Job description

The Department of Global Health & Social Medicine is seeking a Research Associate to work as part of a research team on a research project entitled “Maps of Malignancy: Epidemiologists and Cancer in Sub-Saharan Africa”. Funded by a Wellcome Trust Investigator Award, the project aims to shed light on epidemiological efforts to map cancer in Africa over the last 70 years. Specifically, drawing on insights from postcolonial science studies, the project examines the socio-technical infrastructures and political rationales that underpin these mapping efforts as well as the understandings of cancer and Africa that they bring into being. To address these issues, the project uses a combination of ethnographic and archival research methods to examine two cartographic efforts: (1) the research on cancer aetiology carried out by British and French doctors in Africa in the late colonial and early postcolonial periods to improve treatment strategies at home; and (2) the contemporary global surveillance initiatives seeking to measure the cancer burden in Africa in order to rationalise health policy and planning on the continent. The research project builds on and expands an earlier British Academy-funded pilot project on Cartographies of Cancer in Sub-Saharan Africa (https://cartographiesofcancer.org).

The appointed person will have a PhD degree in the social sciences or humanities (e.g., anthropology, sociology, history, geography, STS, development studies). They will be fluent in both English and French. The appointed person will have a solid knowledge of qualitative research methods and have some experience in conducting archival and/or ethnographic fieldwork. Ideally, they will also have some experience conducting research on health or another development issues in Africa (or another low- and middle-income setting). A prior knowledge of and interest in the anthropology of global health, postcolonial science studies, the history of Africa and/or international development would be beneficial. Some experience writing and publishing high-quality, peer-reviewed articles would be welcome. The appointed person will also have strong organisational skills, excellent interpersonal and communication skills to maintain and develop good working relationships and the aptitude to think critically and use their own initiative.

This post will be offered on a fixed-term contract for 2 years. Start date – Autumn 2021.

This is a full-time post - 100% full time equivalent

“Applications are welcomed from international candidates. The recruitment of this post meets Home Office requirements that qualify the role for sponsorship.”

Key responsibilities

The post holder will work as part of a research team (comprising of the principal investigator, another research associate and a research assistant) to accomplish the archival and ethnographic research for this project. In particular, they will help carry out archival work in London (Wellcome Trust Library; British Library; National Archives), Geneva (WHO, UICC) and France (IARC, Archives Nationales; Bibliotheque Nationale de France). The post-holder will also carry out a six-month ethnographic study of the National Cancer Registry in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, accompanying and observing local cancer registrars as they go about their work collecting cancer data from hospitals across the city and entering it in the national registry database. Furthermore, they will help conduct interviews with members of the African Cancer Registry Network and carry out ethnographic observation at the Network’s meetings. The post-holder will also partner with the principal investigator and other members of the research team to develop the analytical framework, carry out the data analysis as well as write up and publish some of the project’s results. Finally, they will help disseminate findings from the research projects at conferences and seminars. 

The above list of responsibilities may not be exhaustive, and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks and responsibilities as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post.  

Skills, knowledge, and experience 

Essential criteria 

•       PhD Degree in a relevant area of the social sciences or humanities (e.g., sociology, anthropology, geography, history, science & technology studies) 

•       Fluent in English and French 

•       Excellent qualitative social science research skills 

•       Knowledge and experience of conducting ethnographic fieldwork 

•       Experience of doing social science research in sub-Saharan Africa (or another low- and middle-income setting) 

•       Knowledge of one or more of the following fields of research: anthropology, sociology and/or history of health and biomedicine; postcolonial science studies; anthropology and/or sociology of international development; anthropology and/or history of sub-Saharan Africa 

•       Excellent IT skills 

•       Excellent interpersonal and communication skills 

•       Excellent organisational, analytical and problem-solving skills 

•       Ability to use own initiative and think critically 

•       Collegiality and willingness to work as part of a team 

Desirable criteria 

•       Knowledge and experience of conducting archival research 

•       Experience of writing and publishing high quality peer-reviewed research articles