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"""Job description Post Research Assistant Department Department of Biology Division Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences Division (MPLS) Location 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, and other affiliated Biology buildings in Oxfordshire Grade and salary Researcher Grade 6: £34,982 per annum Hours Full time Contract type Fixed term (12 months) Reporting to Prof Nathalie Seddon Application deadline 12 noon on Friday 23 May 2025 Vacancy reference 179387 Recruitment contacts HR: recruitment@biology.ox.ac.uk Start date Available from 1 July 2025 Research topic Nature reconnection and nature positive behaviour Principal Investigator / supervisor Prof Nathalie Seddon Project team Nature-based Solutions Initiative Project web site www.naturebasedsolutionsinitiative.org Funding partner RCA Recent publications Please see website The role We are seeking to appoint a Research Assistant for a new 12-month project funded by the Ecological Citizens’ Grant (Call #2). This project aims to deepen people’s connection with nature by developing and testing an interactive digital platform for species-level advocacy, creative engagement, and conservation action. It also includes piloting 2-3 Interspecies Assemblies—innovative, participatory events that bring the voice of nature into decision-making spaces. The Research Assistant will help design, deliver, and evaluate these activities with strong support from the project's leads and collaborators. Based in the Department of Biology’s Oxford offices, the post holder will work closely with the Principal Investigator (PI), project team members from the Nature-based Solutions Initiative (NbSI), and the new organisation, I Stand Beside (ISB). The role involves reviewing ecological and social science literature, collating information from biodiversity databases, supporting platform user testing, coorganising gatherings, designing and conducting surveys and data collected by the platform, analysing data, and helping draft reports and publications on the findings. Responsibilities • • • • • • • • • • Manage own research and administrative activities, within guidelines provided by senior colleagues. Contribute to wider project planning, including ideas for new research projects. Gather, review, and summarise scientific literature and other relevant sources (e.g. public biodiversity databases), ensuring that the digital platform remains grounded in accurate, accessible data. Support platform development and user testing, working with web developers to categorise, tag, and organise ecological information according to agreed frameworks. Provide event organisation support for 2-3 “Interspecies Assemblies”, including logistics, volunteer coordination, scheduling, promotion, and onsite facilitation. Contribute to communications and outreach by producing plain-language summaries, news articles, social media content, and other materials for diverse audiences. Help design the collection of and analyse feedback from events and platform usage, using both qualitative (surveys, interviews) and quantitative (web analytics) methods, to guide improvements and future research efforts. Work with the PI and research team to compile findings into a final report and at least one academic paper for publication, as well as any additional dissemination materials for stakeholders. Contribute to scientific reports and journal articles and the presentation of data/papers Embed the principles of mutual respect, equality, diversity, inclusivity and sustainability in all aspects of your work; undertake training as and when asked to do so. Selection criteria Essential selection criteria ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● Educated to degree level (or equivalent professional experience) in ecology, geography (social sciences), environmental sciences, or a related field. Demonstrable interest in and/or basic knowledge of biodiversity, conservation, and naturebased engagement approaches. Familiarity with social sciences tools, e.g. designing and conducting social survey Proven ability to synthesise large amounts of written information (scientific reports, papers, articles, case studies) and present it clearly and easily. Strong writing and digital literacy skills, able to produce concise content for websites and reports, and to adapt quickly to new systems or tools. Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail; ability to multitask and meet deadlines under pressure. Strong interpersonal and communication skills; able to work effectively within a diverse, interdisciplinary team and confidently liaise with external stakeholders. Capacity to undertake some travel, including to pilot events around the UK and potentially overseas, if required. Commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion in all aspects of work. Able to work as part of the NbSI team in person in Oxford. Desirable selection criteria • • • • • Knowledge of online engagement methods, data analytics, and/or citizen science platforms. Experience of event coordination (workshops, conferences, or community gatherings). Familiarity with creative advocacy, communications, or community art projects. Basic analytical skills for survey design, data analysis, and interpretation. Track record in writing for different audiences (e.g. policy briefs, blog posts, newsletters). Pre-employment screening Standard checks If you are offered the post, the offer will be subject to standard pre-employment checks. You will be asked to provide: proof of your right-to-work in the UK; proof of your identity; and (if we haven’t done so already) we