Research Assistant (Fixed Term)

Applications are invited for a 24-month part-time Research Assistant position on 'The Great Exhibitions and their Lost Indigenous Objects', funded by the Australian Research Council.

This project will re-discover Australian Indigenous objects sent overseas to international exhibitions in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries which constituted vital forms of cultural, political and economic diplomacy and imperial communication and projection. Using rich archival, textual and photographic sources, it will investigate the Indigenous makers, collectors and representations of Aboriginal people at such exhibitions. By identifying objects still in collections and those sent but now lost, the project will repatriate knowledge and remake connections between objects and communities, generating new narratives and exhibition possibilities, bringing contemporary Indigenous messages to museums and a global audience.

Professor Nicholas Thomas is Partner Investigator on the project, which is led by Professor Gaye Sculthorpe, Deakin University, Melbourne.

The appointee will undertake research in support of the project goals across collections in museums and other repositories in the United Kingdom and elsewhere in Europe, will liaise with other members of the international research group, and support project activities and outcomes including workshops and publications.

Applicants should have experience of undertaking historical research on Indigenous artefacts and collections, experience of work with museum collections, and experience of working with community groups.

Applicants should have excellent organisation skills, attention to detail, ability to work on their own initiative and as part of a team, excellent interpersonal skills, demonstrated interests in museums and excellent written and oral communication skills. Applicants should hold a degree in anthropology, archaeology, history or a related discipline.

The successful applicant will be based at the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Cambridge, and be prepared to travel to undertake research in UK and European museum collections.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 24 months in the first instance.

Please ensure that you upload your Curriculum Vitae (CV), a covering letter and a list of publications in the upload section of the online application. If you upload any additional documents that have not been requested, we will not be able to consider these as part of your application. You must also provide the names and contact details of two referees who are familiar with your work/studies in the relevant field.

Once an offer of employment has been accepted, the successful candidate will be required to undergo a basic disclosure (criminal records) check, a health assessment and a security check

To apply online for this vacancy and to view further information about the role, please click on the apply button above.

The closing date for applications is Friday 06 December 2024.

Online interviews will be held on: Monday 16 or Tuesday 17 December 2024.

Informal enquiries about this vacancy may be addressed to Professor Nicholas Thomas, Director at njt35@cam.ac.uk If you have any queries regarding the application process please contact HSPS HR (hr@hsps.cam.ac.uk).

Please quote reference JU44137 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

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