Senior Research Associate (Fixed Term)
About the Project
The University of Cambridge Faculty of Education is seeking a highly motivated and experienced Senior Research Associate (SRA) to lead key aspects of the new Cambridge Positive Peace Education (CPPE) Hub.
At a time of rising global conflict, the CPPE Hub aims to make a significant contribution to knowledge and practice in the field of peace education. It will do so by building upon Professor Hilary Cremin's Positive Peace Education Learning Objectives and two recent positive peace education projects in Kazakhstan and the UK. The CPPE Hub will enhance and scale-up this work by conducting a global peace education needs assessment, implementing case studies in two countries, and developing peace educator and education leader networks.
The findings from this research will be used to create a Positive Peace Education Framework and Curriculum, including a suite of resources to support peace education integration into classrooms, school districts, and national curricula. The collective work of the project will be shared on an interactive digital platform, the CPPE Digital Hub, that will serve as a lasting legacy of the project and help maximise its global reach.
In alignment with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and UNESCO's recent call to prioritise peace in education, this project will conduct needed research, bring key global peace education actors into dialogue and collaboration with one another, and make impactful peace education resources more accessible ¿ leading to an array of positive impacts for learners, their communities, countries, and the planet.
About the Role
The SRA, working with the Principal Investigator (PI) Professor Hilary Cremin, will be responsible for overseeing the daily operations, research activities, and strategic development of the CPPE Hub. They will ensure the successful implementation of the project's objectives by managing human and financial resources, coordinating internal and external partnerships, and facilitating effective communication across stakeholders.
A key aspect of the role involves leading research efforts, including a global peace education needs assessment and international case studies. Additionally, the SRA will coordinate the development of major project outputs, including the peace educator and education leader networks, the CPPE Framework and Curriculum (a collection of peace education resources for teachers) and the CPPE Digital Hub (a project website and platform for sharing peace education resources). This involves working closely with internal work groups and external edtech developers to ensure that research findings inform content and platform design.
Expected Role Start Date: 1st October 2025
What You Will Need:
- PhD in Education, Peace Studies, or a related discipline.
- Strong evidence of prior postdoctoral research experience at the level of Research Associate, or equivalent experience in peace education project leadership roles.
- Project management experience on UK-based or international research projects including the ability to set and meet project deadlines, manage researchers and consultants, organise events and conferences, and collaborate with diverse stakeholders.
- Experience conducting qualitative and/or mixed-methods research in UK-based or international settings, developing education resources, and producing academic and non-academic publications to a high standard in Education, Peace Studies, or a related discipline.
Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available until 30 September 2028 in the first instance.
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For detailed information about the role and working for the University, please see the 'Further Information' link at the bottom of the advert.
Informal enquiries can be addressed to Professor Hilary J Cremin, Head of Department, at hc331@cam.ac.uk.
If you have any questions about the application process, or have any difficulties with applying for the vacancy, please contact the Faculty of Education HR team at hr@educ.cam.ac.uk
Please quote reference JR45874 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.
Applicants interested in applying for the role that do not currently hold the right to work in the UK may be eligible to be sponsored by the University in order to apply for a visa and the appropriate right to work status. Visa sponsorship is issued at the discretion of the University.