Research Fellow in City of Westminster

The Department of War Studies seeks to appoint a Research Fellow for the ERC Nuclear Echoes Project (led by PI Dr Nicola Leveringhaus, funded by ERC Consolidator Grant 101229981). The successful candidate will work closely with the PI and wider project team, taking day-to-day responsibility for leading and delivering Work Package 1 which will design and develop a global nuclear weapons commemoration database. Working closely with the PI and wider project team, the postholder will develop the conceptual and methodological foundations of the database, establish shared data-collection rules, engage in and support related fieldwork across the project, and produce academic and public-facing research outputs. An experimental launch of the database is planned in 2029. In terms of expected outputs, beyond the database, at least one peer-reviewed academic article (can be single authored or co-authored with the PI) is expected on the database, for example on the methods and/or release of the database. The Research Fellow is also expected to assist other team members in curating a Special Issue for the project. Given long publishing time-frames, the peer-reviewed publications need only be submitted/ideally accepted for publication within the time-frame of the role. In this role, the Research Fellow will present findings at internal workshops, as well as international conferences, including organising a panel or roundtable where appropriate, and publish shorter briefs or blog posts as opportunities arise. The Research Fellow will work closely with the PI and colleagues across the project's other work packages, ensuring that Work Package 1 supports the project's wider comparative research. They will also take part in the collaborative life of the project, including monthly team meetings, any relevant seminars and project workshops, and related activities of the CSNS and CNSS research centres where possible. This post is a three-year full-time fixed-term research role ideally starting on 1 January 2027.

The Equality Act of 2010 protects the rights of our students and staff and provides a framework to fulfil our duties to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and in addition, to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between those who share a protected characteristic and those who do not. At times, this will include balancing rights and beliefs that can feel in tension. We are committed to free speech and to academic freedom, believing that our foundational purpose as a university, is to create spaces where a wide range of ideas, including ideas that are controversial, can be discussed and debated, and where members of our community can express lawful views without fear of intimidation, harassment or discrimination. When engaging in the robust exchange of ideas, we ask that our community is mindful of our Dignity at King's guidance.

We reserve the right to close adverts early due to the volume of applications we receive. While the closing date may change, all adverts will close at 23:59 to allow sufficient time for applications to be submitted on that day.

Essential criteria

• PhD in a discipline that relates to the topic of nuclear weapons
• Research experience on global nuclear weapons issues
• Ability to design and conduct independent empirical research, including fieldwork abroad
• An emerging record of peer-reviewed publication, or equivalent evidence of the ability to produce research of publishable quality
• Excellent written and spoken English

Desirable criteria

• Experience managing complex research data or developing research databases
• Experience coordinating research activities involving multiple stakeholders and data sources
• Experience presenting at international conferences
• A record of contribution to academic and research communities (e.g. organising seminars or workshops, mentoring, departmental service)

The Department of War Studies is one of the only academic departments in the world focused on understanding the complex realm of conflict, security, and international politics through inter-disciplinary teaching, research and engagement. We have a large and diverse faculty, with varied theoretical and methodological expertise in areas including, but not limited to, conflict resolution, contemporary and historical warfare, gender, international relations, migration and borders, security studies, strategic studies, technology and violence.

The Department is located within the School of Security Studies and the Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy. Together, we are committed to embedding good diversity and inclusion practice into all of our activities. We are committed to encouraging further growth in our diversity, and we look forward to welcoming applicants of all abilities and backgrounds, whom we are able to support with our flexible varied working practices. Overall, King's values the diversity of its staff and student body and recognises that this is both a strength and a defining feature of King's as a London university in a global context. At King's, we believe that the diversity of our community and a culture that is welcoming, open, inclusive and collaborative, are great strengths of the university. The Equality Act of 2010 protects the rights of our students and staff and provides a framework to fulfil our duties to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and in addition, to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between those who share a protected characteristic and those who do not. At times, this will include balancing rights and beliefs that can feel in tension. We are committed to free speech and to academic freedom, believing that our foundational purpose as a university, is to create spaces where a wide range of ideas, including ideas that are controversial, can be discussed and debated, and where members of our community can express lawful views without fear of intimidation, harassment, or discrimination. When engaging in the robust exchange of ideas, we ask that our community is mindful of our Dignity at King's guidance., At King's, we believe that the diversity of our community and a culture that is welcoming, open, inclusive and collaborative, are great strengths of the university.