The School of Politics & International Relations at the University of Nottingham is seeking a Research Associate to provide research and logistical support for a Leverhulme Trust funded research project. The PI for this project is Associate Professor Dr William Daniel and this role will be reporting directly to him. Queering the Commons: Overcoming polarisation with identity-based connections is a new research project that explores identity-based affinity groups and asks whether they might be useful to reduce polarisation among political elites. Many legislatures permit affinity groups outside of committees to allow like-minded politicians to connect on areas of mutual interest, whether geographic, policy, or leisure. Using the case of four such prominent LGBTQgroups in the UK House of Commons, Scottish Parliament, French National Assembly, and European Parliament, the project explores how connections made between groupmembers affect cross-party interactions in more formalisedparliamentary settings. The project takes inspiration from scholarship on ethnic and gender identity’s effects on political behaviour that has been less explored for sexuality. It argues that identities that divide us in one setting might bind us in another. The successful candidate will: Have excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to communicate with clarity on complex information. Have strong knowledge of the research area, methods and techniques in the broad field of political science and, more specifically, in relation to the study of identity politics (i.e., race and ethnicity, gender, and/or sexuality)and/or legislative politics. Have the analytical ability to facilitate conceptual thinking, innovation and creativity. Have the ability to build relationships and collaborate with others, internally and externally. Have excellent organisational and project management skills, including a proven ability to prioritise work tasks, manage own time, and multi-task. Have an ability to work independently and take initiative, yet also work flexibly and supportively as part of a team It would be an advantage for candidates to have: Previous experience with web scraping techniques and/or advanced quantitative methods training in STATA or R. Ability to work across multi-lingual websites, especially in French. We welcome applications from people in all diversity groups for this post, and we hope for a start date in February 2025. Informal enquiries may be addressed to Dr. Will Daniel william.danielnottingham.ac.uk. Please note that applications sent directly to this email address will not be accepted. Our university is a supportive, inclusive, caring and positive community. We welcome those of different cultures, ethnicities and beliefs – indeed this very diversity is vital to our success, it is fundamental to our values and enriches life on campus. Learn more about the university commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. We are delighted to share that we are the first university to have achieved Athena Swan Gold Award. We want you to succeed in our recruitment process and have published Candidate Guidance for you to access information and support on application and interview process. We welcome applications from UK, Europe and from across the globe and we want to make your transition to living in the UK as smooth as possible. Visit the Moving to Nottingham page to find out more. Your application will be considered on an equal basis, subject to the relevant permission to work in the UK as set out by UK Visas & Immigration. £31,387 to £34,866 per annum pro-rata depending on skills and experience. Salary progression beyond this scale is subject to performance.