Research Fellow (Postdoctoral) - School of Languages, Cultures, Art History and Music - 106732 - Grade 7

Job Description

Position Details

School of Languages, Cultures, Art History and Music

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £36,636 to £46,049 with potential progression once in post to £48,822

Grade: 7

Full Time, Fixed Term contract up to June 2028

Closing date: 4th March 2026

UK and International travel may be required

Background

The University of Birmingham invites applications for a postdoctoral fellowship on an exciting and interdisciplinary project situated at the intersection of economics, geography, and music.

This postdoctoral fellow will contribute to the ERC-selected and UKRI-funded project SoundDecisions: Musical Listening, Decision Making, and Equitable Development in the Mekong Delta. Led by Principal Investigator Professor Alexander M. Cannon, SoundDecisions makes the innovative claim that music is the mediator par excellence of cultural and economic decision-making. SoundDecisions evaluates how farmer-musicians in the Mekong Delta in southern Vietnam listen to their environments and one another to cultivate choice, experiment with new ideas, and build trust.

The postdoctoral fellow will contribute to the design and will test a robust and innovative methodological framework to investigate how musical thinking influences the economic decisions that

farmer-musicians make because of climate change. Working alongside the PI and local academic partners, the postdoctoral fellow will then oversee data collection, which is expected to involve interviews, survey questionnaires, and a digital self-reporting mechanism.

We expect the postdoctoral fellow to conduct research in the Mekong Delta in Vietnam for up to one year. Locations may include communities of farmer-musicians in towns and cities in Can Tho and Vinh Long provinces. Following completion of data collection, the postdoctoral fellow will return to the United Kingdom for further analysis and the writing of research conclusions in collaborative publications.

Applicants for this postdoctoral fellowship must hold a PhD in economics, economic geography or a related field, and must have experience with both qualitative and quantitative methods. Ideal applicants will also have some musical experience and some knowledge of the Mekong Delta region.

Role Summary

We invite applications for a postdoctoral fellow on a full-time and fixed-term contract from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2028 with the possibility of an extension of up to six months. The successful applicant will:

• Work closely with the Principal Investigator and partners to undertake research on the SoundDecisions project

Use their understanding of qualitative and quantitative methods to contribute to the planning, design and the delivery of the research project

Conduct desk research on the latest research related to the project

Play a key role in collecting and analysing data and writing project outputs

Help to organise and participate in project meetings and dissemination activities

Main Duties

The responsibilities may include some but not all of the responsibilities outlined below

• Apply knowledge in a way which develops new intellectual understanding
• Contribute to developing models, techniques and methods
• Collect research data; this may be through a variety of research methods, such as scientific experimentation, literature reviews, surveys, and research interviews
• Disseminate research findings for publication, research seminars etc
• Travel to the Mekong Delta in Vietnam for up to one year to undertake research
• Analyse and interpret data
• Provide guidance, as required, to support staff and any students who may be assisting with the research
• Undertake management/administration arising from research

Understanding of and ability to contribute to broader management/administration processes

Contribute to the planning and organising of the research programme and/or specific research project

Co-ordinate own work with others to avoid conflict or duplication of effort

Knowledge of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010, and how to actively ensure in day to day activity in own area that those with protected characteristics are treated equally and fairly

Desirable

• Preferably, some knowledge of the Vietnamese or Khmer languages
• Preferably, some knowledge of music and music performance
  
  

Informal enquiries to email, sounddecisions@contacts.bham.ac.uk

Use of AI in applications: We want to understand your genuine interest in the role and for the written elements of your application to accurately reflect your own communication style. Applications that rely too heavily on AI tools can appear generic and lack the detail we need to assess your skills and experience. Such applications will unlikely be progressed to interview.

We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone

on our website .