The HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Centre of Islamic Studies (CIS) at the University of Cambridge is seeking to appoint a Postdoctoral Research and Outreach Associate in Islamic art and architecture and/or material culture. The post is a three-year, fixed-term position which will commence in September 2027. It is full-time and based in the Centre of Islamic Studies, which is located in the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies.
CIS research and outreach posts are distinctive in that postholders are expected to 1) pursue a research project in an area of Islamic art, architecture and/or material culture and 2) design and run a set of outreach activities that reach beyond the academic community. What form the latter will take will depend on the specialism of the appointee but collaboration with the Fitzwilliam Museum, other Cambridge museums, the University Library and local schools is welcomed, as well as proposals for other forms of outreach. A current project with a strong outreach component is Dr Zahra Kazani's Botanical Wisdom: Art, Medicine, and Nature in Muslim Societies¿
CIS is one of a network of HRH Alwaleed Bin Talal centres and research and outreach associates are strongly encouraged to collaborate with colleagues at our UK partner institution, the Alwaleed Centre at the University of Edinburgh and with other Alwaleed centres at Harvard, Georgetown, the American University of Beirut and the American University of Cairo as appropriate. Research and outreach associates are expected to apply for additional external funding for the activities they design, when possible. The postholder may also contribute to the teaching of Islamic art, architecture and material culture within the Department of Middle Eastern Studies, with which CIS has close links, or elsewhere in the University.
Candidates will need to demonstrate an upward research trajectory and an ability to develop and carry out research projects of a high academic standard. They will also need to show an interest in and understanding of the remit of the Centre of Islamic Studies and a commitment to outreach beyond academia. Attendance at and participation in CIS weekly seminars and events during term-time, and annual conferences or symposia, is expected. The role requires an ability to work independently but also as part of a team, and native or near native fluency in spoken and written English.
The successful candidate will be expected to have been awarded their PhD by the date their employment commences. CIS Research and Outreach posts are intended primarily for early-career researchers. Applications are therefore invited from researchers who have submitted their doctoral thesis for viva voce examination no more than four years prior to the application closing date. Those wishing to make a case for a career break due to maternity leave, family commitments, illness, or other exceptional circumstances should provide relevant details. Please note that time spent working outside academia does not qualify as a career break.
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The closing date for applications is 15 October 2026. Academic references will be requested for shortlisted candidates in advance of the interviews, which will likely take place towards the end of November. They may take place in-person or online, depending on the applicant's and interviewers' availability. Any offer of employment will be conditional on the offer-holder having or gaining the right to work in the UK and receipt of a satisfactory workplace reference if relevant.
Further enquiries may be directed to enquiries@cis.cam.ac.uk
Please quote reference VN50843 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.
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