Student Casual - Research Assistant- Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences- Grade 6- 906704

University of Birmingham; Birmingham; Remote; GBP 10,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Birmingham is seeking a Research Assistant for a project examining mixed-citizenship families and immigration policing. This desk-based role involves researching UK immigration policies and writing literature reviews, ideal for a current university student with a Master's in Social Science.

Qualifications

• Experience writing literature review.
• Knowledge of academic literature searches.
• Clear written communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Conduct reviews of UK immigration policy and literature.
• Produce summaries of related academic literature.
• Desk-based work with flexibility in execution.

Skills

Writing Literature Review

Effective Communication

Online Research

Education

Masters in Social Science

Job description

Job Description

Position Details:

School or Department: Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Grade/Band: Grade 6

Hourly rate: £16.69 per hour plus holiday entitlement

Casual contract from: 14/07/2025-12/10/2025

Advert closing date: 26/06/2025, 23:59pm

Number of positions available: 1

Please note that this vacancy may be taken down early depending on the number of applications received. We advise you to submit your application promptly.

Our offer to you

People are at the heart of what we are and do.

The University of Birmingham is proud to have been a part of the City of Birmingham and the wider region for over 100 years, and we are equally proud to be recognised as a leading global university. We want to attract talented people from across the city and beyond, support them to succeed, and celebrate their success.

We believe there is no such thing as a typical member of staff and that diversity is a source of strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation, and debate. We warmly welcome people from all backgrounds and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diversity is at the heart of who and what we are, and how we work.

The University is situated in leafy Edgbaston and there are excellent transport links to our beautiful campus, including main bus routes and a train station on site. On campus we have a state-of-the-art sports centre with pool, shops, places to eat and drink, our own art gallery, museum and botanical gardens.

Find out more about the benefits of working for the University of Birmingham

Background

You will be working as part of Melanie Griffiths' British Academy Fellowship, in which she completes an ongoing project entitled 'The Home Office in the Home: Mixed-citizenship families and immigration policing'. The project looks at the intertwining of family life and immigration controls, focused on mixed-citizenship families facing a member's immigration status insecurity. Having conducted the bulk of the data collection in 2015-16 (see link for project details), the British Academy Fellowship enables some follow-up interviewees with participants, and time protected from teaching to focus on writing a book and engaging in impact activities.

Role Summary

The work will help feed into the project by helping produce important background information for the Principal Investigator to draw from as she works on drafting a book manuscript. The work required is desk-based and entails producing the following documents:

1. An overview of pertinent UK immigration policies, legislation and political rhetoric from the last decade;
2. A review of academic literature on set themes around immigration and families.

Main Duties

• Review of immigration UK policy, law and political rhetoric since 2014 relating to: family life rights (Article 8), marriage migration, children and immigration enforcement such as detention and deportation. (approximately 20 hours)
• Literature review (scoping out of the academic literature and writing short summaries of the most pertinent pieces), around:
  • Children, family and fatherhood in migration contexts (and prisons) literature published since 2014 (approx. 20 hours)
  • Immigration systems and intersectionality (especially race, class, gender) literature published since 2014 (approx. 20 hours)
  • Colonial management of families and relationships literature (approx. 20 hours)

The reviews will entail online searches and drawing from UoB library-based resources. The project is based in GEES but the work is desk-based and can be conducted when/where the person choses. There may be the possibility of desk space at GEES if required.

Person Specification

Essential:

• Masters in a Social Science topic, such as (but not exclusive to): sociology, human geography, anthropology, social policy, socio-legal studies.
• Experience writing a literature review
• Knowledge how to conduct online searches of the academic literature
• Clear and effective (written) communicator

Desirable:

• Research specialism or other experience of migration matters
• Research specialism in gender, families, racialisation, colonialism or other relevant topics.
• Some prior understanding of UK (or other) immigration systems
• Some knowledge of UK political and legislative systems (e.g. relationship between policies, Bills and Acts; how to navigate Hansard)

Application process:

In your application, please include:

• 1-2 page cover letter outlining how candidate meets the essential/desirable criteria
• CV
• Example of a literature review the candidate has previously conducted

For any informal queries, please contact Melanie Griffiths ([e-mail])

View our staff values and behaviours here

Valuing excellence, sustaining investment

We value diversity and inclusion at the University of Birmingham and welcome applications from all sections of the community and are open to discussions around all forms of flexible working.

The University of Birmingham restricts all students to working up to 20 hours per week during term time. If your application is successful and your course does not follow the usual academic term timetable (e.g. PGT, PGR or PhD student), you and your supervisor must formally agree vacation periods if this role exceeds 20 hours per week. In addition to this, please be aware if you are an International student you will be required to apply to the Registry for the appropriate Authorised Absence.

You are only eligible to apply to this role if you are a current University of Birmingham student. If you are not a University of Birmingham student your application will not be considered.

To work you will need to carry out a right to work check. These checks will need to be completed prior to work commencing.