Bridging Fellow

The Institute for Medical Humanities seeks to appoint talented researchers and scholars to the role of Bridging Fellow. Three 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.

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 are intended to constitute a bridge between doctoral research and future careers.

All Bridging Fellows will be appointed to the Institute for Medical Humanities and a suitable academic Department. Day-to-day, Bridging Fellows 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.

Bridging Fellows are 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.

These roles 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.

• 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.

Bridging Fellows are 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.

Bridging Fellows 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.