Working at Durham University A globally outstanding centre of teaching and research excellence, a warm and friendly place to work, a unique and historic setting - Durham is a university like no other. As one of the UK's leading universities, Durham is an incredible place to define your career. The University is located within a beautiful historic city, home to a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and surrounded by stunning countryside. Our talented scholars and researchers from around the world are tackling global issues and making a difference to people's lives. We believe that inspiring our people to do outstanding things at Durham enables Durham people to do outstanding things in the world. Being a part of Durham is about more than just the success of the University, it's also about contributing to the success of the city, county and community. Our University Strategy is built on three pillars of research, education and wider student experience, but also on our keen sense of community and of inspiring others to achieve their potential. Our Purpose and Values We want our University to be a place where people can be free to be themselves, no matter what their identity or background. Together, we celebrate difference, value one another and are each responsible for creating an inclusive community that is respectful and fair for all. Find out more about the benefits of working at the University and what it is like to live and work in the Durham area on our Why Join Us? - Information Page The Department The Institute for Medical Humanities seeks to appoint talented researchers and scholars to the role of Bridging Fellow. Bridging Fellowships will be advertised in 2025. We welcome applications from those with research interests in the broad field of medical humanities and are particularly eager to hear from applicants with expertise in race and health, neurodiversity and lived experience research. These posts are part of an exciting expansion of medical humanities at Durham funded by Wellcome. The Discovery Research Platform for Medical Humanities (DRP-MH) aims to empower health and wellbeing researchers from different sectors and disciplines to co-develop new and experimental approaches to tackling health challenges, including those arising at the intersections of mental health and health inequalities. The Platform seeks to expand the research capacity of the medical humanities globally through creating space for experimentation and intellectual risk-taking and enabling large-scale collaborations with community, creative, health and voluntary sector organisations. Platform researchers come from a wide range of disciplines including Literary Studies, Psychology, Modern Languages and Cultures, Philosophy, History, Sport and Exercise Science, Education and Sociology. The DRP-MH supports the Institute's vision to improve human health through research on hidden experience. The Role Applications are invited for the role of Bridging Fellow. Bridging Fellowships provide an intensive career development opportunity for three recently completed PhD graduates to publish findings from their doctoral research, expand their skills and networks, and prepare their next major research projects. Bridging Fellowships is intended to constitute a bridge between doctoral research and future careers. The Bridging Fellow will be appointed to the Institute for Medical Humanities and a suitable academic Department. Day-to-day, the Bridging Fellow will be based in one of the Platform's six Methods Labs, and from there engage proactively with research opportunities and activity across the Platform. The Bridging Fellow is expected to contribute to a flourishing research culture by participating in regular Lab meetings, workshops and other events. This may encompass collaborating in methodological innovation with interdisciplinary and cross-sector partners, and the design and delivery of pilot and proof-of-concept studies. They will be supported to produce outputs from existing research, as well as to collaborate with other Labs and Researchers across the Platform. Regular participation (in-person and virtual) in Lab and Platform activities, as agreed with the Line Manager, is essential. The role offer an exciting opportunity to make an important contribution to the development of research and methodological innovation within the Platform, while allowing for excellent opportunities to develop careers in an exciting and progressive institution. All staff employed in the DRP-IMH have dedicated time for professional development and can access a wealth of existing and bespoke training opportunities in consultation with Platform Leads. For more information, please visit our Institute and Platform websites: https://www.durham.ac.uk/research/institutes-and-centres/medical-humanities/ and https://medhumsplatform.org/ Bridging Fellow in Medical Humanities Applicants must demonstrate research excellence relevant to the field of medical humanities, with the ability to fully engage in the services, citizenship and values of the University. The University provides a working, research and teaching environment which is inclusive and welcoming and where everyone is treated fairly with dignity and respect. Candidates will be expected to demonstrate these key principles within the assessment process. Eligibility: At the time of application, candidates must have submitted their PhD and can be under examination or up to 18 months post-viva. At the start of the appointment, all candidates must have completed the examination process. Key responsibilities: To publish high quality