At a Glance
- Tasks: Conduct research on language and behaviours of far right groups and develop innovative methodologies.
- Company: Join the ESRC Centre for Corpus Approaches to Social Science at Lancaster University.
- Benefits: This is a full-time, indefinite position with funding from the UKRI Future Leader’s Fellowship scheme.
- Other info: Position based in Bailrigg, Lancaster, UK, with a fixed term of 48 months.
- Why this job: Contribute to a critical project on digital far right language and behaviours.
- Qualifications: PhD in computational linguistics or relevant field; expertise in natural language processing required.
The predicted salary is between 35000 - 45000 £ per year.
Location: Bailrigg, Lancaster, UK
Position type: Full-Time / Indefinite with End Date
Interview date: Wednesday 15th July 2026
We are looking to appoint a highly motivated and resilient individual, with excellent communication skills, the capacity to work collaboratively as part of a team and the ability to solve problems creatively to join us as a Postdoctoral Research Associate (PDRA) within the group of Dr Isobelle Clarke in the ESRC Centre for Corpus Approaches to Social Science in Linguistics and English Language. This position is funded by the UKRI Future Leader’s Fellowship scheme.
The successful applicant will join a team of researchers based in Lancaster University working on the project ‘A Multi-Dimensional Understanding of the Digital Far Right’.
Project Aims:- To systematically identify how the language and behaviours of far right groups vary (what linguistic features and repertoires they share and how the most high risk content compares).
- To develop an innovative methodology to allow for training of law enforcement.
You should hold a PhD in computational linguistics or a relevant field (or have submitted with a scheduled viva date). You should also have a background in data science, especially natural language processing, expertise in how to scrape data from the web, and a critical, academic interest in studying the far right. Some background with machine learning, automatic feature recognition, multivariate statistical techniques, sparse data, and zero-inflation methods would be an advantage.
This is a fixed term position at 1.0 FTE for a period of 48 months.
For informal enquiries, please contact Dr Isobelle Clarke, Lecturer in Security and Protection Science; UKRI Future Leaders Fellow: i.clarke@lancaster.ac.uk
Please note: unless specified otherwise in the advert, all advertised roles are UK based. The University recognises and celebrates good employment practice undertaken to address all inequality in higher education whilst promoting the importance and wellbeing for all our colleagues. We warmly welcome applicants from all sections of the community regardless of their age, religion, gender identity or expression, race, disability or sexual orientation, and are committed to promoting diversity, and equality of opportunity.
Senior Research Associate - Computational Linguist in Lancaster employer: Lancaster University
Lancaster University offers a supportive environment for research with a focus on diversity and equality. The ESRC Centre promotes innovative methodologies in linguistics, contributing to significant societal issues. Located in Bailrigg, it provides a collaborative atmosphere among researchers.
