Join the Open University as a Research Fellow at the Centre for Protecting Women Online
Closing Date: 30 July 2025
Join the Open University as a Research Fellow at the Centre for Protecting Women Online
About the Role
The Open University is seeking to appoint a highly motivated Research Fellow to work in the Centre for Protecting Women Online funded by Research England. The successful candidate will work closely with Professor Olga Jurasz, Director of the Centre for Protecting Women Online, who is based in the Law School and who leads the Centre’s cross-disciplinary research team. The Open University is looking for a dynamic Research Fellow who would seek to play an active part in building a strong, open and innovative research culture in the Centre.
The Research Fellow will use their research knowledge, skills and experience to contribute to the design and delivery of an ambitious research programme within the Law & Policy work stream. This includes (but is not limited to) initiating and leading on research projects, applying for external research funding, supervising PhD students, producing high quality outputs, working collaboratively with non-academic partners and stakeholders.
About the Centre
The Centre for Protecting Women Online is a research unit dedicated to understanding and addressing challenges posed to women’s safety online through a novel, interdisciplinary and ambitious research agenda. This will be combined with cross-sectoral, collaborative outputs and interventions which inform law, policy, technology development and practice to reduce online harms suffered by women and girls; minimise anti-social behaviours online whilst promoting pro-social behaviours and help build tech/ software that helps ensure accountability, credibility and helps facilitate justice. The work of the Centre is delivered through five interwoven Work Streams.
Key Responsibilities
The person appointed will be expected to contribute to research and administration within the Centre for Protecting Women Online. This following is not intended as a comprehensive list of duties expected of the post holder or a restrictive definition of the post but is rather a guide.
- Co-lead the Law & Policy stream at the Centre for Protecting Women Online
- Initiate and build collaborations with external partners and researchers.
- Liaise and work collaboratively with external partners and researchers.
- Initiate and lead on research projects from start to completion.
- Lead on applications for external research funding relevant to the Law & Policy stream.
- Contribute to the day-to-day operation of the Law & Policy stream within the Centre, under the direction of the Centre’s Director.
- Take a lead role in dissemination of research carried out within the Law & Policy stream of the Centre (including writing academic and non-academic publications; presentation of research findings at conferences and events; communicating research to non-academic and lay audiences via media).
- Lead on design and delivery of knowledge exchange and impact activities.
Skills and Experience
Essential Requirements
- A Master’s degree in law or related discipline in a subject relevant to the Centre’s work within the Law & Policy stream.
- Substantial professional experience in policy role, in a sector relevant to the Centre’s work and Experience of influencing policy.
- Knowledge and understanding of the current law and policy landscape concerning women’s online safety.
- Substantial relevant experience of conducting research in collaboration with non-academic partners and/ or working with non-academic partners.
- Good understanding of the opportunities and challenges associated with partnership working within a research environment.
- Understanding of research funding landscape and a strong track record of applying for external research funding.
- Experience of design and successful delivery of knowledge exchange and impact activities.
How To Apply
To apply for this role please submit the following as one document;
- CV
- Personal statement, up to 1,000 words, you should set out in your statement why you’re interested in this role and provide examples of where your skills and experience meet the required essential and desirable criteria for this role as detailed in the job specification.
Click Here To Apply
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