Postdoctoral Research Fellow

The Department of Politics and International Relations (DPIR) is one of Oxford's largest and most internationally recognised departments, home to around 90 academic staff and a thriving community of researchers and visitors. Ranked the Number One University in the UK for Politics by The Guardian in 2024, the department delivers world-class teaching and research supported by experienced Professional Services teams working across Courses, Research, Finance, HR and Communications. We are strongly committed to equality, diversity and inclusion, including work towards an Athena Swan Bronze Award, and are based in the Social Sciences Building on Manor Road alongside Economics, Criminology, Socio-Legal Studies and the Social Science Library.

What we offer

Working at the University of Oxford offers several exclusive benefits, such as:

• 38 days of annual leave (inclusive of public holidays) to support your wellbeing and additional leave after long service.
• One of the most generous family leave schemes in UK higher education, offering up to 26 weeks of full-pay maternity and adoption leave, plus 12 weeks of full-pay paternity/partner leave.
• A commitment to hybrid and flexible working to suit your lifestyle.
• An excellent contributory pension scheme.
• Affordable and sustainable commuting options, including a cycle loan scheme, discounted bus travel, and season ticket loans.
• Access to a vibrant community through our social, cultural, and sports clubs.

About the role

We are seeking to appoint a Postdoctoral Research Fellow to join the Mapping Global China initiative at the Department of Politics and International Relations. The successful candidate will work closely with Dr Maria Adele Carrai, Associate Professor in the Politics and International Relations of China. This position offers an exceptional opportunity for an early-career scholar to contribute to a rapidly growing research platform dedicated to advancing new empirical and conceptual approaches to Global China. You will contribute to both the intellectual development of the project and its collaborative research infrastructure, working within an international network of scholars and contributing to innovative digital and visual research outputs.

About you

You will conduct original research on Global China, contribute to collaborative outputs such as datasets, research briefs, and publications and support the development of digital and visual research materials. Additionally, you will work closely with project collaborators to expand and refine the Mapping Global China research platform.

Furthermore, you will support the development of digital and visual research outputs, including maps, datasets, and analytical visualisations and collaborate to expand on the Mapping Global China research platform.

You must hold or be close to completion of a PhD in International Relations, Political Science, China Studies, Geography, Development Studies, or a related field and have a developing research profile in Global China, broadly defined alongside evidence of high-quality research and publication potential.

This position is full-time and fixed-term for ten months and available from 1 September 2026.

If you have any questions about the role, please email the DPIR HR Team. All enquiries will be treated in strict confidence and will not form part of the selection decision.

Application process

Applications for this vacancy are to be made online via the University's job pages. You will be required to upload a recent CV and supporting statement as part of your online application.

Only applications received before 12 noon (UK time) on Friday 19 June 2026 can be considered. Please quote reference 186580 in all correspondence.

Further information on the application process: 186580, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Job Description (PDF)

Apply online through the University of Oxford job pages with a CV and supporting statement, quoting reference 186580.