Faculty of Arts and Humanities
School of History
Senior Research Associate (Fixed term for 2 years)
Ref: RA2296
Salary on appointment will be £38,249 per annum, with an annual increment up to £45,413 per annum.
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Senior Research Associate join the School of History to work with Professor Becky Taylor as part of the AHRC-funded project, Making History Months Count: Embedding Gypsy Roma Traveller History Month in the Public History Calendar.
Gypsy Roma Traveller History Month (GRTHM), first celebrated in Brent in 2001, went national in 2008. Yet, in contrast to similar celebrations - notably Black History and LGBT+ History Months - it remains marginal and often unacknowledged in the public history calendar.
This raises important questions: practical, intellectual and cultural.
- What does the ‘history of history months’ tell us of the relationship between public history and ‘diversity’?
- Why are some public history celebrations more popular than others?
- What educational, cultural or political preparations underpin successful History Months?
- What have activists, public history practitioners or other stakeholders hoped to achieve from such events, and have their hopes been realised?
- Is it possible to identify resources, practices or mechanisms by which effective History Month celebrations can be secured?
In using archival and oral history interviews to construct a ‘history of history months’ from the 1960s you will be central to answering some of these questions and feeding your findings into the wider work of the team. By the end of the project, you will have co-authored two articles and a monograph resulting from the research.
You will have a History PhD with a focus on public history, the histories of minoritised populations or an aligned topic.
You will also have a demonstrably strong publication record, as well as extensive independent archival research and oral history/interviewing experience.
It is vital that you have excellent interpersonal and written communication skills and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively. The nature of the research demands that you can demonstrate high levels of awareness of issues involving the racialisation, marginalisation and stigmatisation of minoritised groups in contemporary and historical contexts.
You will be actively mentored by Professor Taylor throughout your term with the project with an eye to developing and establishing your career. As part of this you will have the opportunity to engage in the wider activities of the project including public engagement and History Month events where appropriate.
The work includes in-person visits to archives, in-person interviews and the expectation of joining full-team meetings in locations across the UK.
This full-time post is available from 1 October 2025 for a fixed-term basis for 24 months.
Due to the constraints imposed by the funding body we are not able to offer the post as a part-time position. However, we encourage applications from individuals who would prefer a flexible working pattern including annualised hours, compressed working hours, and hybrid/remote working. Details of preferred hours should be stated in the personal statement and will be discussed further at interview.
Benefits include:
- 44 days annual leave inclusive of Bank Holidays and University Customary days.
- Family and Work-life balance policies including hybrid working and considerable maternity, paternity, shared parental leave and adoption leave.
- Generous pension scheme with life cover for dependants, plus incapacity cover.
- Health and Wellbeing: discounted access to Sportspark facilities, relaxation rooms, 320 acres of rolling parkland, wellbeing walks, Wellbeing Ambassador network, on-campus medical centre including NHS Dentist, Occupational Health and a 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme.
- Campus Facilities: Sportspark, library, nursery, supermarket, post office, bars and catering outlets.
- Exclusive shopping discounts to help cut the cost of household bills, childcare salary sacrifice scheme, Cycle to Work scheme and public transport discounts.
- Personal Development: unlimited access to LinkedIn Learning courses, specialist advice and training from our Organisational Development and Professional Learning Team.
Closing date: 23 April 2025
We strongly encourage applicants from Romani/Gypsy, Traveller and Roma backgrounds and welcome applications from all protected groups as defined by the Equality Act 2010. Appointment will be made on merit.
The University holds an Athena Swan Silver Institutional Award in recognition of our advancement towards gender equality.