outputs, including papers for submission to peer reviewed journals To prepare and deliver presentations on research outputs/activities to academic and non-academic audiences To work with the Lab Lead and other colleagues in the research group, as appropriate, to identify areas for research; develop new research methods and proposals, and otherwise extend the research portfolio To conduct pilot individual and collaborative research projects under the direction of the Lab Lead To deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines by discussing these with the Lab Lead and offering creative or innovative solutions. To liaise with research colleagues and make internal and external contacts to develop knowledge and understanding to form relationships for future research collaboration. To plan and manage own research activity within the collaborative setting To contribute to enhancing the quality of the research culture in the Platform, wider University and beyond through collaborative research. This post is fixed term for twelve months; funded by the Discovery Research Platform award for this fixed period only. The Bridging Fellow is employed to develop their career within the context of the Discovery Research Platform, specifically to publish findings from their doctoral research, expand their skills and networks, and prepare their next major research project(s). It is not envisaged that Bridging Fellows will conduct new or major independent research projects while in post; however, there may be opportunities to develop pilot or proof-of-concept projects under the direction of the Lab Lead. The Bridging Fellow 98 will be encouraged to visit one of the IMH's partner institutions in South Africa, Singapore, Sweden, China, and the USA, to create new connections in their area of research. Proposals to visit institutions in other countries will also be considered. An allowance of £3000 will be available to each post holder for this purpose. Successful applicants will, ideally, be in post no later than 22 September 2025. Working at Durham A competitive salary is only one part of the many fantastic benefits you will receive if you join the University: you will also receive access to the following fantastic benefits: • 30 Days annual leave per year in addition to 8 public holidays and 4 customary days per year - a total of 42 days per year. • The University closes between Christmas and New Year - please include or delete if not applicable. • We offer a generous pension scheme, As a new member of staff you will be automatically enrolled into the University Superannuation Scheme (USS). • No matter how you travel to work, we have you covered. We have parking across campus, a cycle to work scheme which helps you to buy a bike and discount with local bus and train companies. • There is a genuine commitment to developing our colleagues professionally and personally. There is a comprehensive range of development courses, apprenticeships and access to qualifications and routes to develop your career in the University. All staff have dedicated annual time to concentrate on their personal development opportunities. • Lots of support for health and wellbeing including discounted membership for our state of the art sport and gym facilities and access to a 24-7 Employee Assistance Programme. • On site nursery is available plus access to holiday camps for children aged 5-16. • Family friendly policies, including maternity and adoption leave, which are among the most generous in the higher education sector (and likely above and beyond many employers). • The opportunity to take part in staff volunteering activities to make a difference in the local community • Discounts are available via our benefits portal including; money off at supermarkets, high street retailers, IT products such as Apple, the cinema and days out at various attractions. • A salary sacrifice scheme is also available to help you take advantage of tax savings on benefits. • If you are moving to Durham, you may be eligible for help with removal costs and we have a dedicated team who can help you with the practicalities such as house hunting and schools. If you need a visa, we cover most visa costs and offer an interest free loan scheme to pay for dependant visas. Discover more about our total rewards and benefits package here. Durham University is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion Equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are a key component of the University's Strategy and a central part of everything we do. We also live by our Purpose and Values and our Staff Code of Conduct. At Durham we actively work towards providing an environment where our staff and students can study, work and live in a community which is supportive and inclusive. It's important to us that all colleagues undertake activities that are aligned to both our values and commitment to EDI. We welcome and encourage applications from those who are currently under-represented in our work force, including people with disabilities and from racially minoritised ethnic groups. If you have taken a career break or periods of leave that may have impacted on the volume and recency of your research outputs and other activities, such as maternity, adoption or parental leave, you may wish to disclose this in your application. The selection committee will take this into account when evaluating your application. The University has been awarded the Disability Confident Leader status. If you are a candidate with a disability, we are committed to ensuring fair treatment throughout the recruitment process. We will