Job Description
Grade UE07: £40,497 - £48,149 per annum (pro-rata if part-time)
CMVM / The Usher Institute
Full-time: 35 hours per week (part-time of no less than 28 hours per week will be considered)
Fixed-term: 3 Years (available from December 2025 until November 2028)
The Centre for Biomedicine, Self and Society (CBSS) at the Usher Institute, The University of Edinburgh, is looking for a Research Fellow working at the interface of science and technology studies (STS)/medical sociology and socio-legal studies. The successful applicant will work with Prof. Martyn Pickersgill and join the multi-institution project team for the Wellcome Trust Discovery Award, “Between deception and dissent: regulating unproven, disproven and misleading health-related claims” (PI: Prof. Emilie Cloatre, KCL).
The Opportunity
During the 3-year position, the Research Fellow will co-identify, co-develop, and undertake - under the supervision of Prof. Martyn Pickersgill - thematic case-studies or research strands pertaining to the “Between deception and dissent project”, according to individual expertise and interest. Doing so will involve conducting documentary/archival legal research, and qualitative interviews in Canada (and potentially Mexico) (and via MS Teams). It will entail the analysis of several forms of data (including interview data, documentary material, and secondary literature) to answer the project’s key research questions, and leading on co-authored publications (and other forms of dissemination). The Research Fellow will contribute to the overarching intellectual development of the “Between deception and dissent” project, and practically through for instance assisting in the preparation and editing of project documentation and contributing to organising internal/external project events. The Research Fellow will also engage with the wider project team, and particularly the research staff employed on it, across other project sites. They will also contribute to the wider academic mission within the Centre for Biomedicine, Self and Society (e.g. through departmental service and limited teaching and learning activities) in order to propel professional development.
Informal enquiries may be directed to Martyn Pickersgill, Professor of the Sociology of Science and Medicine / Co-Director of CBSS:
[email protected] .
Your Skills And Attributes For Success
- PhD (completed, or to be completed before post start date) with a substantive focus on science and technology studies / medical sociology with additional expertise in socio-legal studies (or vice versa)
- Experience and expertise in documentary/archival legal research
- Experience and expertise in conducting interviews with clinicians, scientists, or policy/regulatory actors
- Proven track record of research and writing to the standard required for publishing in leading international journals
- Interest in working as part of an internationally dispersed research team, and ability to research both independently and with direction
- Willingness to travel inter-continentally for data collection and/or other project activities
- Willingness and ability to communicate complex, specialist material to a variety of audiences, and/or develop and conduct stakeholder and public engagement
- Willingness to undertake relevant citizenship roles as part of professional development
- Committed to supporting and promoting equality and diversity goals within the University
- Ability to work with colleagues across the organisation in a respectful manner including collegiate support of colleagues.
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Application Information
Please ensure you include the following documents in your application:
As a valued member of our team you can expect:
- A competitive salary.
- An exciting, positive, creative, challenging and rewarding place to work.
- To be part of a diverse and vibrant international community.
- Comprehensive Staff Benefits, such as a generous holiday entitlement, competitive pension schemes, staff discounts, and family-friendly initiatives. Check out the full list on our staff benefits page (opens in a new tab) and use our reward calculator to discover the total value of your pay and benefits.
Championing equality, diversity and inclusion
The University of Edinburgh holds a Silver Athena SWAN award in recognition of our commitment to advance gender equality in higher education. We are members of the Race Equality Charter and we are also Stonewall Scotland Diversity Champions, actively promoting LGBT equality.
Prior to any employment commencing with the University you will be required to evidence your right to work in the UK. Further information is available on our
right to work webpages (opens new browser tab).
The University may be able to sponsor the employment of international workers in this role. This will depend on a number of factors specific to the successful applicant.
Key dates to note
The closing date for applications is
13th July 2025.
Unless stated otherwise the closing time for applications is 11:59pm GMT. If you are applying outside the UK the closing time on our adverts automatically adjusts to your browsers local time zone.
About Us
As a world-leading research-intensive University, we are here to address tomorrow’s greatest challenges. Between now and 2030 we will do that with a values-led approach to teaching, research and innovation, and through the strength of our relationships, both locally and globally.
About The Team
The Usher Institute works with people, populations and their data to understand and advance the health of individuals and populations through innovative collaborations in a global community. Our Director is Professor Aziz Sheikh OBE, and we sit within the Edinburgh Medical School in the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine at The University of Edinburgh.
Working with partners across the NHS, policymakers, industry partners and the public is central to our highly collaborative ethos. Three core research centres in Global Health, Medical Informatics and Population Health Sciences are at the heart of the Usher Institute; also home to the Edinburgh Clinical Trials Unit and a bustling General Practice, the Mackenzie Medical Centre.
The Usher Institute is a truly interdisciplinary environment. Around 350 researchers and support staff with expertise in a varied range of methodologies and topics contribute to world-leading research in global health, population health sciences and medical informatics. Our research expertise is at the heart of the excellent educational experience we offer in a wide range of taught and research postgraduate programmes, both online and on-campus, our programme of continuing professional development and in our contribution to the undergraduate medical degree.
We maintain an open, engaging and dynamic environment and welcome collaborations from around the globe.
To find out more visit https://www.ed.ac.uk/usher
