Research Assistant

About the role 

We are seeking a postgraduate candidate for a Research Assistant role to participate in our recently funded research project under the Education for Sustainability Fund, entitled: ?Towards a Radical Pragmatism of Climate Pedagogy ? Student Centred Curriculum Design to Address Climate Anxiety?. 

The project aims to reshape how we teach climate change at university level through co-producing a curriculum with current UG and PGT students in our module ?Climate, Environment and Uneven Development? in the Department of International Development. Through insights from best practice climate pedagogy literature and from student focus groups we hope to teach climate change so it balances analysing the drivers of the climate crisis with formulating hopeful climate futures with actionable policy and career options to make a difference in the world on this issue.

The candidate therefore will have experience of completing social science climate modules in their undergraduate or postgraduate degrees and an interest in the climate crisis more generally. The job will consist of 15 hours per week for a total of 5 months between January and May 2025 with some flexibility, paid at ?20.95 per hour. The Research Assistant will receive training and guidance for the role by their line managers Dr Ambarish Karamchedu and Dr Nithya Natarajan, with weekly meetings, assistance in support and mentorship for research, analysis and writing. 

To apply, please email a CV and short statement of your why you would be a good fit for this role (no more than 300 words) to Ambarish.karamchedu@kcl.ac.uk and Nithya.natarajan@kcl.ac.uk.

The application deadline is 9th January, with interviews taking place on the 10th January and the position starting at the end of January.

Key responsibilities

• Plan, conduct and analyse six two hour focus groups with a group of 10 UG3 and PGT students enrolled on our course: ?Climate, Environment and Uneven Development?. These will be held during Weeks 1-10 of Term 2 teaching term in year 24/25
• Conduct a literature review on the cutting-edge best practice in climate pedagogy and climate anxiety in regards to policy and case study led curriculum design for an international development context
• Audit existing climate courses, collect course handbooks within the SSPP faculty and elsewhere at KCL in order to gain insights on the successful implementation of climate pedagogy, e.g. lecture and seminar design
• Interact with module leads of related climate courses within KCL in order to triangulate with the student focus groups to gain insights from academics on climate pedagogy and share our results within a potential community of practice
• Submit and present initial findings of the research at a UK academic conference in 2025/6 e.g. Royal Geographical Society conference
• Help to plan and draft a pedagogical journal article with line managers for submission to leading Geography/ Development/ pedagogical journals 

Qualifications

• MA/MSc or higher in social science subject;

Person specification

• Experience of taking a climate change related UG or PGT module;
• Enthusiasm for climate pedagogy/ radical climate politics;
• Good organisation, teamwork, and interpersonal skills;
• Qualitative research and analysis skills would be an advantage;
• Experience of teaching on a climate change related UG or PGT module would be an advantage.

About us

King?s Legal Clinic aims to improve access to justice and educate King?s students by providing free legal advice to members of the public through its Legal Advice Clinic and working with local and international organisations on research and justice projects. 

About the role

The Legal Clinic Coordinator will work under the Legal Clinic Manager to help with the day-to-day project management and administration of the Dickson Poon School of Law?s award-winning Legal Clinic, King?s Legal Clinic. 

The Legal Clinic Coordinator provides project management and high-level administrative support to Legal Clinic Manager, Director and Supervising Solicitors at King?s Legal Clinic (?the Clinic?). The role holder must have relevant professional legal experience, excellent organisational, IT, and communication skills and an ability to relate to and work with a diverse range of students, partner organisations and clients.  

A key function will be the day-to-day coordination and administration, a of King?s Legal Clinic. This will include: 

• Supporting the smooth running of the day-to-day operations of the Legal Clinic.
• Supporting the students with dealing with initial enquiries from members of the public, preparing case summaries, and support the supervising solicitors with triaging cases in a range of clinics
• Liaising with law firm partners to arrange suitability checks and clinic rotas 
• Booking client appointments, and managing and maintaining the digital case management system including data input 
• To oversee day and some evening clinics and provide support and IT assistance to Students, Partners, and Clinic staff
• Liaising with members of the public, the legal profession and voluntary organisations. The post holder will also be involved in the delivery of training to students on Clinic procedures. 
• To support in the collation of data for reports, including the annual report 
• Carry out the day-to-day financial administration and processing as necessary.

