Research Fellow - School of English, Drama and Creative Studies - 108019 - Grade 7

Position Details

Shakespeare Institute

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £37,369 to £46,970 with potential progression once in post to £49,798

Grade: 7

Full Time, Fixed Term contract up to March 2029

Closing date: 3^rd December 2026

UK & International Travel may be required for this role.

Background

The Shakespeare Arcade is the first large-scale investigation into how videogames, arguably the most popular media form today, can be used to support the study of Shakespeare, one of the most widely taught authors worldwide. One-third of the world’s population plays video games, and the global gaming industry is more than three times the size of the film and music industries combined. The Shakespeare Arcade investigates how the popularity and creative ingenuity of video games can be used to engage new audiences, and especially young people, in the artistic richness and ethical complexity of Shakespeare’s texts. With English literature A-level enrolments currently falling, UK students are at risk of missing out on crucial skills in critical thinking, cultural literacy, and multimodal analysis that the discipline builds. The Shakespeare Arcade demonstrates how videogames can energize the study of Shakespeare and English literature, not only through their popular appeal but also their intelligent and even visionary engagements with Shakespeare’s texts. The Research Fellow will lead on developing video and multimedia assets for the open-access platform at the heart of the project, as well as contributing to project publications, conferences, and co-creation with teachers.

Creating video material from gameplay will form a significant part of the Research Fellow’s work. Please submit a short piece of original video work, made by you, as part of the application - a URL to the video is the preferred format. The video should demonstrate the candidate’s ability to use video editing software and ideally work with video material captured in-game, although videos focused on non-game content are also permissible (I.e. a social media video, an academic video essay, etc.). The interview panel will watch up to 2 minutes of the video.

Role Summary

• Work within specified research grants and projects and contribute to writing bids
• Operate within area of specialism
• Analyse and interpret research findings and results
• Create digital resources for the project and contribute to written outputs

Main Duties

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

• Develop research objectives and proposals for own or joint research, with assistance of a mentor if required
• Contribute to writing bids for research funding
• Analyse and interpret data
• Apply knowledge in a way which develops new intellectual understanding
• Disseminate research findings for publication, research seminars etc
• Supervise students on research related work and provide guidance to PhD students where appropriate to the discipline
• Contribute to developing new models, techniques and methods
• Undertake management/administration arising from research
• Contribute to Departmental/School research-related activities and research-related administration
• Contribute to enterprise, business development and/or public engagement activities of manifest benefit to the College and the University, often under supervision of a project leader
• Collect research data; this may be through a variety of research methods, such as scientific experimentation, literature reviews, and research interviews
• Present research outputs, including drafting academic publications or parts thereof, for example at seminars and as posters
• Provide guidance, as required, to support staff and any students who may be assisting with the research
• Deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines
• Fosters a fair and equitable workplace for all staff
• Identify and respond to equality and diversity issues in line with relevant university policies and procedures
• Other relevant criteria from our equality and diversity duties document.

Person Specification

• Expertise in ludonarrative design and its effects
• Knowledge of gaming industry
• Expertise in video essay creation, particularly video game walkthroughs
• Familiarity with popular gaming platforms, consoles, and forums
• A PhD relevant to the research area (or near completion), or equivalent PhD level qualifications.
• High level analytical capability
• Ability to communicate complex information clearly
• Fluency in relevant models, techniques or methods and ability to contribute to developing new ones
• Ability to assess resource requirements and use resources effectively
• 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 and duties under the Equality Act 2010. Including fostering good relations and advancing the universities Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED).
• Other relevant criteria from our equality and diversity knowledge, skills and experience document.

Informal enquiries to Erin Sullivan, email: e.sullivan@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.