Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Archaeology

DURHAM UNIVERSITY; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading research university in the United Kingdom is seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate to work on bioarchaeology and the bioethics of historical anatomical skeletal collections. The role involves conducting interviews, analyzing data, and developing publications. Ideal candidates will have experience in bioarchaeology and a strong understanding of historical collections. This is a full-time position that offers an opportunity to influence new policies and guidelines related to anatomical collections.

Qualifications

• Experience in bioarchaeology and bioethics.
• Skills in qualitative analysis and interviews.
• Familiarity with anatomical skeletal collections.

Responsibilities

• Undertake interviews and qualitative analysis.
• Collect data from museum collections.
• Develop publications and presentations.

Job description

Organisation/Company DURHAM UNIVERSITY Research Field Cultural studies History Geosciences Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) Established Researcher (R3) Application Deadline 11 Feb 2026 - 00:00 (UTC) Country United Kingdom Type of Contract Other Job Status Full-time Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Research Associate in bioarchaeology with a particular emphasis on bioethics of historical anatomical skeletal legacy collections in the UK. The research project is supported by a British Academy Global Professorship awarded to Sian Halcrow. The aims of the project are

• Assay a wide range of collections, establishing information on acquisition and origin;
• Establish the changing uses of these collections over time in terms of teaching, curation, display, education, and outreach;
• Establish the provenance of the individuals curated within these collections, and as much information as possible about their lives;
• Co-produce new practice and policy guidelines for anatomical skeletal collections, relevant to Britain and globally.

The successful applicant will be expected to undertake and/or support interviews and qualitative analysis and will be involved in data collection from the museum collections, and all analysis, and publication development and conference presentations.