Research Assistant Creative Collaborations: Salons and Networks in Kyoto and Osaka 1780-1880

**Asia**

**Full-time, 41 hours per week (including one hour paid lunch break)**

**Fixed term (1 April 2025 until 31 October 2025)**

**£35,165 per annum**

**Application deadline: 12pm (midday) on 24 February 2025**

**About the role**:
As a member of the research team of the project ‘Creative Collaborations: Salons and Networks in Kyoto and Osaka 1780-1880’, funded by the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), the jobholder is to engage with various aspects of the project, including intensive data input into the project’s database, to assist the Principal Investigators (PI) and Co-Investigators (CoI) in the UK and Japan to deliver the project’s expected outcomes, and to develop original research in line with the project’s themes.

**Key areas of responsibility**:

- To input data into the project’s database from relevant biographical resources, i.e. published books from the late Edo period (1603-1868)
- To assist the PIs to publish the project’s research volume
- To assist the PIs and CoIs to complete the project by publishing the research volume and making public the database
- To communicate in English and Japanese with associate project members in the UK, Japan and elsewhere on the project’s development and events
- To conduct original research in line with the research project’s themes based on the evidence found through the project’s activities, and to contribute to the project’s presentations
- Other duties as assigned

**About you**:

- PhD degree or near completion of PhD in Japanese studies
- Fluent in English and Japanese languages of the modern period
- Ability to read pre-modern Japanese language
- Ability to catalogue artworks efficiently in both English and Japanese
- Ability to maintain close and clear communication with internal and external colleagues
- Academic publications (journal articles) in the field of early-modern Japanese studies

**About the British Museum**:
Founded in 1753, the British Museum’s remarkable collection spans over two million years of human history and culture. The Museum is a leading visitor attraction, and its world-famous collection includes the Rosetta Stone, Egyptian mummies, the Sutton-Hoo finds, and the Lewis Chessmen. The Museum also holds an extensive collection of prints and drawings spanning 600 years, including works by the greatest graphic artists such as Dürer, Michelangelo and Rembrandt.

You can view a selection of our impressive collection of prints and drawings in our virtual gallery.

The Museum offers a competitive benefits package including:

- Generous annual leave allowance of 25 days (rising to 30 days after 10 years’ service) plus 2.5 privilege days and plus bank holidays.
- Membership of the civil service defined benefit pension scheme (find out here what benefits a civil service pension provides).
- Free entry to a wide range of museums and exhibitions
- Participation in private and public Museum activities, including talks by leading curators from around the world and behind-the-scenes opportunities to learn how museums care for and manage their extraordinary collections.
- Interest-free travel, bicycle, and rental deposit loans
- Professional and personal development opportunities
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Discounts on food and gift shop purchases

**Additional details**:
For more information about this role, please see the job description.

The British Museum is committed to promoting equality of opportunity for all staff and job applicants. We aim to create a working environment in which all individuals can make best use of their skills, free from unlawful discrimination or harassment. We value the benefits that a diverse workforce brings to a museum which represents world culture. The Museum is committed to ensuring that no job applicant suffers unlawful discrimination because of any protected characteristics. Our recruitment procedures aim to ensure that individuals are treated because of their relevant knowledge, skills, and experience.

We offer a flexible way of working scheme that allows our employees to work remotely in a way that suits them and the organisation. We welcome questions and conversations at interview stage about how flexible working could work for you. We would typically see this role as working on site about 5 days a week.

**The Museum also adheres to the HMG Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) for pre-employment screening of Civil Servants.**

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