Department: School of Law & Criminology
Vacancy ID: 034301
Closing Date: 27-Apr-2025

We are seeking a post-doctoral researcher to join the SPIRS project team. This role is anticipated to be 14 months duration. SPIRS (Studying Prison In-Reach Services) is a 2-year project led by Principal Investigator, Dr Joe Garrihy.

The study will examine the user experience and opportunities for service development in the Irish Prison Service (IPS). The Research Team will analyse the experiences of those in prison engaging with ‘in-reach’ services who provide essential support to people in custody. Key agencies include, but are not limited to, the Education Training Boards (ETBs), Merchants Quay Ireland (MQI), the Samaritans and the Irish Association for Social Inclusion Opportunities (IASIO). The study is funded by the Irish Prison Service.

The collective centrality of these services in supporting people in prison and addressing their intersecting needs is inarguable. The experiences of service users and staff throughout their engagement and outcomes are underexplored yet are essential to account for their nature and functioning. The post-doctoral researcher will work with the Research Team to address this lacuna through comprehensive analysis across multiple in-reach services. The post-doctoral researcher will achieve this through the voices of the service users and staff in addition to other stakeholders including prison officers, psychologists, and others.

The post-doctoral researcher will be an integral part of a mixed methods two-year study with a Research Team led by Principal Investigator, Dr Joe Garrihy, and a Research Assistant. The post-doctoral researcher will undertake empirical participant fieldwork, mixed methods data collection and analysis with associated writing up informed by the relevant literature. The post-doctoral researcher will also support the Principal Investigator in carrying out other tasks related to the project.

The post-doctoral researcher will join a dynamic, well-supported multi-disciplinary team within the research-intensive School of Law and Criminology.

Salary:

Post-Doctoral Researcher Level 1 (2025): €45,847 p.a. (1 point - with increment)

Appointments will be made in accordance with public sector pay provisions.