Postdoctoral – Coastal Community Heritage, Newcastle

About the Position

The University of Newcastle invites applications for a Postdoctoral Research Associate (PDRA) in Coastal Community Heritage, as part of the international project “SEA-CCHange: Socio-Ecological Archiving: Coastal Communities’ Heritage in Times of Climate Change”, funded by the Belmont Forum via the AHRC. This 12-month, full-time position focuses on understanding how fishing communities and fisheries managers in Northumberland adapt to and document their heritage amid climate change. Supervised by Professor Clare Fitzsimmons, the project integrates socio-ecological systems modelling, community engagement, and data-driven analysis to assess the resilience and future of coastal livelihoods. The role offers an exceptional opportunity to work collaboratively across social and ecological sciences while contributing to global climate adaptation research.

Position/Job Details

Position: Postdoctoral Research Associate
Institution: Newcastle University
Department: School of Natural and Environmental Sciences
Research Field: Coastal Heritage, Climate Change, Marine Science, Social-Ecological Systems
Location: Newcastle, United Kingdom
Number of Posts: 1
Job Type: Full-time, Fixed-Term (12 months)
Start Date (Anticipated): Early 2026
Working Hours: 37.5 hours per week
Salary Range: £35,608 – £36,636 per annum (Research Associate)
Required Degree/Diploma: PhD

Research Area

Coastal community heritage and resilience
Climate change adaptation in fishing communities
Socio-ecological modelling and data synthesis
Stakeholder engagement and participatory research

Eligibility & Qualifications

Minimum Requirements:

PhD in Marine Science, Human Geography, or related interdisciplinary fields.
Proven experience in stakeholder interviews, focus groups, and qualitative and quantitative data analysis.

Preferred Qualifications:

Experience with GIS (e.g., QGIS, ArcMap).
Programming skills in R or Python.
Background in socio-ecological systems modelling (BBN, ABM, SNA, MCDA).

Key Responsibilities

Conduct fieldwork with local fishing communities and NIFCA.
Collect and analyse socio-ecological data to assess climate resilience.
Collaborate with international partners, including Utrecht University.
Publish findings in peer-reviewed journals and present at conferences.
Communicate results to academic and non-specialist audiences.

Application Process

How to Apply:

Applications must be submitted through the Newcastle University Jobs Portal at https://jobs.ncl.ac.uk. Include a cover letter addressing the essential criteria and a detailed CV.

Required Documents: