The Open University
Post Doctoral Research Associate in Policing
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# Postdoctoral Research Associate (Creators & Consumers Project) Department for Policing • Milton Keynes • Fixed Term Contract
Salary: £38,784 to £46,049 pro-rata (related method days work: £15,513.60 to £18,416.60) Contract: 14.8-hour working week Location: Milton Keynes (hybrid possible: up to once/month on-site) Closing Date: 20 July 2026 Project End: 31 July 2027
About the Role
The Open University, the UK’s largest university and a leader in flexible higher education, is seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate for Creators & Consumers: "Perpetration and Policing Responses to Deepfake-Enabled Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG)."
Assignment
Joining the School of Policing (Faculty of Business and Law) and the Centre for Protecting Women Online (CPWO), a Research England-funded hub addressing technology-facilitated harm, you will collaborate with Dr Hannah Guy and Dr Nelli Stavropoulou on an innovative interdisciplinary project. Funded by the Open Societal Challenge, this is one of the UK’s first empirical examinations of deepfake-enabled abuse, including its perpetration, recording, and investigative challenges.
Core Impact
- Working with police forces and stakeholders, generate data-driven insights into:
- Perpetrator dynamics
- Investigative practices
- Data retention records
- Policy gaps
- Deliver standout practitioner-facing outputs and evidence-based interventions to advance responses to emerging threats.
About the Project
The Creators & Consumers project aggregates critical expertise to unpack the ‘cycle of harm’ used to pressure, coerce, and harass women and girls through deepfake media. For more details, explore: 🔗 Project Page 🔗 Centre for Protecting Women Online
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Flexibility Note
This fixed-term role is available commencing 1 Sept 2026; earlier start dates are negotiable with preference for immediate availability.
Key Responsibilities
The research associate will steer all aspects of the project, delivering rigorous research and translating insights into practical impact. Responsibilities include:
-
Data Management & Security
- Oversee ethical, legal, and institutional compliance for data collection/storage.
-
Fieldwork & Data Analysis
- Conduct ethnographic observation with police partners.
- Perform semi-structured interviews in high-risk research environments.
- Process diverse datasets: police records, interviews, observational materials.
-
Evidence Synthesis & Reporting
- Lead targeted literature reviews' to identify emerging trends.
- Append findings to academic reports, practitioner toolkits, and co-produced outputs (e.g., a graphic novel).
- L pogue vcative workshops for analysis and dissemination.
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Stakeholder Engagement
- Coordinate stakeholder interactions, needs assessments, and impact evaluations.
- Present outputs to academic and policing audiences.
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Research culture
- Foster integrated work between policing, criminology, victim advocacy, and tech ethics experts.
About You
Essential Criteria
✅ Completed PhD
- Completion = awarding of degree (evidence required).
- Preferred disciplines: Policing, Criminology, Sociology, Psychology, Cybercrime, VAWG, Digital Harms, or equivalent.
✅ Subject Expertise
- Demonstrated knowledge of:
- Technology-enabled Violence Against Women & Girls (TFVAWG)
- Online harms/digital victimization
- Cybercrime/law enforcement fraud Bor safer technology
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✅ Research & Qualitative Methods Skills
- Proficiency in ethnographic observation, semi-structured interview design/payment.
- Experience managing/analyzing sensitive datasets.
✅ Workplace Support Skills
- Skill in ethical clearance for high-risk research environments.
- Insider working with stakeholders (including public sector).
- Proven translation of research into policy/guidance.
✅ Corporate Project Experience
- P publication/authorship record in academia.
- Demonstrated evaluative report writing.
✅ Professional Competencies
- IT rigor using NVivo/QuickDrawміністрадо footprint mandates.
- Coordinate managed business workflow, perequisites uprising deadline processes.
Desirable Behaviours
🔸 Working firsthand with law enforcement/victim support teams. 🔸 Experience producing reports for professionals (e.g., practitioner toolkits). 🔸 Knowledge in deepfake technology or covert research methodologies. 🔸 Creative collaboration—e.g., knowledge exchange workshops.
How to Apply
[Application Link](insert link when found)
Supporting Resources: ✉️ Careers Contact: careers@open.ac.uk (quote reference: 1747) 📞 General Enquiries: 01908 541111
For Fair Equality
Advert closing may be subject to early intervention if sufficient applications are received before 20 July 2026. Please be reassured: open sessions, mitigation, flexibility, accommodations are available. If you’ve started any form, finish off first or email to finalize for interim responses.
Why Choose Us?
Join the Open University—an inclusive leader in flexible learning, and a frontrunner for real-world societal change. Our hybrid policy (avg monthly office attendance) and full working-station entitlements create exceptional balance.
🔗 Learn more on our [Benefits Platform](insert link).
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