will contact the referees you have nominated. If you have previously worked for the University we will also verify key information such as your dates of employment and reason for leaving your previous role with the department/unit where you worked. You will also be asked to complete a health declaration so that you can tell us about any health conditions or disabilities for which you may need us to make appropriate adjustments. Please read the candidate notes on the University’s pre-employment screening procedures at: https://www.jobs.ox.ac.uk/pre-employment-checks If you are offered the post, the offer will be subject to standard pre-employment checks. You will be asked to provide: proof of your right-to-work in the UK; proof of your identity; and (if we haven’t done so already) we will contact the referees you have nominated. You will also be asked to complete a health declaration so that you can tell us about any health conditions or disabilities for which you may need us to make appropriate adjustments. Please read the candidate notes on the University’s pre-employment screening procedures at: https://www.jobs.ox.ac.uk/pre-employment-checks Hazard-specific / Safety-critical duties This job includes hazards or safety-critical activities. If you are offered the post, you will be asked to complete a health questionnaire which will be assessed by our Occupational Health Service, and the offer of employment will be subject a successful outcome of this assessment. The hazards or safety-critical duties involved are as follows: • Lone Working • Driving on University business • Travel outside of Europe or North America on University Business About the University of Oxford Welcome to the University of Oxford. We aim to lead the world in research and education for the benefit of society both in the UK and globally. Oxford’s researchers engage with academic, commercial and cultural partners across the world to stimulate high-quality research and enable innovation through a broad range of social, policy and economic impacts. We believe our strengths lie both in empowering individuals and teams to address fundamental questions of global significance, while providing all our staff with a welcoming and inclusive workplace that enables everyone to develop and do their best work. Recognising that diversity is our strength, vital for innovation and creativity, we aspire to build a truly diverse community which values and respects every individual’s unique contribution. While we have long traditions of scholarship, we are also forward-looking, creative and cutting-edge. Oxford is one of Europe's most entrepreneurial universities and we rank first in the UK for university spin-outs, and in recent years we have spun out 15-20 new companies every year. We are also recognised as leaders in support for social enterprise. Join us and you will find a unique, democratic and international community, a great range of staff benefits and access to a vibrant array of cultural activities in the beautiful city of Oxford. For more information, please visit www.ox.ac.uk/about/organisation. The Department of Biology You will be joining the Department of Biology at an exciting time. The Department established from August 2022 as a result of a merger between the Departments of Zoology and Plant Sciences, and is preparing to move into the new state-of-the-art Life and Mind Building in 2025. The Department of Biology is recognised internationally for its research in a wide range of fields spanning all levels from molecules to ecosystems, and tackling global challenges through fundamental bioscience research. Over time, the research interests of the Department has been focused on five primary themes: Behaviour & Biomechanics; Ecology & Conservation; Evolutionary Biology; Microbiology & Infectious Disease; and Molecular Plant Biology. Research is conducted in all spheres from laboratory and in silico analysis to theoretical and field-based research. At all times we seek to reinforce the connections between research and our education offering, at both graduate and undergraduate level. The Department teaches a four-year undergraduate degree MBiol course in Biology, with fourth-year students undertaking a Masters-level research project. It also supports a variety of graduate placements and hosts the University’s DPhil in Biology. External research income to the Department is derived from over 50 different funding agencies, with the principal current funders being the European Research Council, the Royal Society, the Wellcome Trust, BBSRC and NERC. The Department has a significant record in integrating broader societal impacts of its research, including the provision of policy to government at the highest level, as well as supporting the commercialisation of research through spin-out companies and licensing arrangements that have generated hundreds of millions of pounds’ worth of innovation. The Department is located in the University’s Science Area at two sites and will move into the new £200m Life and Mind Building in 2025 that will include extensive laboratory provision with controlled environment rooms, glasshouses and an imaging suite. The Department also benefits from extensive facilities at the John Krebs Field Station at Wytham, with Wytham Woods nearby, as well as partnerships with organisations in the area such as the Oxford Botanic Gardens and Oxford Natural History Museum. For more information please visit: https://www.biology.ox.ac.uk The Department of Biology holds a bronze Athena Swan award to recognise advancement of gender equality: representation, progression and success for all. The Nature-based Solutions Initiative