Foresighters Doctoral Training Programme in Belfast

Queen’s University, Belfast is delighted to launch the recruitment process for 20 Early‑Stage Researchers (ESRs) as part of its Foresighters Doctoral Training Programme. This offers an exceptional opportunity for future research leaders to access an innovative programme of doctoral training at one of the UK’s leading universities and engage in high‑impact, inter‑disciplinary research with a wide range of non‑academic partners.

FORESIGHTERS (FutureORiEntedSkills, Innovation for Governance for Health, Technology, Energy, Future Cities and Creativity) offers unique opportunities to build a future research career that tackles complex societal problems. Researchers will be based in academic units across the university, from engineering and humanities to social science and the arts, working within one of five interdisciplinary research themes: Health, Technology, Energy, Future Cities, and Creativity.

The cohort of researchers will be bound by a common perspective and training in Futures Thinking and Futures Literacy, and will develop the skills and capabilities to understand, imagine, and critically use different ideas about the future to better address key challenges. In addition to advanced training offered by the Thomas Moran Graduate School, FORESIGHTERS ESRs will be trained in skills for anticipating change and using multiple possible futures to stimulate reflection, creativity, resilience and focus for contemporary action. The training programme also emphasises the development of sustainable, diverse and equitable research environments.

FORESIGHTERS ESR package

Successful candidates will be offered a 42‑month full‑time employment contract with standard staff benefits:

• Monthly living allowance equivalent to €3,655 (converted to GBP and subject to exchange rate variation).
• Monthly family allowance of €660 for eligible ESRs.
• Basic salary without pension contribution: £37,734 per annum.
• Basic salary with pension contribution: £31,185 per annum.
• Family allowance (if eligible): £6,600 per annum.

ESRs will have access to a high‑quality work environment, including a personal computer, scientific equipment and access to library and shared research facilities. The generous contribution of the Northern Ireland Department for the Economy also provides full coverage of tuition fees.

We are looking to create a pool of applicants who are highly motivated researchers with exceptional potential for Futures research. Applicants should hold a degree that is demonstrably equivalent to a UK Upper Second‑Class Honours Bachelor’s, or a Master’s degree.

Essential Criteria

• Hold (or be about to be awarded) a degree equivalent to a UK 1st class or 2.1 Honours degree, from a UK or Republic of Ireland higher education provider, or an equivalent qualification from outside the UK and Republic of Ireland.
• Have not yet been awarded a doctorate level qualification.
• Meet MSCA mobility requirements: must not have resided or carried out main education and/or employment activity in the UK for more than 12 months in the 3 years prior to appointment.
• Demonstrate competence in written and spoken English, in accordance with the University’s English Language Requirements.
• Be eligible and qualified for enrolment in the PhD programme at QUB.
• Show sufficient breadth or depth of specialist knowledge in techniques for the investigation of a proposed research topic within a Futures framework and in an interdisciplinary context.
• Have relevant experience with research methods and techniques appropriate to the proposed project.
• Provide demonstrable evidence of analytical and problem‑solving abilities relevant to research.
• Show ability to communicate complex information clearly.
• Demonstrate ability to work collaboratively and interact professionally with colleagues, supervisors and partners in network development and outreach, knowledge exchange and demonstration activities.
• Be willing and able to undertake secondments (potentially outside Northern Ireland), travel to conferences and partner sites, and participate fully in all scheduled training.
• Show flexibility to occasionally adjust working hours when required, in line with university policy.

Desirable Criteria

• Master’s qualification in a relevant subject or professional practice equivalency.
• Specialisation in Health or a related field relevant to the proposed area of research.
• Professional working experience (including employment and placements) in sectors and work (private, public and third sector or academia) relevant to the Research Theme.
• Demonstrable ability to organise workload, manage time and meet deadlines.
• Practical experience of Futures research and techniques, including futures literacy, foresight, systems thinking, citizen engagement and innovation management.
• Demonstrable experience of website maintenance, use of social media tools and/or other forms of communication.

Selection Process

Our recruitment process will run from 18 May until November, when successful candidates will be notified (date to be confirmed). Applicants will be asked to complete an online application and upload a document containing a CV, a supporting statement and an outline research proposal. This is an open call – applicants may select a suggested project idea or articulate a research idea of their own. After screening for eligibility, applicants shortlisted for interview will be notified by the end of July. Shortlisted applicants will also be invited to participate in Online Research Theme Sandpits, which will be held in early September (dates to be confirmed). Interviews will be held in early October. Following the interviews, the Recruitment Committee will meet to confirm the decisions made by each Research Theme Panel, and the decisions will be communicated to the applicants. Successful applicants will be supported in their application for permission to live and work in the United Kingdom (Global Talent Visa) with an expectation that they will travel to Belfast to start their contracts in January 2027.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

FORESIGHTERS will seek to demonstrate a commitment to equality of opportunity in the recruitment process by:

• Ensuring members of selection, evaluation and assessment panels are as diverse as possible and have undergone EDI training.
• Using diverse recruitment channels to reach under‑represented groups.
• Explicitly encouraging applications from under‑represented groups in job adverts, avoiding gendered or exclusionary language.
• Considering diversity and barriers to entry for diverse groups when shortlisting.
• Adopting inclusive interview and selection strategies such as providing clear and accessible information on the recruitment process and interview.
• Signing up to initiatives that enable employers to engage proactively with disabilities and to improve the recruitment of disabled researchers for their skills and talent.

Those involved in recruitment will be instructed to recognise that performance in interviews can be influenced by language and cultural differences and will take account of these factors when weighing the interview performance. They will also be asked to recognise that FORESIGHTERS is designed to be inclusive, and evaluation should not penalise researchers who spend time outside active research or work, for example for parental leave, sick leave or career breaks. The criteria will focus on research interests and suitability for the role, not solely on a continuous record of research or work.

Eligibility Requirements

• MSCA Career Stage requirement: Applicants must not hold a doctoral degree on the date of the deadline for applications (29 June 2026).
• MSCA Mobility requirement: Applicants must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the United Kingdom for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before the deadline for applications.
• Right to work: Appointed candidates must have permission to live and work in the United Kingdom before they can commence their contract with MSCA and QUB.