Research Assistant - ESRC

This is an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic, well-organised and intellectually curious individual to support new real-time research on language variation and change, providing unprecedented perspective across nearly 60 years. The ESRC-funded project, The Social Differentiation of Norwich Revisited, builds directly on Peter Trudgill’s seminal Norwich English study, combining (i) a panel component - re-recording original participants to evaluate lifespan change in both production and perception - with (ii) a trend sample of the present-day community to track community-level change across five generations.

You will work closely with the Principal Investigator, Dr Kerri-Ann Butcher, in a diverse Research Assistant role. Responsibilities will range from tracing Trudgill’s original participants for re-interview and undertaking community-based fieldwork, to conducting acoustic phonetic analyses that will inform the project’s findings. You will turn results into accessible outputs (papers, talks, project website), support stakeholder engagement, and contribute to delivery of dialect workshops in East Anglia, some of which will take place in schools.

What we offer in return

• 26 days holiday plus approx.16 Bank Holidays/days that the University is closed by custom (including Christmas) - That’s 42 days a year!
• Generous pension scheme options plus life assurance
• Health and Wellbeing: Discounted staff membership options at The Edge, our state-of-the-art Campus gym, with a pool, sauna, climbing wall, cycle circuit, and sports halls.
• Personal Development: Access to courses run by our Organisational Development & Professional Learning team.
• Access to on-site childcare, shopping discounts and travel schemes are also available.

And much more!

To explore the post further or for any queries you may have, please contact:

Dr Kerri-Ann Butcher, Project PI

Email: k.a.butcherleeds.ac.uk

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Location Leeds - Main Campus Faculty/Service Faculty of Arts, Humanities & Cultures School/Institute School of English Category Research Grade Grade 6 Salary £33,951 to £39,906 p.a. pro rata Working Time 40% Post Type Part Time Contract Type Fixed Term (Fixed Term until 31 July 2027 to complete a specific task or time limited work) Release Date Monday 02 March 2026 Closing Date Sunday 15 March 2026 Reference AHCEN1082 Downloads Candidate Brief (PDF)

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