The Nature-based Solutions Initiative (NbSI) is an international, interdisciplinary team of natural and social scientists within Oxford’s Department of Biology and School of Geography. Our work shapes policy and practice on nature-based solutions through research, teaching, and engagement with policymakers, practitioners, businesses, and civil society. More details can be found at www.naturebasedsolutionsinitiative.org I Stand Beside I Stand Beside (ISB) is a new organisation that harnesses creative arts and digital innovation to celebrate, protect, and champion Earth’s rich biodiversity. Working closely with NbSI, ISB nurtures collaborations between scientists, artists, and communities to create novel forms of ecological advocacy that empower individuals to stand beside the species and habitats they love. About the Mathematical, Physical, and Life Sciences (MPLS) Division The Mathematical, Physical, and Life Sciences (MPLS) Division is one of the four academic divisions of the University, alongside the Humanities, Social Sciences and Medical Sciences Divisions. It is led by an academic Head of Division (Professor Jim Naismith) and an administrative Divisional Registrar (Dr Tracy Gale) and comprises nine of the University’s academic departments – Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Earth Sciences, Engineering Science, Materials, the Mathematical Institute, Physics, and Statistics – as well as Begbroke Science Park, the multidisciplinary Ineos Oxford Institute for Antimicrobial Research and an interdisciplinary Doctoral Training Centre. MPLS is proud to be home to some of the most creative and innovative scientific thinkers and leaders in academia, whose interdisciplinary research is tackling major societal and technological challenges, from new energy solutions or improved cancer treatments to understanding climate change processes and helping to preserve biodiversity, tackling antimicrobial resistance, advancing AI and quantum technologies and space exploration, and much more. The quality and impact of our work have been recognised by successive rounds of the national Research Excellence Framework and Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework exercises, and our departments frequently top the major higher education league tables. We teach around 7,300 students (including around 3,400 graduate students) and are playing a key part in training the next generation of leading scientists. Divisional activity is co-ordinated and represented by the MPLS Divisional Office based at 9 Parks Road, in the heart of Oxford’s Science Area. The Divisional Office, which is led by the Divisional Registrar, has around 55 dedicated members of staff, as well as a number of colleagues who are embedded in divisional teams but based in central University services (e.g. in Finance, HR and Development). To find out more, please visit: www.mpls.ox.ac.uk. How to apply Applications are made through our online recruitment portal. Information about how to apply is available on our Jobs website https://www.jobs.ox.ac.uk/how-to-apply. Your application will be judged solely on the basis of how you demonstrate that you meet the selection criteria stated in the job description. As part of your application you will be asked to provide details of two referees and indicate whether we can contact them now. You will be asked to upload a CV and a supporting statement. The supporting statement must explain how you meet each of the selection criteria for the post using examples of your skills and experience. This may include experience gained in employment, education, or during career breaks (such as time out to care for dependants) Please upload all documents as PDF files with your name and the document type in the filename. All applications must be received by midday UK time on the closing date stated in the online advertisement. If you currently work for the University please note that: - as part of the referencing process, we will contact your current department to confirm basic employment details including reason for leaving although employees may hold multiple part-time posts, they may not hold more than the equivalent of a full time post. If you are offered this post, and accepting it would take you over the equivalent of full-time hours, you will be expected to resign from, or reduce hours in, your other posts(s) before starting work in the new post. Information for priority candidates A priority candidate is a University employee who is seeking redeployment because they have been advised that they are at risk of redundancy, or on grounds of ill-health/disability. Priority candidates are issued with a redeployment letter by their employing department(s). If you are a priority candidate, please ensure that you attach your redeployment letter to your application (or email it to the contact address on the advert if the application form used for the vacancy does not allow attachments). If you need help Application FAQs, including technical troubleshooting advice is available at: https://staff.web.ox.ac.uk/recruitment-support-faqs Non-technical questions about this job should be addressed to the recruiting department directly at Recruitment@Biology.ox.ac.uk To return to the online application at any stage, please go to: www.recruit.ox.ac.uk. Please note that you will receive an automated email from our online recruitment portal to confirm receipt of your application. Please check your spam/junk mail if you do not receive this email. Important information for candidates Data Privacy Please note that any personal data submitted to the University as part of the job application process will be processed in