Researcher (Public Participation)

The Ada Lovelace Institute; Greater London; On-site; GBP 43,000 - 50,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work option

Job summary

Ada Lovelace Institute in London is hiring a qualitative Researcher to study the impacts of AI and data on people and society. The role supports equity and inclusion in participatory research projects involving communities and civil society.

Working with the Public Participation Lead, you will contribute to multi-method studies across the UK and help shape policy discussions on AI, data ethics, and societal impacts.

Responsibilities

• Support research on the impacts of AI and data on people and society.
• Work closely with the Public Participation Lead on equity and inclusion in participatory projects.
• Engage with civil society organisations, communities and publics across multi-methods and mixed-methods studies.
• Help scope, design and deliver new research on how technologies affect people and communities in the UK.

Job description

Researcher (Public Participation) – Ada Lovelace Institute

• Hours: Full time (will consider requests for part time working).
• Contract: Fixed term contract for 2 years
• Location: We are London based (Farringdon). Our staff have the option to work part of the week from home.
• Closing: 09:30am (BST), Monday 19th October 2026.

The Ada Lovelace Institute is hiring a qualitative Researcher to support our research on the impacts of AI and data on people and society.

Working closely with our Public Participation Lead, this researcher will support our work on equity and inclusion in participatory and public attitudes, contributing to a research programme that is intrinsic to Ada’s mission. They will work on a range of multi-methods and mixed methods research projects, in partnership with civil society organisations, communities and publics. This will include supporting projects already underway such as the BRAID-partnered recourse and repair or the coalition delivering the Citizens’ Track on AI in relation to the UN Global Dialogue, as well as helping to scope, design and deliver new research that looks deeply at how technologies are affecting people and communities across the UK.

We are looking for a researcher who has experience of researching with communities, and, ideally, someone who has worked in research environments outside academia. This includes research undertaken as part of broader roles in charities, NGOs, civil society or other organisations, as well as those who have followed conventional research pathways.

We are interested in candidates who are familiar with a range of qualitative approaches or methodologies, which may include forms of interview research, deliberative methods, or any techniques included under the participatory action research umbrella. We are particularly interested in candidates who have grown their knowledge and experience through participatory practice, and who bring with them diverse forms of expertise and understanding.

This role is an excellent opportunity for a researcher in the early stages of their career to contribute to shaping emerging policy and practice around AI and data-driven technologies.

About us

The Ada Lovelace Institute is an independent research institute funded and incubated by the Nuffield Foundation since 2018. Our mission is to ensure data and artificial intelligence work for people and society. We do this by building evidence and fostering rigorous debate on how data and AI affect people and society. We recognise the power asymmetries that exist in ethical and legal debates around the development of data-driven technologies and seek to level those asymmetries by convening diverse voices and creating a shared understanding of the ethical issues arising from data and AI. Finally, we seek to define and inform good practice in the design and deployment of AI technologies.

The Institute has emerged as a leading independent voice on the ethical and societal impacts of data and AI. We have built relationships in the public, private and civil society sectors in the UK and internationally. Please find details of our 2025-2028 strategy here.

Our research takes an interconnected approach to issues such as power, social justice, distributional impact, and our team have a wide range of expertise that cuts across policy, technology, academia, industry, law and human rights.

From £43,000. Starting Salary per annum