Research Assistant/associate

CAMHRA Research Fellow
Anthropology and Sociology
Contract Type: Fixed-term contract for 3 years (August 2026 - July 2029 )
Salary: £51,248.57 - £60,268.57 per annum Inclusive of London Allowance
Hours: Full-time, 35 hours per week
SOAS University of London is the leading Higher Education institution in Europe specialising in the study of Asia, Africa and the Near and Middle East. SOAS University of London is positioned to play a leading role in reimagining higher education globally, with a new strategic plan in place as the basis for the renewal and revitalisation of the School which commits SOAS to both student responsiveness and research intensity. The Centre for Anthropology and Mental Health Research in Action (CAMHRA) is a globally oriented and locally connected Centre of excellence for cutting edge anthropological research, education and public engagement in the field of mental health. It works to promote research on critical issues of inequality in access, experience and outcomes of mental health care with benefits for marginalised groups in the London area and cascading effects at national and global levels, and with special emphasis on mental health lived-experience and clinical practice-based research, and coproduced research outputs.
8m grant from UKRI Research England, as a sustainable enhancement of research capacity in anthropological theory and ethnographic methods for mental health research, through additional academic staff, postdoctoral fellows, scholarships for doctoral and Master’s research. Partnership is central to the working of CAMHRA which has collaboration for research and education/training in anthropology with NHS Trusts, Thrive LDN, voluntary sector and Higher Education and international partners. CAMHRA is well placed for policy and public engagement while deepening SOAS’s connections with London’s diverse diasporic populations and international collaborators.
The Centre for Anthropology and Mental Health Research in Action seeks to recruit a Postdoctoral Research Fellow to pursue a portfolio of innovative independent and collaborative research in themes related to anthropology and mental health. This prestigious 3-year position is intended to support an exceptional early-career academic, with existing anthropological training at doctoral and/or postdoctoral level, to develop a path-breaking large-scale research project(s) and publish core research outputs, essential to their career development and to the Centre’s intellectual and financial sustainability.
The Research Fellow will work on their projects within CAMHRA, but also work with CAMHRA partners to advance the research and educational agenda set by the centre directors and team in the field of anthropology and mental health. They will develop research objectives and proposals for own or joint research, with the assistance of and supporting the CAMHRA directors and faculty, and in line with Centre KPIs. They will conduct individual and collaborative research projects that include ethnographic fieldwork, and produce high-impact academic and knowledge exchange outputs. They will support the work of the Centre, its organisation, intellectual life and financial sustainability through education, teaching and training, workshops, events, partnership development and conferences convened by CAMHRA. They will be supervised by CAMHRA core academic staff and will be based in the Department of Anthropology at SOAS.
You can find further information on the key criteria for the role in the Job Description and Person Specification, along with a full list of duties and responsibilities, which can be found on the SOAS website.
Please complete the online application form and upload your CV and a supporting statement
In your supporting statement, please outline your program of proposed research, publication and public engagement activities.
Closing date: 16 January 2026
Shortlisted candidates will be asked to submit a full research proposal in advance of the interview.
Successful candidates will need to demonstrate their eligibility to work in the UK or have limited leave to remain in the UK and associated right to work for the duration of their employment with SOAS, in accordance with the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006'. for the duration of their contract
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We would particularly welcome applications from candidates from working class, first generation Higher Education, Black, Asian, other minority ethnic and underrepresented groups from within the UK and beyond.