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Overview

This post has been designed for an outstanding research associate in the field of psychology, sociology, politics, history, disability studies, medical humanities or related subjects.

The post-holder will conduct research on the project ‘Rebuilding lives, redefining belonging: ex-soldiers, their families and communities in post- war Africa, 1945-60’.  This project examines the experiences of African veterans and their families through three research streams: political engagement, physical and mental health, and everyday life under colonialism. It will trace the long and short-term impacts of war trauma through multi-generational oral histories.

You will be working as part of an international team and specialising in the Francophone case study: Senegal. You will develop expertise on the case study and project as a whole. This includes  conducting archival research in Senegal, France, and other countries as needed, conducting oral histories and using digital humanities methodologies to consolidate the data. You will help develop a deep multifaceted understanding of (generational) war trauma in order to improve mental health care for veterans and their families, refugees, and other groups seeking reintegration post-conflict. You will develop and lead on knowledge exchange and impact projects in Senegal, the UK and elsewhere related to the project.

The project will include a considerable amount of data collection, data processing and data analysis. Since this is highly labour intensive, a research associate is appointed to assist and support the Principal Investigator, Dr Sarah Frank, in conducting and organising the research and, where appropriate,  in providing strategic direction and continuous oversight to ensure the project stays on track and guide the project to success. No technical knowledge or skills are required, beyond general computer literacy, as all training will be provided.

The project requires a highly motivated research associate, with excellent communication skills in French and English, willing to set their own goals and produce research at the highest quality and who will develop the project’s research profile. You will be part of a small international team producing academic and non-academic research and outputs in the UK and abroad.

You will also be expected to contribute to the School and wider Faculty and University through knowledge exchange in Sheffield and beyond.

You will join a dynamic team of researchers in the School and will be line-managed by Dr Sarah Frank.

The School of History, Philosophy and Digital Humanities sits within the Faculty of Arts & Humanities and combines internationally acknowledged research excellence with modern, imaginative teaching that enables our students to think for themselves and excel in the study of history, philosophy, archaeology and digital humanities.

Main duties and responsibilities

• Carry out approximately 40 oral history interviews with descendants and their families, including coding of the interview transcripts.
• Support the project in compiling a database of historical records, including training automatic transcription (OCR) software and developing coded content and descriptive metadata.
• Support the technical team in reviewing, testing, refining, and providing feedback on historical records that are automatically transcribed, coded, and linked using computer algorithms.
• Support the project and technical team in designing, testing, reviewing and providing feedback on the development of the project's search and discovery tools, data visualisations and other web user interfaces intended for research and dissemination.
• Manage data collection and storage on a day-to-day basis.
• Take a lead role in analysing the data with support from the Project Lead and in consultation

with other stakeholders.

• Assure ethical approval and conduct of the research.
• Contribute to project team meetings, both internally and with stakeholders and advisory

bodies.

• Develop knowledge exchange and impact activities connected to the project.
• Present work in progress to the project team and at events and conferences both independently and as part of the project team.
• Disseminate project updates and findings through both academic and non-academic publications and presentations (conference events, engagement events and stakeholder meetings).
• Conduct research of international standing, which includes identifying literature and updating one’s own knowledge, assisting the validity of the relevant literature and its contributions to the development of one’s own field.
• Write up research work and disseminate finding results through publication in high quality journals, presentations at seminars and conferences, in line with School and Faculty strategy.
• Travel for research and to events to attend conferences.
• As a member of staff you will be encouraged to make ethical decisions in your role, embedding the University sustainability strategy into your working activities wherever possible.
• Participate in the administrative processes of the School , including committee membership, etc.

• Contribute, as appropriate, to the School and Faculty’s knowledge exchange and civic engagement agenda.
• Carry out other duties, commensurate with the grade and remit of the post.

Person Specification

Our diverse community of staff and students recognises the unique abilities, backgrounds, and beliefs of all. We foster a culture where everyone feels they belong and are respected. Even if your past experience doesn't match perfectly with this role's criteria, your contribution is valuable, and we encourage you to apply. Please ensure that you reference the application criteria in the application statement when you apply.

Essential criteria (these will be asessed at the application and interview stage)

• Have a PhD (or equivalent experience) in the relevant field.
• Demonstrable track record of research specialism in psychology, history, sociology, Francophone studies, international relations, medical humanities, or fields related to African History, the Second World War, Cold War and/or post-war Eras.
• Have native or near-native fluency in written and spoken French
• Proven ability to carry out high quality research and disseminate research findings
• Demonstrable track record of quality peer-reviewed publications
• Effective communication skills, both written and verbal, report-writing skills and experience of delivering presentations
• Good computer literacy and data management practices.
• Ability to work both within a team and independently
• Ability to think strategically and innovatively
• Ability to plan and prioritise own daily work and forward plan
• Ability to organise and run conferences and workshops for academic and non-academic audiences
• Proven ability to work to and meet deadlines (Application/ Interview)
• An understanding of and demonstrable commitment to promoting and embedding equality, diversity & inclusion principles and practices (Application/ Interview)

Desirable criteria (these will be assesed at the application and interview stage)

• Previous experience of outreach and public engagement
• Ability to develop creative approaches to problem solving
• Previous experience working and researching in West Africa
• Knowledge of Wolof, Pulaar, Serere or Jola

Further Information

Salary: £38,784 per annum

Duration: Fixed Term 44 months from 1 April 2026 to 30 November 2029

Hours of work per week: Full time

Please contact Cristina Molina-Hall, HPDH School manager with any queries: c.molinahall@sheffield.ac.uk

Closing Date : 05/01/2026 

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