About the role
We are seeking a Research Associates in Refugee Studies to join a multi-country research programme on LGBTIQ+ asylum and forced migration, based in the School of Criminology, Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Leicester.
Working closely with Dr Diego García Rodríguez and a network of international partners, the post-holders will design, co-design and conduct ethnographic fieldwork, support mixed-methods surveys, and work with civil society organisations and experts by experience. They will contribute to high-quality academic publications, policy briefs and creative/arts-based outputs (e.g. documentaries, exhibitions and theatre), as well as to the development of a Global LGBTIQ+ Asylum Observatory. The roles involve substantial collaboration with NGOs, community groups and policy stakeholders in the case study countries.
About you
We are looking for candidates with a PhD (or near completion) in Anthropology, Sociology, Migration Studies, Human Geography, Middle East/African Studies or a closely related field; strong experience in ethnographic and qualitative research with LGBTIQ+ people seeking asylum and/or refugee communities; and experience of working with civil society and community-based organisations. Familiarity with participatory and/or creative methods and excellent policy literacy on asylum and LGBTIQ+ inclusion are essential.
You must have demonstrable experience of working in Kenya and the UK (or strong existing connections in both contexts), and languages: English (C2) and Swahili (professional working proficiency).
We particularly welcome applications from researchers with lived experience of displacement, racialisation and/or minoritisation, and from those who share the project’s commitment to decolonial, trauma-informed and participatory research practice.