accordance with the GDPR and related UK data protection legislation. For further information, please see the University’s Privacy Notice for Job Applicants at: https://compliance.admin.ox.ac.uk/job-applicant-privacy-policy. The University’s Policy on Data Protection is available at: https://compliance.admin.ox.ac.uk/data-protection-policy. The University’s policy on retirement The University operates an Employer Justified Retirement Age (EJRA) for very senior research posts at grade RSIV/D35 and clinical equivalents E62 and E82 of 30 September before the 70th birthday. The justification for this is explained at: https://hr.admin.ox.ac.uk/the-ejra. For existing employees on these grades, any employment beyond the retirement age is subject to approval through the procedures: https://hr.admin.ox.ac.uk/the-ejra. There is no normal or fixed age at which staff in posts at other grades have to retire. Staff at these grades may elect to retire in accordance with the rules of the applicable pension scheme, as may be amended from time to time. Equality of opportunity Entry into employment with the University and progression within employment will be determined only by personal merit and the application of criteria which are related to the duties of each particular post and the relevant salary structure. In all cases, ability to perform the job will be the primary consideration. No applicant or member of staff shall be discriminated against because of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation. Benefits of working at the University Employee benefits University employees enjoy 38 days’ paid holiday, generous pension schemes, flexible working options, travel discounts including salary sacrifice schemes for bicycles and electric cars and other discounts. Staff can access a huge range of personal and professional development opportunities. See https://hr.admin.ox.ac.uk/staff-benefits Employee Assistance Programme As part of our wellbeing offering staff get free access to Health Assured, a confidential employee assistance programme, available 24/7 for 365 days a year. Find out more https://staff.admin.ox.ac.uk/health-assured-eap University Club and sports facilities Membership of the University Club is free for University staff. It offers social, sporting, and hospitality facilities. Staff can also use the University Sports Centre on Iffley Road at discounted rates, including a fitness centre, powerlifting room, and swimming pool. See www.club.ox.ac.uk and https://www.sport.ox.ac.uk/. Information for staff new to Oxford If you are relocating to Oxfordshire from overseas or elsewhere in the UK, the University's Welcome Service includes practical information about settling in the area, including advice on relocation, accommodation, and local schools. See https://welcome.ox.ac.uk/ Reimbursement Policy: https://staffimmigration.admin.ox.ac.uk/reimbursement-policy There is also a visa loan scheme to cover the costs of UK visa applications for staff and their dependants. See https://staffimmigration.admin.ox.ac.uk/visa-loan-scheme Family-friendly benefits We are a family-friendly employer with one of the most generous family leave schemes in the Higher Education sector (see https://hr.web.ox.ac.uk/family-leave). Our Childcare Services team provides guidance and support on childcare provision, and offers a range of high-quality childcare options at affordable prices for staff. In addition to 5 University nurseries, we partner with a number of local providers to offer in excess of 450 full time nursery places to our staff. Eligible parents are able to pay for childcare through salary sacrifice, further reducing costs. See https://childcare.admin.ox.ac.uk/. Supporting disability and health-related issues (inc menopause) We are committed to supporting members of staff with disabilities or long-term health conditions, including those experiencing negative effects of menopause. Information about the University’s Staff Disability Advisor, is at https://edu.admin.ox.ac.uk/disability-support. For information about how we support those going through menopause see https://hr.admin.ox.ac.uk/menopause-guidance Staff networks The University has a number of staff networks including for research staff, BME staff, LGBT+ staff, disabled staff network and those going through menopause. Find out more at https://edu.admin.ox.ac.uk/networks The University of Oxford Newcomers' Club The University of Oxford Newcomers' Club is run by volunteers that aims to assist the partners of new staff settle into Oxford, and provides them with an opportunity to meet people and make connections in the local area. See www.newcomers.ox.ac.uk. Research staff The Researcher Hub supports all researchers on fixed-term contracts. They aim to help you settle in comfortably, make connections, grow as a person, extend your research expertise and approach your next career step with confidence. Find out more https://www.ox.ac.uk/research/supportresearchers/researcher-hub Oxford’s Research Staff Society is a collective voice for our researchers. They also organise social and professional networking activities for researchers. Find out more https://www.ox.ac.uk/research/support-researchers/connecting-other-researchers/oxfordresearch-staff-society """^^ . "application/xhtml+xml" . "Title"@en . "type" . . . . . "text/n3" . "Current vacancies at the University of Oxford" . "value" . "text/turtle" . . "in dataset" . . . "text/html" . . . . _:N9f4f08c2eb3e4dfdbe63e5094df85e70 . "Format"@en . . . "Source"@en . "Document" . "179387_JD_Final" . "RDF/XML description of 179387_JD_Final" . "application/rdf+xml" . 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