Research Fellow in the Politics of Climate Change and Health - School of Government - 105741 - Grade

University of Birmingham; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 46,000 - 56,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Birmingham seeks a talented Research Fellow to lead innovative research at the intersection of politics, health, and climate change. This full-time position offers opportunities for collaboration within a prestigious research network and focuses on developing impactful indicators and analyses in relation to public and political engagement.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in research planning and project management.
• Proven ability to work effectively in multi-disciplinary teams.
• Strong track record of publications in relevant fields.

Responsibilities

• Lead research projects on politics, health, and climate change.
• Develop global indicators for tracking public engagement.
• Coordinate research activities and support academic publications.

Skills

Data visualization

Climate change policy

Quantitative data analysis

Public engagement

Education

PhD in political science, social sciences, public/global health

Job description

Job Description

Position Details

School of Government

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £46,735 to £55,755 with potential progression once in post to £62,728

Grade: 8

Full Time, Fixed Term contract up to February 2029

Closing date: 17th June 2025

Background

We are seeking a highly skilled Research Fellow to lead research at the intersection of politics, health, and climate change. The Research Fellow will join the prestigious Wellcome Trust-funded research collaboration, The Lancet Countdown: Tracking Progress on Health and Climate Change, working in partnership with The Lancet and the World Health Organization to track global progress on health and climate change. The Research Fellow will join the Working Group on Public and Political Engagement with Climate Change and Health (WG5). The role combines expertise in climate change and health policy with applied research skills to develop innovative indicators and analyses, and lead cutting-edge research on the politics of climate change and health. The Research Fellow will work with Professor Niheer Dasandi, the Co-Chair and Working Group lead, and will be based in the School of Government at the University of Birmingham. They will also be affiliated with the Birmingham Institute for Sustainability and Climate Action (BISCA), providing opportunities for cross-disciplinary collaboration and research impact.

Role Summary

To lead research at the intersection of politics, health, and climate change, joining the Working Group on Public and Political Engagement with Climate Change and Health (WG5) of The Lancet Countdown. The role involves combining expertise in climate change and health policy with applied research skills to develop innovative indicators and analyses, and spearhead cutting-edge research on the politics of climate change and health. This includes initiating and conducting original research which has measurable outcomes, planning, designing and co-ordinating research activities and programmes, contributing to the development of research strategies, publishing results of own research, and potentially supervising PhD students. The role will also involve developing and making substantial contributions to knowledge transfer, enterprise, business engagement, and public engagement activities.

Main Duties

• Spearheading research on the politics of climate change and health: Design and execute projects analysing the politics of health and climate change using different methods.
• Support WG5 and its Co-Chairs as an academic leader, including by acting as lead support for the WG5 Steering Group and coordinating.
• Lead the development and refinement of global indicators for tracking public and political engagement with climate change and health.
• Lead the contribution of the WG5 section of the global Lancet Countdown reports with the Working Group Chair, including by the drafting of relevant sections and supporting contributions from other WG5 authors.
• Support and co-lead the review of the Lancet Countdown's indicator framework for WG5.
• Contribute to, and lead, further academic publications and funding applications.
• Support regional WG5 teams in the incorporation of global indicators to regional reports, and interact with, and support, the wider Lancet Countdown project.
• Pursue personal research including developing research ideas and winning support, including financial support.
• Plan, publish and/or execute high quality research.
• Project manage research activities, and/or supervise other research staff where appropriate.
• Present high-quality findings in publications and conference proceedings.
• Develop novel methodologies and techniques appropriate to the type of research being pursued.
• Contribute to the administration/management of research across the Department/School.
• Apply knowledge in a way that develops new intellectual understanding.
• Actively manage equality, diversity and inclusion through monitoring and evaluation and actively challenging unacceptable behaviour.

Person Specification

Essential Qualifications and Experience:

• PhD (or near completion) in political science, social sciences, public/global health, or related field.
• Strong understanding of climate change and health, particularly related to politics and policy processes.
• Strong track record of publications in political science, climate change, health policy, or related fields.
• Proven ability to work with quantitative data and indicators.
• Experience in data visualisation and communication of research findings.
• Track record of working effectively in international, multi-disciplinary teams.
• Extensive research experience and scholarship within subject specialism.
• Experience and achievement reflected in a growing reputation.
• Extensive experience and demonstrated success in planning, undertaking and project managing research to deliver high quality results.
• Extensive experience of applying and/or developing and devising successful models, techniques and methods.
• Experience of championing Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in own work area.
• Ability to monitor and evaluate the extent to which equality and diversity legislation, policies, procedures are applied.
• Ability to identify issues with the potential to impact on protected groups and take appropriate action.

Desirable Skills:

• Experience with machine learning or natural language processing.
• Knowledge of econometric methods for policy evaluation.
• Experience developing indicators for policy tracking.
• A research agenda in health and climate change, particularly related to politics, policy processes, global governance, communication.

Informal enquiries to Professor Niheer Dasandi, email: [e-mail]

We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website.