Research Fellow (Postdoctoral)

University of Birmingham - School of Languages, Cultures, Art History and Music

Location: Birmingham

Salary: Due to limited funding for this vacancy, the maximum salary available is at Grade 7 Sp 33 (£42,254). The final salary offered will depend on individual circumstances.

Hours: Full Time

Contract Type: Fixed Term Contract from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2028 with the possibility of an extension of up to six months

Placed On: 26th January 2026

Closes: 4th March 2026

Job Ref: 106732

The University of Birmingham invites applications for a postdoctoral fellowship on the research project SoundDecisions: Musical Listening, Decision Making, and Equitable Development in the Mekong Delta. Led by Professor Alexander M. Cannon, SoundDecisions evaluates how farmer-musicians in the Mekong Delta in southern Vietnam listen to their environments and one another to cultivate choice, experiment with new ideas, and build trust through music performance. For this postdoctoral fellowship, we seek an economist or economic geographer to contribute to the design and testing of a robust and innovative methodological framework to investigate how musical thinking influences the economic decisions of farmer-musicians in the Mekong Delta.

Role Summary

The successful applicant will:

• Work closely with the Principal Investigator and partners to undertake research on the SoundDecisions project
• Use their understanding of qualitative and quantitative methods to contribute to the planning, design and the delivery of the research project
• Conduct desk research on the latest research related to the project
• Play a key role in collecting and analysing data and writing project outputs
• Help to organise and participate in project meetings and dissemination activities

Person specification

The successful applicant must have:

• A PhD or near completion in Economics, Economic Geography or a related field. If near completion, final submission of a PhD must take place before 1st of July 2026
• High level analytical capability
• Ability to communicate complex information clearly
• Fluency in relevant qualitative and quantitative models, techniques or methods and ability to contribute to developing new ones
• Ability to assess resource requirements and use resources effectively
• Understanding of and ability to contribute to broader management/administration processes
• Contribute to the planning and organising of the research programme and/or specific research project
• Co-ordinate own work with others to avoid conflict or duplication of effort
• Knowledge of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010, and how to actively ensure in day-to-day activity in own area that those with protected characteristics are treated equally and fairly

Desirable specifications:

• Preferably, some knowledge of the Vietnamese or Khmer languages
• Preferably, some knowledge of music and music performance

Informal enquiries can be made to Professor Alexander Cannon at sounddecisions@contacts.bham.ac.uk

To download the full job description and details of this position and submit an electronic application online please click on the 'Apply' button above.