Salary: £32,546.00  per annum

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Closing Date: 30 July 2025

The Role

As part of the SAFELUX project, we are leading a transnational programme of research funded by the Conference of European Directors of Roads (CEDR) on ‘Road Lighting – The Light we Need’. Road lighting has a significant influence on our society but there is currently a lack of evidence on its impacts (both positive and negative) on the environment, road safety and energy consumption/light emissions. The aim of this project is to produce practical guidance on the implementation of sustainable road lighting across Europe’s roads with a view to reducing illumination impacts on nature, mitigating skyglow, improving road safety and reducing energy consumption. This project will require a holistic approach to address a challenge that all European countries are facing in the midst of the current energy crisis.

We require a Research Assistant to support the work of Prof. Darren Evans and Prof. Gavin Stewart in the School of Natural and Environmental Sciences (SNES) who are leading a SAFELUX Work Package to gather and synthesise evidence of the impacts of street lighting on biodiversity (with a focus on plants, invertebrates and vertebrates, especially protected species). Evidence will be weighted and structured in such a way that it can be used for general guidelines and a user-friendly digital interface. With a proven track record in the field of Artificial Light at Night (ALAN), relevant evidence synthesis skills and experience of scientific publishing, the Research Assistant will attend high-level meetings and work as part of a multi-disciplinary team that includes road lighting and infrastructure professionals, road safety experts, lighting technicians and National Road Authority ecologists.

Key Accountabilities 

The Research Assistant will play a key part in achieving the following objectives:

• Establishing, building and maintaining a project-specific Knowledge Network to ensure co-learning and co-design of the project;
• Reviewing both the primary and grey literature, including technical reports from National Road Authorities, in an appropriate structured manner, including analysis and evidence synthesis;
• Producing and maintaining a street light mitigation database that meets the requirements of the other project partners;
• Contributing ideas and suggestions to the draft road safety guidelines that balances the requirements for road safety, energy reduction and biodiversity conservation;
• Assisting in the preparation and writing of reports and manuscripts as part of the project tasks and milestones.

This is a fixed term appointment (5 months) starting 1st September 2025.

To apply, please complete the online application and attach your CV and a covering letter. The cover letter should detail your relevant skills and experience to date, in line with the listed person specification for the role.

For informal enquiries, contact Prof. Darren Evans via email: darren.evans@newcastle.ac.uk

The Person (Essential)

• A working knowledge of the impacts of Artificial Light at Night on biodiversity
• Experience of literature review and evidence synthesis, particularly on inter-disciplinary topics
• Proven ability to write and publish reports/papers to the highest standards
• Experience of data processing, analysis and database management
• Working towards or nearing completion of a PhD in biology/ecology/conservation biology

Knowledge, Skills and Experience 

• Knowledge of the impacts of Artificial Light at Night on biodiversity, with an understanding of mitigation options
• Experience of working with a diverse group of people interested in street light design and mitigation for people and nature
• Good level of analytical skills and the ability to communicate complex information clearly, both orally and through the written word
• Experience of the scientific publishing processes
• Experience in science communication and public engagement

Attributes and Behaviour

• The ability to use personal initiative and creativity to solve research problems.
• Use initiative and creativity to analyse and interpret research data and draw conclusions on the outcomes.
• The ability to work collaboratively with colleagues, including the development of internal and external contacts with researchers in related areas of study
• Maintain academic standards and freedom, and work in accordance with university policies (e.g. equal opportunities, health and safety policies)

Qualifications

• Good honours degree (or equivalent) with some subject knowledge in the relevant area
• Working towards or nearing completion of PhD in relevant subject/area

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.  As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.

We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society.  We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent.  We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.

At Newcastle University we hold a silver Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality.  We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC.  We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.

In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe. 

Requisition ID: 28326