New research centre looking to appoint group leads

The new Liverpool Centre for Cultural, Social and Political Research (CSPR) is looking to recruit four working group leads.

The centre has been established to bring together expertise around humanities and social sciences to drive forward the impact of their work.

The CSPR creates a multidisciplinary research space for colleagues from the School of Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS), Liverpool Business School (LBS), Liverpool Screen School (LSS), the School of Education (SoE) and other HSS departments.

About the roles

Each of the four posts will be for 12 months from January 2025, with the possibility of extending for another 12 months.

In taking the leadership role, you will be expected to organise a one or two-day workshop event at LJMU in the next 12 months based on your research area. We would expect the workshop to invite members of the working group alongside external participants.

There would be a budget to invite people. The event would include a public-facing roundtable or lecture session. It would also include a commitment to turn the workshop presentations by the participants into a journal special edition or an edited collection. If connected to policy, we would support you writing a policy paper as well. Upon completion of the output(s), the centre would support a launch.   

More about the working groups

International Studies

A multidisciplinary field spanning political science, cultural studies and sociology, alongside cognate disciplines such as economics and history. It focuses on the analysis of global issues, international relations, and transnational processes. Our research in this area investigates topics such as diplomacy, globalisation, foreign policy, conflict resolution, development, and international organisations. We seek to understand the complex interactions of states and non-state actors in the global arena through rigorous empirical research and theoretical analysis. Our International Studies scholars will contribute to LJMU’s UoA34 REF2029 submission by understanding the dynamics shaping the contemporary world order.

Applied Political, Social and Cultural Research

This working group involves the practical application of social scientific methods to address real-world issues in politics, society, and culture. We study topics such as poverty, cultural production and consumption, policy analysis, activism, and cultural trends. The group aims to inform decision-making processes and social interventions in local-to-global contexts. Partners include state bodies such as Senedd Cymru and non-state actors such as Global Action Nepal and Fans Supporting Foodbanks. We bridge social research theory and practice to grow research impact by contributing to evidence-based policymaking in diverse contexts.

Cultural and Textual Studies

Our approach to Cultural and Textual Studies is a multidisciplinary analysis of cultural artefacts and texts, including literature, film, art, biblical studies, fiction, music, cities, sports and digital media. The group explores the production, reception, and interpretation of cultural expressions. It considers how they reflect and shape societal values, identities, emotions, and power dynamics, both historically, as observed through archival work, and in the contemporary world. Its critical examinations will generate outputs delivering insights into the complexities of meaning-making processes and the construction of social reality.

Politics, Policy and Polity

A multidimensional working group that examines the processes of governance, policy formation, and the structures of political institutions. The group will investigate the interactions between political actors, such as governments, localised politics (including city region mayors), media institutions, interest groups, and citizens, to analyse how policies are developed, mediated, implemented, and evaluated within various political systems. Through new synergies we will continue to grow to contribute to understandings of power dynamics, democratic governance, and the effects of policy decisions on society.

For more information and to apply

If you are interested in being one of the leads, please email LCCSPR@ljmu.ac.uk outlining your plans on how the working group would function and the event. Plans do not have to be fully developed in this application, but there does need to be a commitment to carrying them out.

If you have any questions on the lead role, please contact Matt Hill.