Position Details
Birmingham Institute for Sustainability and Climate Action
Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK
Full time starting salary is normally in the range £36,636 to £46,049 with potential progression once in post to £48,822
Grade: 7
Full Time, Fixed Term contract up to September 2026
Closing date: 28th August 2025
This role is also open as an internal secondment opportunity which would need to be agreed by your current line manager.
Background
TheBirmingham Institute for Sustainability & Climate Action (BISCA) facilitates and delivers world-leading, transdisciplinary research on sustainability and fosters climate action for the research community, students, policy and decision makers, and wider society – leading to better livelihoods and a more sustainable environment in a rapidly changing world.
The Institute takes a distinct approach to leveraging the University of Birmingham’s comprehensive, interdisciplinary research expertise; applying/translating ideas, skills and influence into wider engagement and action on climate change and broader sustainability matters.
BISCA is looking to recruit a Research Fellow in Sustainability and Climate Action – Knowledge, Business, Policy and Impact. This post will be critical to the delivery and success of theInstitute’s ambitious goals, in close alignment with the Birmingham 2030 Strategic Framework’s imbeddedSustainability ambitions.
Our approach to sustainability and climate action is anchored in a commitment to interdisciplinary research and its application to real-world sustainability challenges to unlock barriers and enable impactful change. This is an exciting opportunity to join BISCA in a role that will bring together cutting-edge research with policy and industry engagement to advance the agenda of sustainability and climate action. The role will enable the post holder to further their academic career through working closely with industry partners, policy makers and lead academics to propose and develop projects, write bids, and help coordinate and research efforts with impact.
Role Summary
BISCA is seeking an early career, postdoctoral researcher who has a strong desire to engage with policy and industry audiences and make a lasting impact on sustainability decisions. The successful candidate will conduct high-quality, publishable research; develop new research projects; policy and business interactions; and actively participate in communication of research results and other forms of policy engagement.
Specifically, the post holder will engage in developing and leading in research projects focusing on the core BISCA themes which includeAdaptation and Resilience,Climate Change and Health,Finance for Sustainability,AI for Sustainability and by doing so create a collaborative research environment exemplary for the BISCA distinct approach.
As one of two Research Fellows in the Institute, we anticipate recruiting complementary skills from either a STEM background, or a social sciences/art and humanities background. Together, the Research Fellows will act as a talent pool to facilitate responses to rapidly emerging short-term, strategically high-value opportunities - providing capacity to deliver higher risk-reward research, bid writing and translation of research into action through collaboration.
Main Duties
Research and Dissemination:
Person Specification
Informal enquiries to Jessica Mylchreest, Head of Institute Operations,email: j.mylchreest@bham.ac.uk
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 everyoneon our website.
* The salary benchmark is based on the target salaries of market leaders in their relevant sectors. It is intended to serve as a guide to help Premium Members assess open positions and to help in salary negotiations. The salary benchmark is not provided directly by the company, which could be significantly higher or lower.