Research Fellow in Islamic Studies

The College of Islamic Studies (CIS) was founded as a hub for contemporary Islamic studies, fostering intellectual discourse on Islam within a global framework. Offering ten graduate and postgraduate programs, CIS prepares students for careers in academia, research, as well as cultural, business, and finance sectors through specialized tracks. It also hosts renowned research centers and clusters, facilitating interdisciplinary dialogue and scholarship. CIS integrates academic Islamic principles with modern social sciences, emphasizing collaboration, innovation, and scholarship.

Position

HBKU seeks applications for the position of Research Fellow. The applicant will be responsible for contributing to CILE's research in theoretical and applied Islamic ethics, supporting the preparation of scholarly publications and research proposals, and providing research, coordination, and operational support for the center's projects, academic activities, and international initiatives.

Job Role Description

• Contribute to research with minimal supervision and participate as a team member on research projects, including conceptualizing survey methodologies, data collection, fieldwork, implementation, interviews, quantitative and qualitative data analysis, report writing, presentation preparation, and review and revision of written work.
• Under supervision, apply basic scientific principles, develop research procedures, and perform literature searches and reference collection.
• Assist with policies and procedures to ensure that the work meets research quality objectives toward accreditation standards.
• Develop and maintain repositories of defined priority research topics, research records, policies, and research-related documents.
• Work with other team members to design and manage databases to support research work.
• Carry out fieldwork protocols in order to produce reliable and precise data, and supervise fieldwork and data collection operations and activities.
• Collect and record data from multiple sources, perform calculations for preparation of graphs and tables, and summarize and interpret results for publications and presentations.
• Seek to publish peer-reviewed papers, either independently or in collaboration with other researchers.
• Assist in preparing proposals for external funding agencies.
• Maintain updated reports on research projects' progress.
• Participate in research-related scientific gatherings and collaborate on the organization of research-related events such as seminars and conferences to maintain close ties with relevant research institutes.
• Provide training on specific research tools in own area of specialty to entry-level researchers and support staff, protocols and techniques to researchers and graduate students.
• Engage with CIS students and participate in their research projects.
• Other reasonable tasks as assigned by supervisor.

Minimum Knowledge, Skills & Experience

• Master's degree in a relevant field with 3-5 years of relevant full-time work experience.
• Proven record of related research.
• Professional level of knowledge and experience applying technical principles, theories, professional competencies, and techniques of discipline.
• Ability to apply knowledge to solve a wide range of complex technical problems.
• Excellent writing skills with the ability to draft and edit a variety of written reports and communications and to articulate ideas clearly and concisely; Arabic proficiency is an advantage.
• Proficiency in MS Office applications.

Additional Requirements/Skills

• Familiarity with contemporary ethical challenges in biomedical ethics, artificial intelligence, and applied moral philosophy.
• Ability to provide research and operational support to international initiatives, including the International Islamic Bioethics Association (IIBA) and the Global Alliance for AI Ethics (GAAIE), and coordinate with advisory boards, institutional partners, and working groups.
• Experience preparing concept notes, background papers, policy briefs, executive summaries, and governance documentation, including meeting proceedings and records of agreed actions.
• Skills in archival research, close textual analysis, and semantic analysis of scholarly materials.
• Experience supporting externally funded research projects, including maintaining compliance documentation and meeting funder and institutional reporting requirements.
• Experience curating academic content for institutional websites, newsletters, research digests, and public-facing outreach materials.
• Familiarity with reference-management software and scholarly databases.

How to Apply

To apply, please follow this link.

Additional documents may be solicited from short-listed candidates.

Deadline

The successful candidate must be ready to start in Spring 2027. Applications will be reviewed immediately and continue on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interviews.

Remuneration

HBKU offers an attractive compensation package that includes a tax-free salary and additional benefits such as an accommodation allowance, annual paid leave, and medical insurance.

Hamad Bin Khalifa University is an equal opportunity educator and employer. We are committed to maintaining a culturally and academically diverse staff of the highest caliber.