make adjustments to support the interview process wherever it is reasonable to do so and, where successful, reasonable adjustments will be made to support people within their role. Contact Information Department contact for academic-related enquiries For academic-related enquiries please email imh.eventsdurham.ac.uk and our Events and Fellows Coordinators will direct your inquiry as appropriate. Contact information for technical difficulties when submitting your application If you encounter technical difficulties when using the online application form, we prefer you send enquiries by email. Please send your name along with abrief description of the problem you're experiencing toe.recruitmentdurham.ac.uk Alternatively, you may call 0191 334 6801 from the UK, or 44 191 334 6801 from outside the UK. This number operates during the hours of 09.00 and 17.00 Monday to Friday, UK time. We will normally respond within one working day (Monday to Friday, excluding UK public holidays). University contact for general queries about the recruitment process How to Apply To progress to the assessment stage, candidates must evidence each of the essential criteria required for the role in the person specification below. It will be at the discretion of the recruiting panel as to whether they will also consider any desirable criteria, but we would urge candidates to provide evidence for all criteria. While some criteria will be considered at the shortlisting stage, other criteria may be considered later in the assessment process, such as questions at interview. Submitting your application We prefer to receive applications online. We will update you about your application at various points throughout the selection process, via automated emails from our e-recruitment system. Please check your spam/junk folder periodically to make sure you have not missed any of our updates. What to Submit All applicants are asked to submit by 25 April 2025: • a CV of no more than 2 pages, and • A covering letter of no more than 2 pages which details your experience, skills, and achievements in meeting (or demonstrating the potential to meet) the criteria. The letter should also clearly explain how working within your chosen Lab and the Platform more generally will support your future research plans. Next Steps Long-listed candidates will be informed by 12 May 2025, and will be asked to submit a 1500-word research proposal covering: (a) plans for publishing/disseminating existing research (eg writing monograph proposal, preparing journal articles, preparing non-conventional outputs) (b) a more detailed plan for future research development (c) goals for career development during the Fellowship (including any specific plans for academic exchange, training needs, networking and other development opportunities). These proposals will be used to short-list candidates who will then be invited to an online interview. In the event that you are unable to attend the interview on the date offered, it may not be possible to offer you an interview on an alternative date. Friday 25 April 2025 Deadline for applications Monday 12 May 2025 Long-listed candidates notified Wednesday 28 May 2025 Deadline for long-listed candidates to submit research proposals Friday 13 June: Short-listed candidates notified and invited to interview Monday 30 June and Tuesday 1 July: Interviews Please note that in submitting your application Durham University will be processing your data. We would ask you to consider the relevant University Privacy Statement Job Applicants/Potential Job Applicants - Durham University which provides information on the collation, storing and use of data. When appointing to this role the University must ensure that it meets any applicable immigration requirements, including salary thresholds which are applicable to some visas. Person Specification Qualifications 1. A good first degree in humanities, social sciences or a health-related subject relevant to the medical humanities 2. A PhD in in humanities, social sciences or a health-related subject relevant to the medical humanities. The PhD must have been submitted at the point of application but may still be under examination. At the point of application, candidates must not be more than 18 months post-viva. Experience 3. Experience in conducting high quality academic research relevant to the medical humanities 4. Demonstrable ability to write material of a quality commensurate with publication in highly-ranked journals. 5. Demonstrable ability to present research papers at international conferences and communicate complex information to specialists and within the wider academic community Skills 6. Demonstrable ability to develop plans for innovative research in alignment with Platform aims and structures 7. Methods - experiences, skills, and/or achievements which demonstrate the potential to engage in interdisciplinary health research 8. Demonstrable ability to work cooperatively as part of a team, including participating in research meetings. 9 Ability to work independently on own initiative and to strict deadlines. 10 Excellent interpersonal and communication skills. Desirable Criteria Experience 11. Interdisciplinary and cross-sector collaboration - experience, skills and/or achievements in working across disciplines and/or sectors 12. Strong publication record in peer-reviewed journals, commensurate with stage of career. 13. A track record of presenting research at conferences, symposia, or meetings, commensurate with stage of career. 14. Demonstrable ability to develop research proposals and designs in collaboration with other academics.