Research Assistant/Associate
Newcastle, GB
Salary:
Research Assistant: £33,002 to £34,610 per annum
Research Associate: £35,608 to £37,694 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: 28 October 2025
The Role
Music, Heritage, Place: Unlocking the Musical Collections of England’s County Record Offices is an AHRC-funded project led by Professor Stephen Rose (Royal Holloway, University of London), with Professor Kirsten Gibson and Nancy Kerr (Newcastle University) in collaboration with 9 partner organizations.
This project is uncovering and investigating the music manuscripts and printed sources from c.1550 to c.1850 held in local archives across England. The postdoctoral Research Assistant/Associate (RA) will work together with Professor Kirsten Gibson and full project team to contribute to all the work packages in the project. The role holder will be expected to undertake research that meets the overall objectives of the project. They will primarily be responsible for cataloguing musical sources discovered by the project and may be required to visit archives in northern England or the Midlands for research on the musical sources held there. They may also work with project partners including archives and educational organisations to co-create public engagement activities.
This post is for 0.4FTE (14.8 hours per week); days of working can be discussed on appointment. The start date for the post is no later than 12 January 2026, and is fixed-term for 7 months.
Applications will be considered from those very close to completing their PhD, in which case you will be appointed as a Research Assistant. Starting salary and grade will be dependent on skills, knowledge and experience demonstrated through the application process.
The position is based in Music within the School of Arts and Cultures at Newcastle University, www.ncl.ac.uk/sacs. Informal enquiries may be made to Prof. Kirsten Gibson (kirsten.gibson@ncl.ac.uk).
Key Accountabilities
• Undertake research on the musical sources held in England’s local archives, including research on questions of mobility and local identity as revealed by these sources
• Undertake bibliographical analyses of these sources, including identification of the musical repertory within them
• Generate research data within the protocols of the database Répertoire International des Sources Musicales, suitable for direct entry into this open-access union catalogue of musical sources
• Present regular progress reports on research to members of the research team and to project partners
• Plan, prepare and deliver conference presentations on the project, in consultation with the PI and other members of the project team
• Design and deliver co-created public engagement activities which involve local communities in the progress of research, and which share the project insights with wider audiences including schools and young musicians
• Carry out administrative tasks associated with the research project to ensure that it is completed on time and within budget. These might include organisation of project meetings and documentation, financial control, and risk assessment of research activities
• Undertake regular professional development, including keeping abreast of developments in specialist research area
• Plan for specific aspects of research programmes including visits to archives and project partners for research and consultation where required
• Plan own day-to day activity within the framework of the agreed research programme to allow for deadlines for project outputs to be met
• Liaise on a regular basis with external partners including archives and educational organisations, as the basis for co-created outcomes
• Join external networks to share information, ideas and project news
The Person
Knowledge, Skills and Experience
• Knowledge of English music history from the late 16th to early 19th centuries
• Knowledge of relevant research methods, including techniques of historical musicology and bibliographical description
• Ability to read historical musical notations and handwriting of 17th and 18th centuries
• Attention to detail and ability work at high levels of accuracy
• Proven ability to analyse data and write-up results
• Ability to present complex information effectively to a range of audiences
• Practical experience of applying specialist skills and techniques required for the role
• Use of webpage software to create engaging copy and images
• Excellent IT skills in all major Office applications
Desirable
• Knowledge of cataloguing practices in archives and for rare music
• Experience of conducting research in local archives
• Experience of running public engagement activities
• Evidence of publication record in scholarly journals
• Experience of research techniques in the digital humanities, for instance geo-mapping tools
Attributes and Behaviour
• Ability to work as a member of a multi-skilled research team
• Ability to negotiate and prioritize multiple, competing responsibilities and to work to deadlines
• Commitment to continued professional development
• Understanding of and commitment to good practice in equality, inclusion and diversity
Desirable
• Ability to travel to different locations in the UK and to work occasionally at evenings or weekends for public engagement events
Qualifications
• PhD in relevant subject for Research Associate (or near completion of for appointment of Research Assistant)
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 gold 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: 28712