"Postdoctoral Research Associate (PDRA) - Speculative Fertilities Project"

About us

The School of Global Affairs (SGA) in the Faculty of Social Science and Public Policy at King’s is a dynamic hub of multi-disciplinary scholarship that seeks to address the pressing issues facing our world today, including climate change, inequality and global health.

At King’s, we are deeply committed to embedding good equality and diversity practices into all our activities so that the university is an inclusive, welcoming, and inspiring place to work and study, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marital status, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation. King’s offers inclusive benefits to staff, including flexible working, Enhanced Parental Leave, funds for Parents and Carers, and the potential to join community staff networks.

About the role

The PDRA will conduct research within the Wellcome-funded Speculative Fertilities: Finance, Pharma, and the Future of Reproduction project, which aims to transform the social study of reproduction by analysing the intersection of the financial and fertility sectors as a key site of reproductive politics. Using qualitative methods, this project consists of three work streams analysing case studies that may transform the future of reproduction, including automated IVF, in vitro gametogenesis (IVG) and mifepristone (abortion pill) as contraception. The advertised position focuses on the latter work stream, which will explore the socio-cultural as well as political-economic dimensions of clinical trials that explore the possibility of using mifepristone as a weekly contraceptive. The research will focus on the social dynamics of both the clinical trials themselves and the steps towards registration, authorisation and implementation after the trial finishes.

This is a full-time role, and you will be offered a fixed term contract for 36 months.

Research staff at King’s are entitled to at least 10 days per year (pro-rata) for professional development. This entitlement, from the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers, applies to Postdocs, Research Assistants, Research and Teaching Technicians, Teaching Fellows and AEP equivalent up to and including grade 7. Visit the Centre for Research Staff Development for more information.

About you

To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:

Essential criteria

1. Fluency in English
2. Strong skills in social science research methods, including qualitative methods (e.g. interviews, ethnographic methods, documentary and policy analysis).
3. Excellent writing and communication skills, with experience writing publications for academic, public and stakeholder audiences.
4. Incipient or growing track record of academic writing (e.g., monographs, reports, working papers, journal publications).
5. Ability to develop, conduct and publish independent research studies within the broader research project. Ability to manage research data effectively. Excellent organisational and time-management skills.
6. Academic expertise in reproductive politics and/or pharmaceutical innovation and regulation.

Desirable criteria

1. Demonstrated interest and expertise in abortion and contraception research.
2. Demonstrated interest and expertise in the regulation and implementation of pharmaceutical research.
3. Experience in relevant quantitative and digital methods.
4. Experience working across reproductive or pharmaceutical sectors, e.g. in relation to policy, research & development, public health, or with people with lived experience.
5. Understanding of data confidentiality and data security.

Please note that this is a PhD level role but candidates who have submitted their thesis and are awaiting award of their PhDs will be considered. In these circumstances the appointment will be made at Grade 5, spine point 30 with the title of Research Assistant. Upon confirmation of the award of the PhD, the job title will become Research Associate and the salary will increase to Grade 6.

Further information

We pride ourselves on being inclusive and welcoming. We embrace diversity and want everyone to feel that they belong and are connected to others in our community.

We are committed to working with our staff and unions on these and other issues, to continue to support our people and to develop a diverse and inclusive culture at King's.

As part of this commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and through this appointment process, it is our aim to develop candidate pools that include applicants from all backgrounds and communities.

We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV, and a supporting statement, detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the advert. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our final shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible.

To find out how our managers will review your application, please take a look at our How we Recruit pages.

Grade and Salary: £45,031 per annum including London Weighting Allowance
Job ID: 134805
Close Date: 19-Jan-2026
Contact Person: Lucy van de Wiel
Contact Details: Lucy.vandewiel@kcl.ac.uk