Research Associate/Senior Research Associate in Geographical Information Systems

Salary: £25,759 to £36,661
Closing Date: Thursday 06 March 2014
Further details: http://hr-jobs.lancs.ac.uk/Vacancy.aspx?ref=A889
Reference: A889
 

We wish to appoint a Research Associate with strong skills in Geographical Information Systems (GIS) for an exciting post in a major research team. You will work closely with Prof Ian Gregory and an inter-disciplinary group of researchers at Lancaster University. The project, Spatial Humanities: Text, GIS, Places (www.lancs.ac.uk/spatialhum), funded by the European Research Council, has developed GIS approaches to manipulating and analysing large volumes of text.

We now want to apply these techniques and resources to a major GIS-based analysis of long-term socio-economic change, focussing on geographical variations in mortality decline in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This will make use of several large existing quantitative databases of census statistics, mortality data, agricultural statistics and migration data. These will be used in combination with major textual resources and analytic approaches that have been developed in earlier stages of the project. The post thus provides the opportunity to conduct applied research using highly innovative GIS approaches and major existing databases.

You will have strong GIS and spatial analytical skills. A thorough knowledge of a GIS software package such as ArcGIS and experience of applying it in research within human geography is essential. You will hold, or be close to holding, a postgraduate qualification involving extensive use of GIS. This will preferably be a PhD, although candidates holding a masters degree will also be considered. You will also have strong IT skills and a good knowledge of spatial analytical approaches. Good oral and written communication skills are essential, as is the ability to work independently within an inter-disciplinary team.

Experience of producing academic publications would be an advantage. A knowledge of nineteenth and/or twentieth century history and/or historical demography is also desirable but is not essential as other post-holders will have these skills.

This is a fixed-term appointment and is available from 1st April 2014 until 31 December 2016, and we hope to appoint someone as soon as possible after that date.

Interviews are likely to take place on either the 25 March or 26 March 2014.

More details on the project are available from: http://www.lancs.ac.uk/spatialhum. Informal enquiries may be directed to Prof Ian Gregory on 01524 594967,i.gregory@lancaster.ac.uk.

We welcome applications from people in all diversity groups