RIGHTS-TO-UNITE is thrilled to announce an opening for a Research Associate, for a period of 18 months, starting no later than 1st of September 2025. Are you a highly motivated researcher with expertise in European studies (with a focus on law, policy and society), as well as Swedish law, policy and society? Would you like to contribute to an exciting ERC project in a multi-national team? The role involves conducting analytical reviews of academic literature, legislation, case law, and media sources in Swedish, followed by direct engagement in qualitative comparative research. You need to be able to work in Swedish and English.
About the RIGHTS TO UNITE Project
The RIGHTS TO UNITE project led by Prof Dagmar Schiek and supported by an ERC Advanced Grant, seeks to develop a new socio-legal theory of European integration, focusing on the lived experiences of citizens as they navigate rights in various fields such as liberal/economic, social, and digital domains. This research is conducted across eight countries, including four EU states (Ireland, Czech Republic, Greece, Sweden) and four neighboring countries (Northern Ireland, Norway, North Macedonia, Georgia). Read the project’s research programme here.
Role Highlights
As part of the dynamic project team, which includes two Postdoctoral researchers, up to five PhD researchers, and a project manager, the appointed Research Associate will play a pivotal role in socio-legal research specific to citizens’ experiences in Sweden during the second and third year of the project.
The Research Associate will:
- Conduct socio-legal and qualitative comparative research under the guidance of the Principal Investigator and in collaboration with Postdoctoral Research Fellows.
- Collaborate with the advisory board member for Sweden in devising and conducting that research
- Contribute to at least one working paper on the comparative reserach in this country
- Mentor and support PhD researchers and contribute to project administration as appropriate
- The focus of the role is on socio-legal research on the Sweden case study, including:
- Analytical reviews of academic literature, legislation and case law in Swedish
- Analytical review of wedish language academic literature, legislation and case law in English
- Media analyses of Swedish-language outlets.
- Expert interviews on the relevance of groups of EU derived rights in Swedish law and practic
- Exploration of citizens’ perception of usablity of EU – derived rights aided by scenarios condensed in vignettes, and using citizens’ meetings
Desired Profile
We look for a highly motivated researcher with:
- A PhD in European integration studies (law, politics or sociology), at least close to completion
- Proven experience in comparative socio-legal research in Swedish and English.
- An emerging academic record with first high-level publications, conference presentations, or awards
- Excellent oral and written communication skills, including presenting research with visual aid
- The ability to work independently within a collaborative research team.
- A commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion.
Additional desirable skills include:
- Experience conducting large focus groups or citizens’ meetings
- An understanding of disseminating academic findings through social media.
This role offers career development opportunities, in particular through:
- Presenting research findings at international conferences.
- Participating in project seminars and collaborations.
- (Co-)authoring peer-reviewed publications, ensuring professional growth and recognition.
- Mentoring and assisting PhD researchers as appropriate and contributing to the administrative support of the project as far as associated with your research contribution
Position Details
- Salary: €50,200 per annum (fixed).
- Contract Duration: 18 months (temporary).
- Application Deadline: 12:00 noon (local Irish time) on 12th May 2025.
Application Information
Applicants must submit their applications by the specified deadline. Please note that incomplete applications or submissions after the closing time will not be considered. Additionally, UCD does not accept applications from recruitment agencies, and any CVs submitted by agencies will be returned.
More details can be found on the following link: https://universityvacancies.com/university-college-dublin/research-associate-erc-project-ucd-law-temp-18-months
Feel free to contact us at rightstounite@ucd.ie or dagmar.schiek1@ucd.ie with any questions or inquiries.