Research Assistant United Kingdom
Job description
Part-time, Fixed-term Contract from June 2023 for a period of 12 months in the first instance, with the possibility of extension up to 36 months, 14.6 hours per week (FTE 0.4).
Applications are invited for a part-time, fixed-term Research Assistant in the Centre for Interdisciplinary Methodologies (CIM), to work on the Digital Health and Rights Project funded by Fondation Botnar.
The project will commence in June 2023 for 36 months.
This assistant will work closely with the Principal Investigator of the project, Prof. Sara (Meg) Davis. The assistant will be based at CIM, the University of Warwick, with some international travel as the project progresses. There will be opportunities for professional growth and visibility as the project grows.
The Centre for Interdisciplinary Methodologies (CIM) was established in 2012 to foster innovative and experimental forms of knowledge production through a sustained focus on methodology. CIM is dedicated to expanding the role of interdisciplinary methods through new lines of inquiry that cut across disciplinary boundaries, both intellectually and institutionally.
The project
The Digital Health and Rights Project. is a collaborative research, education and policy project funded by Fondation Botnar that unites scholars and practitioners at University of Warwick, the Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+), KELIN, Privacy International, Restless Development, STOPAIDS, and Universidad de los Andes. The project is conducting transnational participatory action research and digital literacy education in Colombia, Ghana, Kenya and Vietnam, with the aim of strengthening the rights-based environment for the rapid scale-up of digital health in low- and middle-income countries, and strengthening the engagement of young adults, especially women and those from marginalized and stigmatized groups. The project will produce a body of social science and comparative legal evidence, with case studies analysed by local Community Advisory Teams in each country and a global Digital Rights Community of Practice. We will develop digital literacy training and resources, and an open-access Digital Literacy Hub.
To find out more or arrange an informal conversation about the role, please contact: Professor Celia Lury (CIM Director) at [email protected].
Interview Date: TBC.
Job Description
The project is dynamic and fast-paced, including frequent meetings online and a large number of international partners, many from civil society and marginalized communities. The Research Assistant will lead work on a key deliverable in the first year of the project, a digital literacy online repository. They will also provide diverse forms of research and logistical support to the project. They will contribute to a scoping review led by two postdoctoral researchers; and will manage and organize data, organize meetings online and in person, rapporteur meetings, and contribute to development of policy recommendations.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Research digital health/literacy courses and training resources, and collaborate with the PI and web designers to develop an online repository.
- Collaborate with the postdoctoral researcher and with national researchers in Colombia, Ghana, Kenya and Vietnam, to conduct comparative legal analysis, analyzing strengths and weaknesses of normative frameworks for governance of digital health in relation to the rights of marginalized and criminalized groups, women and girls.
- Contribute to a scoping review in collaboration with the PI, postdoctoral researcher at Warwick and a postdoctoral researcher at Universidad de los Andes.
- Conduct research to maintain project bibliography on Zotero.
- Contribute to drafting and editing articles, policy briefs, case studies, UN human rights submissions, and other publications produced by the project.
- Organize information, maintaining and updating organization and ensuring project collaborators have access to online shared drives, software and platforms.
- Schedule and participate in ongoing coordination and outreach meetings, taking minutes and noting agreed action points.
- Manage social media updates for the project Twitter account.
- Assist in organization of events related to the project led by other partners in the consortium, including UN meetings in Geneva, and a workshop in Cape Town, South Africa.
- Some international travel may be required.
- Provide other support to the project as required by the PI and postdoctoral researcher.
Project Summary:
In September 2022, UN leaders affirmed that “Human rights should be at the heart of tech governance”. High-level policy discussions over the next few years will represent a turning point in digital governance. Young people and civil society in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) must shape that discussion, or risk missing the opportunity to establish rights-based digital governance for the future.
The Digital Health and Rights Project Consortium unites scholars and practitioners at University of Warwick, Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+), KELIN, Privacy International, Restless Development, STOPAIDS, and Universidad de los Andes. The project was established in January 2020 at the Geneva Graduate Institute, and has conducted research, policy engagement and digital empowerment education in five countries, with the aim of strengthening the rights-based environment for the rapid scale-up of digital health in low- and middle-income countries.
In June 2023, the consortium will move to and be hosted by CIM at University of Warwick. From June REPLACEMENT_STRINGMay 2026, with support from Fondation Botnar, the project will conduct qualitative research in Colombia, Ghana, Kenya, and Vietnam using a transnational participatory action research approach. This will produce a body of social science and comparative legal evidence, with case studies analysed by local Community Advisory Teams in each country and a global Digital Rights Community of Practice. We will develop digital literacy training and resources, and an open-access Digital Literacy Hub.
The project draws on the experience and leadership of people living with HIV and affected communities (LGBTQ+ communities, sex workers, people who use drugs, migrants and persons in displacement) - with stigma and discrimination, criminalization, community mobilization and transnational advocacy - as a site from which to explore the future of human rights in the digital age more broadly.
Long-term, our project will first help to make participatory approaches to research and governance more widespread in digital governance, increasing the meaningful participation of young people in their diversity. Our participatory approach will be evaluated independently, creating new democratic, community-engaged models for global digital governance. Second, as a result of our research, policy engagement and dissemination activities, national governments, global health agencies and human rights mechanisms will take action to strengthen and enforce rights protections in young peoples’ use of data and technology, addressing issues and approaches identified in our project. Third, our project will strengthen meaningful and sustainable participation of young people in their diversity from LMICs in research, digital innovation and governance. This will include the 40-50 young people in our project who become equipped to participate in research, advocacy and policy development around digital rights, and the 1000+ who will participate in webinars, online leadership labs, use our self-training materials or join digital rights campaigns.
For further information about the University of Warwick, please read our University Further Particulars.
For further information about the department, please visit the departmental website.
Warwick is committed to building an organisation of mutual respect and dignity, promoting a welcoming, diverse and inclusive working and learning environment. We recognise that everyone is different in a variety of visible and non-visible ways, and that those differences are to be recognised, respected, and valued. Where possible, we go beyond legislation to provide a place where everyone can thrive, supporting all staff to achieve their full potential. We aspire to remove economic, social and cultural barriers that may otherwise prevent people from succeeding.
We therefore welcome and encourage applications from all communities regardless of culture, background, age, disability, sex/gender, gender identity or expression, ethnicity, religion/belief, or sexual or romantic orientation. To find out more about our social inclusion work at Warwick visit our webpages here.
The University of Warwick holds an Athena SWAN Silver award; a national initiative to promote gender equality for all staff and students. Further information about the work of the University in relation to Athena SWAN can be found at the following link: Athena Swan (warwick.ac.uk)
The University of Warwick is one of the six founder institutions of the EUTOPIA European University alliance, whose aim is to become by 2025 an open, multicultural, confederated operation of connected campuses.
Right to work in the UK
We wish to advise applicants that this role is not eligible for sponsorship for a Skilled Worker visa. If you do not yet have the right to work in the UK you will need to check the UK Government website page Apply for a UK visa to see if you are eligible to obtain right to work in the UK through one of the other UK immigration routes before you make your application.
Rewards and Benefits
Please refer to this link for a full list of our employee benefits here at Warwick here.
