Post Doctoral Research Assistant – Open Research of the India, Myanmar, Bangladesh Borderlands

Reference
1103125

Branch
University of Warwick

Start date
27/10/2025

Duration
Other - See Job

Hours and days
18 hours per week. Flexible working

Dress code
Not Applicable

Rate of pay
£22.26

Holiday rate
£2.69

Role

An opportunity has arisen for a Postdoctoral Research Assistant to join the new ERC-funded project HAGAF: Histories of Asia’s Gendered Armed Frontiers, 1780–2021, led by Professor Mandy Sadan, Global Sustainable Development, at the University of Warwick.

The postholder will develop a resource base of open access materials for researchers working on the border regions of India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. The role has two main dimensions:

• Internal project support: providing accessible, annotated research resources for colleagues and international partners, especially those based in resource-poor settings, to support their work.
• Public-facing resource: building an open access repository of materials, with particular emphasis on gender and borderlands research from and about this region.

This postholder will work closely with the PI and wider project team to design and build an initial repository or resource and the role requires both strong research skills and practical knowledge of digital tools for organising and presenting materials for researchers. A demonstrated interest in Open Research principles and practices is essential and experience of working to support OA is highly desirable.

A brief outline of the project can be seen here: https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/schoolforcross-facultystudies/gsd/gsdnews/conflict_gender_grant/ 

This role can be combined with another role on our website, please search this ID on our website: 1103131

Duties and responsibilities

• Identify, collate, evaluate, and digitally organise using appropriate metadata research resources relevant to the historical and contemporary border regions of India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar.
• Develop and curate an annotated repository of resources, paying particular attention to gendered perspectives and borderland studies.
• Ensure that materials are accessible and usable for project partners, including those in resource-poor settings.
• Design and implement an initial framework for the resource base, using digital tools and platforms appropriate for open access and long-term sustainability.
• Collaborate with the PI and research team to align the repository with the project’s wider objectives.
• Contribute to internal project communications by providing accessible guidance to team members on how to use and contribute to the resource.
• Support the public-facing impact of the project by making resources discoverable and engaging for academic and non-academic users.
• Contribute to the preparation of academic outputs, presentations, or public-facing materials as required. The researcher will also be encouraged and supported to develop a single-authored or collaborative peer reviewed published output from their work, if appropriate
• Participate in project meetings and provide progress updates to the PI.
• Provide clear workplans and accounts of time spent, including formal timesheets

Skills and experience

Essential

• A completed or near-completed PhD in History, Anthropology, Area Studies, Digital Humanities, or a related discipline. Other directly relevant experience will also be considered but completion of graduate-level education and/or training is required.
• Demonstrated experience in conducting advanced research on South Asia, with a focus on colonial, postcolonial, or borderland contexts.
• Awareness of open access publishing and/or Open Research practices and a desire to extend this knowledge.
• Excellent attention to detail and strong organisational skills, with the ability to structure and present complex information in accessible ways.
• Proven digital literacy, including experience with content management systems, online repositories, or digital resource development.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to produce annotated and explanatory materials for diverse audiences.
• Ability to work collaboratively within a research team and with international partners.

Desirable

• Knowledge of and interest in the India–Bangladesh–Myanmar border regions, particularly from a gendered or ethnographic perspective. 
• Experience building digital archives, databases, or other research repositories.
• Experience of supporting research or resource development in resource-poor settings.
• Prior involvement in collaborative, grant-funded research projects
• Excellent written communication skills, with attention to accuracy and detail.

Location
Remote or Hybrid

Additional information
Closing Date: 30/10/25

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