions respond to public demands across and within member states. Methodologically, the inter-disciplinary project will apply state-of-the-art methods of automated text analysis to various sources of political text (manifestos of political parties, transcripts of speeches from the European and national parliaments, and EU legislative proposals) to establish and analyze the policy goals and policy-making influence of different EU legislative institutions (European Commission, European Parliament and the Council of Ministers). This will enable explaining the mechanisms that drive or obstruct policy change at the European level in different policy areas (e.g., common currency, internal market, environment, public health, consumer protection, immigration, or security).

As a Research Associate, under the general guidance of PI Dr Zachary Greene, you will develop research objectives and proposals, play a lead role in relation to a specific project/s or part of a broader project, conduct individual and/or collaborative research, contribute to the development of new research methods, identify sources of funding, and contribute to the securing of funds for research, including drafting grant proposals and planning for future proposals. You will write up research work for publication, individually or in collaboration with colleagues, and disseminate the results via peer reviewed journal publications and presentation at conferences. You will join external networks to share information and ideas, inform the development of research objectives and to identify potential sources of funding. You will collaborate with colleagues to ensure that research advances inform departmental teaching effort and you will collaborate with colleagues on the development of knowledge exchange activities by, for example, participating in initiatives which establish research links with industry and influence public policy and the professions.  

To be considered for the role, you will be educated to a minimum of PhD level in an appropriate discipline, or have significant relevant experience in addition to a relevant degree. You will have sufficient breadth or depth of knowledge in quantitative research methods and ideally quantitative text analysis and machine learning approaches with substantive interests in the fields party politics, legislative behaviour, political representation, and/or EU politics and a developing ability to conduct individual research work, to disseminate results and to prepare research proposals. You will have excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to listen, engage and persuade, and to present complex information in an accessible way to a range of audiences.

Whilst not essential for the role, applications are welcomed from candidates with: relevant work experience, membership of relevant Chartered/professional bodies (including the Higher Education Academy).

The role is for 12 months in the first instance with a possibility of extending to a maximum of 36 months subject to funding/resourcing.

Informal enquiries about the post can be directed to Dr Zachary Greene, Strathclyde Chancellor’s Fellow: Zachary.greene@strath.ac.uk

Formal interviews for this post will be held week commencing 03 August.

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