Faculty of Arts and Humanities (HUM)
School of Literature, Drama, and Creative Writing (LDC)
Senior Research Associate
Ref: RA2392
Salary on appointment will be £38,784 per annum, with an annual increment up to £46,049 per annum.
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Senior Research Associate to join the School of Literature, Drama and Creative Writing on a fixed term basis from 1 September 2026 until 30 April 2029, to work on the AHRC-funded project, Beyond the Essay: Creative-Critical Teaching. There may be the possibility of a short extension to the project, subject to the availability of funding.
This project, led by Dr Thomas Karshan (UEA) and Dr Kate Bomford (UCL Institute of Education) aims to reinvigorate English studies in schools and universities by researching, facilitating, and championing ‘creative-critical’ teaching.
It combines:
- Historical research on the teaching of literature from antiquity to the present.
- Classroom research in schools and universities.
- The development of new pedagogical and assessment practices.
- Collaboration with major partners including the English and Media Centre, exam boards (AQA, OCR, Pearson, Eduqas), and national subject associations.
You will play a central role in the intellectual and practical delivery of the project.
Based at UEA, you will:
- Work with scholars and teachers to translate the project’s research into a major open-access website of creative-critical teaching resources, suitable for secondary and higher education.
- Conduct research on creative-critical teaching and assessment at university level, with comparative work across UK, and potentially international institutions. This will include classroom-based research, including observation, analysis of student work, and collaboration with teachers and academics.
- Organise and contribute to conferences and workshops.
- Conduct workshops on creative-critical teaching at schools across the UK and liaise with teachers.
- Contribute to the project’s major outputs, including a handbook on creative-critical teaching and a policy report.
- Develop an independent research agenda within the framework of the project, and publish your own significant research outputs, including journal articles.
You will have a PhD in English Literature, Creative Writing, Education, or a related field, and a demonstrable interest in one or more of: creative-critical pedagogy, literary pedagogy past and present, and the relation between creative writing and criticism. You will also have a developing research profile, with publications or equivalent outputs. You will have experience of teaching in higher or secondary education, with experience in both being advantageous. You will be able to create excellent pedagogical resources in online and print form. You will have the ability to engage academic, educational, and public audiences.
Further information on the experience and skills required, and project, can be found in the Candidate Brochure.
This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Appointment will be subject to a criminal record check at Enhanced level from the Disclosure and Barring Service, including a check of the Child Barred List. It is an offence to apply for this role if you are barred from engaging in regulated activity relevant to children.
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: 25 May 2026
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