MDXInternship Research Assistant

Details


1090593


Middlesex University


17/03/2025


2 Months


10 hours per week for 8 weeks


Smart Casual

Pay


£13.15


£1.59

Description

Role

**********The below role is only open to Middlesex University Students***********

This role is an ideal opportunity for you if you have a strong interest in social justice in higher education and would like hands-on experience in project evaluation and grant writing that you could apply in your future career. The role is designed to accommodate flexible, hybrid working and would be particularly suited to someone who needs to juggle the internship around existing responsibilities and we welcome applications from people traditionally marginalised within higher education careers such as black and minority ethnic groups, LGBTQ+, disabled and working-class applicants.  

Our ideal candidate is someone who is passionate about learning, social change and transformative inclusion who loves critical analysis, research and writing. Ideally, you will have both theoretical and practical knowledge of intersectionality but a willingness to learn takes precedence. This role will evaluate key resources related to “decolonising the curriculum” in higher education to date, paying particular attention to resources from within Law and Social Sciences (LSS) and MDXSU’s decolonising the curriculum initiative. Our key questions include: “where are we now” and “where do we go next?” You will learn how to apply academic knowledge into a practical setting such as university policy, how to conduct an evaluation and how to write a funding bid. This means that subject to funding, which is often highly competitive, there may be further scope for the role beyond the eight week placement.  

Context to decolonising the curriculum in Law and Social Sciences (LSS)  

LSS has been committed to decolonising the curriculum for a number of years resulting in key reports for Law and Politics and Sociology and Criminology. In the wider context, in 2021 Middlesex Student Union initiated a university-wide conversation decolonising the curriculum and higher education more broadly across the UK shared their resources to build more inclusive institutions.  

Duties and responsibilities

You will be responsible for: 

  • Reviewing existing reports and written material – both internal and external – to develop an evaluation strategy 

  • Conducting an initial evaluation through existing resources, policies and initiatives in place  

  • Developing a database of colleagues who have worked on/are working on decolonising 

  • Assisting with writing the evaluation report  

  • Assisting with developing the evaluation presentation 

  • Co-delivering the evaluation presentation and participating in evaluation launch event 

  • Supporting the project lead, Dr Lisa Overton in writing a funding bid to develop future initiatives in order to embed decolonising the curriculum across LSS with longevity   

  • Maintaining the project plan, tracking deadlines and sending reminders  

  • Supporting the admin team to prepare the launch event including Eventbrite information 

Skills and experience

Essential 

  • Interest in project management and evaluation and enthusiastic to learn more about these areas 

  • Strong time management skills and ability to meet deadlines  

  • Experience in reviewing written documents such as reports, policies and academic literature through your taught degree or through previous employment 

  • Experience with Microsoft Word and Outlook, Word and PowerPoint packages  

  • Comfortable working in a self-directed way as well as part of the team 

  • Ability to think creatively and outside the box 

Desirable 

  • Studying in a relevant area such as Global Governance and Sustainable Development, Sociology, Criminology, Law or International Relations  

  • Experience with Microsoft Excel, particularly in developing a database  

  • Experience with project and/or policy evaluation, either through assessment in your degree or in a workplace 

Location
Hendon Campus

Benefits

  • This internship is a perfect starting point for a student, recent graduate or postgraduate who is interested in social change, particularly within education.  

  • We will guide you in applying skills you have already learned in your studies into a real-life project and give you the freedom to explore what you might like to do for a career or future study. 

  • You will be mentored by Dr Lisa Overton who is leading the project and you will also have the opportunity to meet and engage with staff across the Faculty and the possibility of engaging with MDXSU and wider university communities.  

  • No need to have extensive experience with any of the skills mentioned above, our successful applicant is someone who wants to learn and is enthusiastic. 

Additional information

Upload a tailored CV and full cover letter in the box. Use the MDXworks Resources to ensure you have created the best application.

Applications where there is clear reliance on AI and insufficient effort on your part will not be considered. Priority will be given to candidates who did not participate previously in the scheme

Deadline 31st Jan 2025, Midnight

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