Senior Research Assistant (History and/or Philosophy of Science)
Apply for Senior Research Assistant (History and/or Philosophy of Science) at Manchester Metropolitan University in Manchester, ENG, GB. This Full time on site position offers great opportunities for career growth.
Manchester Metropolitan University is seeking to recruit an outstanding Post-doctoral Research Associate to join the Wellcome Trust-funded project ‘Contragestive Time: Pregnant Uncertainties in Fertility Control’. Involving collaborators from Birkbeck, University of Sussex, University of Bristol, King’s College London, King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, and the British Pregnancy Advisory Service. The project brings together a team of 12 clinicians, social scientists, lawyers, philosophers, humanities scholars and advocates to rethink concepts of early pregnancy and reproductive timing, challenge outdated legal and regulatory frameworks, test the feasibility of new clinical services, and engage with the public and policymakers to shape a more inclusive future for fertility control.
About the Role: The Research Associate’s work will lie primarily within one Work Package of ‘Contragestive Time’, focussing on ‘boundary work’ in very early pregnancy, tracing the development of the historical, biomedical, legal, and philosophical contexts that have shaped and constrained contragestive time and technologies.
Key Responsibilities
- Undertake high-quality, potentially high-impact academic research in one or more of the fields of History and/or Philosophy of Science or History and/or Philosophy of Medicine as a contribution to the Research Project ‘Contragestive Time: Pregnant Uncertainties in Fertility Control’.
- Collaborate with a multidisciplinary team in furthering the overall aims of the Research Project.
- Attend Team meetings, both in person and online.
- Publish and disseminate research findings relevant to the Research Project through relevant journals, conferences, seminars and public engagement events.
- Participate in and contribute to the organisation of workshops, conferences, seminars and reading groups.
Qualifications
- Has a doctoral level qualification in a relevant area; for example, History and/or Philosophy of Science, Philosophy, Science & Technology Studies, Anthropology.
- Has specialist knowledge in one or more of the fields of History and/or Philosophy of Science or History and/or Philosophy of Medicine.
- Has the ability to undertake original and potentially high-impact research, both singly and as part of a research team, co-ordinating effort and resources.
- Has the ability to build relationships and establish networks with internal and external contacts.
- Has effective oral and written communication skills, to write up research findings in a range of formats for both specialist and non-specialist audiences.
Application Process
To apply: Please apply via our application portal. Please submit your CV and a Cover Letter of no more than 2 pages outlining i) how you meet the essential requirements as set out in the job specification; and ii) how you envisage you could contribute to the relevant work package of the ‘Contragestive Time’ project. Only applications with cover letters will be considered at shortlisting. For informal enquiries about the role, please contact Professor Stella Sandford – s.sandford@mmu.ac.uk. Deadline for applications: Friday 10 July 2026. Interviews will take place on Tuesday 8 September 2026.
Benefits
- 25 days leave + Christmas closure + Bank holidays (Extra 5 days after 5 years of service)
- Travel loan
- Wellbeing platform
- Life insurance
- Access to Campus Facilities
- Enhanced parental leave
- High-quality guaranteed pension
- Hybrid working opportunities
Location & Salary
Location: Manchester All Saints Campus
Faculty / Function: Arts & Humanities
Salary: Grade 6 (£33,002)
Contract Type: Fixed Term Contract Length: 3 years ending 31/08/2029
Contracted Hours per week: 35
Contact
Meet the recruiter Michelle Legg M.Legg@mmu.ac.uk
#J-18808-Ljbffr…