Post-doctoral Research Fellow Level 1 or 2 - Temporary 4 years

University College Dublin - Sutherland School of Law

Placed On: 1st April 2026

Closes: 23rd April 2026

Job Ref: 019536

Applications are invited for a temporary post of a UCD Post-doctoral Research Fellow Level 1 or 2 within the UCD Sutherland School of Law.

Applications are invited for a Quantitative Methods Postdoctoral Researcher (PostDoc) for a fixed term period of 4 years. The position is available as part of the ERC-funded project RefLex: Is International Refugee Law Effective? led by Principal Investigator Professor Cathryn Costello, Full Professor of Global Refugee and Migration Law based in the Sutherland School of Law, University College Dublin.

RefLex: Is International Refugee Law Effective? is a 5-year global comparative study of the workings and effectiveness of International Refugee Law, a body of international law that is implemented, domesticated and judicialised to varying degrees across the world. While the effectiveness of other fields of international law, in particular human rights law, is a well-established academic field, there are few large-n studies of International Refugee Law in practice.

The PostDoc level 1 or 2 will work under the guidance and supervision of the Principal Investigator, Professor Cathryn Costello, and as part of the RefLex team, which will include a second postdoctoral researcher, 4 doctoral researchers and the project manager, Dr Jonathan Wren. The team also includes two other affiliated academics, Professors Lamis Abdelaaty (Syracuse University, USA) and Ashwini Vasanthakumar (Queen’s University, Canada).

Note: Please note that applicants should submit a traditional CV (i.e. not a narrative CV) as part of their application.

PD1 Salary Range: €46,805 - €53,391 per annum

PD2 Salary Range: €54,850 - €59,654 per annum

Appointment on the above range will be dependent upon qualifications and experience.

Closing date: 12:00 noon (local Irish time) on 23rd April 2026.

Applications must be submitted by the closing date and time specified. Any applications which are still in progress at the closing time of 12:00 noon (Local Irish Time) on the specified closing date will be cancelled automatically by the system. UCD are unable to accept late applications.

UCD do not require assistance from Recruitment Agencies. Any CVs submitted by Recruitment Agencies will be returned.

The PD1 position is intended for early-stage researchers, either just after completion of a PhD or for someone entering a new area for the first time. If you have already completed your PD1 stage in UCD or will soon complete a PD1, or you are an external applicant whose total Postdoctoral experience, inclusive of the duration of the advertised post, would exceed 4 years, you should not apply and should refer to PD2 posts instead.

The PD2 post is intended for researchers who have completed PD1. As with the PD1, if you have already completed your PD2 stage in UCD or will soon complete a PD2, or your total Postdoctoral experience, inclusive of the duration of the advertised post, would exceed 6 years, you should not apply and should refer to Research Fellow posts instead.

Prior to application, further information (including application procedure) should be obtained from the Work at UCD website: www.ucd.ie/workatucd/jobs