Research Associate

Are you an historical researcher, with a PhD (or equivalent) in an area of modern British History? Are you an historical researcher with a PhD in an area of modern British History? Do you have experience in historical research and a record of high quality academic publications?

If so this full-time, fixed term role as Research Associate, may be ideal.

The School of Classics, English and History at the University of Kent seeks to appoint a Research Associate to work on an Arts and Humanities Research Council-funded (AHRC) Research, Development and Engagement Fellowship (2024-26) entitled Buzzers for Bedwetters: Incontinence and the Urinary Body in Britain, 1870-1970.

The project will focus on four key incontinent bodies prominent in the period - the child; the reproductive (including the postpartum woman and the male masturbator); the war veteran and the elderly. It will also build an international and multi-disciplinary research network with scholars in the humanities and social sciences and collaborate with Britain’s two main incontinence charities - Bladder and Bowel UK, and ERIC, The Children’s Bowel and Bladder Charity – who aim to reduce the stigma surrounding incontinence and to create public awareness of the distress and debilitation that stigmatisation causes. Research findings will be presented in academic publications; academic and non-academic conferences and workshops; printed and digital resources; webpages featuring blog posts; and an online exhibition. 

With support from the Principal Investigator, the Research Associate will collect and analyse archival data, conduct literature reviews, deliver academic outputs, and collaborate with the project partners to deliver public outputs. Data collection will involve travel to archives and libraries in London, Essex, Lancaster, Sussex, Nottingham, Hull and other repositories as necessary, and partner collaboration will require travel to Bristol and Manchester. The Research Associate will also develop their own strand of independent research, disseminated in an academic journal, relevant academic conferences and blog posts. 

More information on the project can be found here on the blog post here: Buzzers for Bedwetters: Incontinence and the Urinary Body in Britain, 1870-1970. 

As a Research Associate you will:

• Undertake research on the project, liaising and consulting regularly with the PI, project partners and stakeholders
• Disseminate and publicise research findings via conferences, academic publications and blog posts 
• Produce high quality, publishable research relevant to the project objectives
• Contribute to the intellectual development of the project
• Co-organise partner and academic workshops
• Carry out routine administrative tasks associated with the project to ensure that it is completed on time and within budget. 

To be successful in this role you will have:

• Hold a PhD/equivalent (or near completion) in a relevant area of modern British history (e.g. social and cultural history, medical history, history of science) 
• Experience of undertaking historical research and analysis (e.g. archival research, textual/ephemeral analysis, compiling bibliographies)
• Knowledge of nineteenth and twentieth century British history
• Experience in writing and publishing high quality academic publications
• A record of giving research papers at conferences and seminars
• Experience of collaboration with charities and/or other non-academic partners

Please see the links below to view the full job description and to apply for this post. If you require further information regarding the application process, please contact the People Services Team on peopleserviceshr@kent.ac.uk quoting ref number AHUM-320-24

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