The position is likely to be of particular interest to a well-organised, proactive individual with experience of working in a busy legal environment, in particular a University Legal Clinic or Law centre, with good academic qualifications and interest an in access to justice.

This is a full-time post (35 Hours per week)

The role is based on the Strand campus

The Dickson Poon School of Law embraces equality, diversity and inclusion. We attract students and staff from across the world, from many different backgrounds, with a variety of ethnicities, religions, and sexual and gender identities. We promote flexible working as a key enabler of inclusion. We particularly encourage and welcome applications from women, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) candidates, and from candidates who are LGBTQ+ and/or have a disability. 

Law Degree or Degree and demonstrable experience of the provision of legal services

About you

To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:

Essential criteria

1.      Law Degree or Degree and demonstrable experience of the provision of legal services

2.      Demonstrable knowledge and understanding of the English legal system, data protection requirements and professional standards applicable to legal service providers

3.      Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to draft correspondence and documents with a high level of accuracy for diverse audiences

4.      Excellent administrative support and IT skills including use of Microsoft Office, Microsoft Teams, Excel and knowledge of how to operate a legal case management system.

5.      Previous employment or experience in a law firm, legal advice or information service provider, charity, non-governmental organisation, government department, or Higher Education, or in a role that involves frequent contact with members of the public in relation to legal issues.

6.      Experience (including volunteer experience) of management or administration or other support of community projects at local, national or international level.

7.      Ability to work both independently and collaboratively as part of a team

8.      The ability to communicate and work with individuals at all levels, including the Clinic?s partner and service users, from a wide range of backgrounds, from vulnerable and diverse communities where English is a second language

Desirable criteria

1.      Experience of administration and coordinating in a University Legal Clinic.

2.      Knowledge of and skill in composing and managing web content and/or organisational social media account

We are seeking a motivated and dynamic Research Assistant to support the co-creation of artifacts and facilitate a hands-on workshop as part of the Crossing Boundaries: Celebrating Linguistic Diversity event at King's College London. This exciting initiative is designed to explore the rich world of linguistic diversity, specifically focusing on how different languages express motion and spatial relationships. Participants will engage with motion verbs across a variety of ancient and modern languages, gaining insights into the cultural and linguistic contexts that shape our understanding of movement and space.

A key feature of the event is the creation of the Paths of Motion art installation, which will serve as a visual representation of this exploration into linguistic diversity. The installation will feature various art pieces co-created by the participants, symbolizing how language and movement are intertwined. As a Research Assistant, you will play a crucial role in facilitating the co-creation process during the workshop, helping participants contribute their own creative interpretations of motion and language. Paths of Motion will reflect the diverse linguistic perspectives of the participants, offering a unique and interactive visual experience that celebrates both the diversity of language and the creative contributions of everyone involved. 

The artwork will be created in both a digital format for online accessibility and as a physical piece, proposed for addition to King's Curiosity Cabinet. The dual format will ensure that Paths of Motion serves as both a tangible asset within the university and a readily accessible digital resource that can reach a wider audience.

Key Responsibilities:

• Assist in facilitating a collaborative workshop where participants will contribute to the creation of an art installation, reflecting linguistic diversity.
• Help guide participants through the co-creation process, ensuring a smooth and engaging experience.
• Support the event team in managing and organizing materials and resources for the workshop.
• Work closely with the project team to ensure the integration of participant contributions into the final artwork.
• Provide assistance in setting up and preparing the workshop space prior to the event.

Please note:

The event lasts for four hours, including the lunch break. As the art installation will be created only in the second part of the event (two hours), we will be paying for three extra hours as you will have to attend up to three meetings with the organiser(s) to discuss, define, and check the progress of your concept for the art installation. These will all happen between February and the date of the event.

Useful information for your application:

If you have any initial thoughts or ideas about how you would contribute to the workshop, please feel free to include them in your cover letter. We value creative contributions and are open to innovative approaches.

A background in arts, graphic design, or related fields is required. 

• Previous experience in art facilitation, workshop facilitation, or co-creation projects.
• Strong communication and organizational skills.
• Ability to work effectively with a diverse group of participants.
• Ability to work independently as well as part of a team.
• A keen interest in cultural diversity and language-related projects is highly desirable.