Research Associate: 'The Making of Natural History, 1797 - Present'

About the project:

‘The Making of Natural History, 1797 - Present' traces the rise of natural history in Britain in the nineteenth century, as a richly interdisciplinary subject that combined field observation of flora and fauna with local history, literature and illustration. Following the launch of a new GCSE in Natural History, the project explores how the subject may be revived and reinvented as new, interdisciplinary field of research. Led by Dr Mackenney (English), the team will include researchers in history, ecology, education, creative writing and fine art.

About the role:

As the historian on the project, the postholder will be responsible for:

• Carrying out research into the ‘history' of natural history in Britain in the nineteenth century, in order to better understand how the subject may be revived and reinvented as a new field of research.
• Exploring a wide range of archival sources in Manchester, Cumbria and elsewhere, to shed light on the long-overlooked contribution of agricultural labourers and a new, industrial working-class to environmental science in Britain.
• Practising and developing innovative, interdisciplinary methods of research: for example, by working with an ecologist to explore what historical sources may tell us about the rapidly changing environment of England's industrial heartlands, in a period that long precedes the establishment of the Biological Records Centre in 1964.
• Writing up your own research relating to the rich archival materials explored on the project (in 2 journal articles), and co-editing and contributing to a journal special by the whole team.

About you:

Applicants should:

• Hold or be very close to completing a doctorate in history or a related discipline, or equivalent research experience.
• Possess a broad and deep knowledge of nineteenth-century British history, with wider research interests in environmental history, history of science, historical ecology and/or other relevant areas.
• Be able to read, analyse and synthesise data from a wide range of historical materials, communicate research findings to a range of audiences, including researchers from other disciplines, and write up research for high-quality publications.
• Demonstrate experience of - or a willingness to engage with - archival and interdisciplinary research methods (especially of working with scientists and/or creative arts practitioners).

Applicants with interdisciplinary skills and interests - historians with a passion for bird-watching or botanical drawing, for instance - are warmly encouraged to apply.