Research and Outreach Associate (Fixed Term)

University of Cambridge; Cambridge; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Cambridge’s HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Centre of Islamic Studies invites applications for a three-year, fixed-term Postdoctoral Research and Outreach Associate. Based in Cambridge, the role combines research on Muslims in the UK and Europe with designing outreach activities engaging public policy stakeholders and local schools.

Teaching may be included; PhD by start date is expected and early-career researchers are encouraged.

Qualifications

• PhD required by start date or before employment begins
• Early-career researchers encouraged
• Fluency in English for outreach and collaboration

Responsibilities

• Pursue a research project related to Muslims of the UK and Europe
• Design and run outreach activities beyond the academic community
• Contribute to teaching and collaborate with partners and schools
• Attend CIS seminars and conferences and engage with external funding opportunities

Job description

The HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Centre of Islamic Studies (CIS) at the University of Cambridge is seeking to appoint a Postdoctoral Research and Outreach Associate with a research specialism related to Muslims of the UK and Europe. The post is a three-year, fixed-term position which will commence in September 2027. It is full-time and based in the Centre of Islamic Studies, which is located in the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies.

CIS research and outreach posts are distinctive in that postholders are expected to 1) pursue a research project in an area related to Muslims of the UK and Europe and 2) design and run a set of outreach activities that reach beyond the academic community. What form the latter will take will depend on the specialism of the appointee but collaboration with Muslim organisations, public policy stakeholders, governmental and non-governmental organisations and local schools is welcomed. Current projects with a strong outreach component are: Dr Davide Pettinato's Green(ing) British Muslims and Dr Stefan Williamson Fa's Food Encounters: Sadaqah, Solidarity, and Sustainability in the UK and Spain.

CIS is one of a network of HRH Alwaleed Bin Talal centres and research and outreach associates are strongly encouraged to collaborate with colleagues at our UK partner institution, the Alwaleed Centre at the University of Edinburgh and with other Alwaleed centres at Harvard, Georgetown, the American University of Beirut and the American University of Cairo as appropriate. Research and outreach associates are expected to apply for additional external funding for the activities they design, when possible. The postholder may also contribute to the teaching of modern Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies within the Department of Middle Eastern Studies, with which CIS has close links, or elsewhere in the University.

Candidates will need to demonstrate an upward research trajectory and an ability to develop and carry out research projects of a high academic standard. They will also need to show an interest in and understanding of the remit of the Centre of Islamic Studies and a commitment to outreach beyond academia. Attendance at and participation in CIS weekly seminars and events during term-time, and annual conferences or symposia, is expected. The role requires an ability to work independently but also as part of a team, and native or near native fluency in spoken and written English.

The successful candidate will be expected to have been awarded their PhD by the date their employment commences. CIS Research and Outreach posts are intended primarily for early-career researchers. Applications are therefore invited from researchers who have submitted their doctoral thesis for viva voce examination no more than four years prior to the application closing date. Those wishing to make a case for a career break due to maternity leave, family commitments, illness, or other exceptional circumstances should provide relevant details. Please note that time spent working outside academia does not qualify as a career break.

The closing date for applications is 15 October 2026. Academic references will be requested for shortlisted candidates in advance of the interviews, which will likely take place towards the end of November. They may take place in-person or online, depending on the applicant's and interviewers' availability. Any offer of employment will be conditional on the offer-holder having or gaining the right to work in the UK and receipt of a satisfactory workplace reference if relevant.

Further enquiries may be directed to [e-mail]

Please quote reference VN50841 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.