Postdoctoral Research Associate (PDRA) in Social Anthropology x 2

The role

Applications are invited to fill two Postdoctoral Research Associate roles in Social Anthropology. This post is part of a UKRI funded project on small-scale extraction in Amazonia entitled “INFRACURSIONS: Deregulated Infrastructures of Extraction in Rainforest Frontiers” led by Dr Amy Penfield in the Department of Anthropology and Archaeology at the University of Bristol. A central objective of the role will be to undertake ethnographic research on informal extractive economies in Amazonia. The ideal candidate will have experience in fieldwork and ethnographic techniques alongside other social science methodologies such as archival research, social network analysis and/or supply chains.

What will you be doing?

You will work closely with a remote sensing expert, as well as a team of ethnographers who will be collecting ethnographic data on the social, legal and technical dimensions of small-scale extraction in Amazonia. In addition to undertaking a period of fieldwork in South America on at least one of the project themes (see Further Particulars document), you will work closely with the research team to develop and contribute to an interdisciplinary methodology, develop collaborations, publish results and organise events. Two posts are offered on a full-time basis and are funded for 2 years. 

You should apply if

You will have a PhD in Social Anthropology, Human Geography or other relevant discipline, specifically with training in ethnographic techniques. You will have excellent organisational, communication and presentation skills. You should demonstrate that you can engage in or are willing to undertake interdisciplinary collaborative work. This role will require travel to South America to undertake data collection and to engage with collaborative partnerships (both academic and non-academic). Preference will be given to candidates who have previously worked on topics relating to South American policy/politics, environmental issues and/or extraction, and who are proficient in Spanish and/or Portuguese.

IMPORTANT: you must read the Further Particulars document to learn more about the project and required application materials. Please ensure you read the document before sending email enquiries

Additional information

This role is open-ended with fixed funding for two years. 

For informal enquiries please contact:

Dr Amy Penfield (amy.penfield@bristol.ac.uk)

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