Are you passionate about exploring the social and ethical implications of emerging technologies? 

Do you want to contribute to an internationally significant research project shaping global conversations on the future governance of genome synthesis?

We are looking to appoint two researchers to join the Wellcome Discovery Award-funded project, Care-full Synthesis: Advancing Global Engagement on the Socio-Ethical Implications of Synthesising Human Genomes. Working closely with principal investigator Professor Joy Y. Zhang, you will contribute to pioneering research that brings together diverse global perspectives to explore the ethical, legal, social and governance challenges of genome synthesis and engineering biology.

Successful candidates will be appointed to either Research Associate at Grade 7 or Research Fellow at Grade 8 depending on current expertise, skills and experience, as assessed by the recruitment panel against the essential criteria for each role.

As a Research Associate/Research Fellow you can expect to be involved in:

• Conducting research into the socio-ethical, economic and political implications of genome synthesis and engineering biology.
• Collaborating with international partners, stakeholders and research participants to support data collection, analysis and dissemination activities.
• Contributing to the development of governance, ethics and public engagement approaches that reflect diverse global perspectives.
• Supporting the communication and dissemination of research findings through publications, events and other project activities.

What will you bring to the role?

• A PhD or equivalent in a relevant field within the social studies of science, such as sociology, anthropology, political sciences, bioethics, science communication, or other related disciplines 
• Knowledge of the ethical, social and policy dimensions of emerging biomedical sciences.
• Experience of conducting and communicating high-quality research and publishing in internationally recognised journals.
• The ability to collaborative and engage effectively with a range of stakeholders and partners.

What we can offer in return:

As a member of our team, you can expect a friendly, open and collaborative working environment and support in your development and wellbeing. You'll enjoy a range of great staff benefits including:

• Hybrid working options allowing a flexible blend of office and home working (to be agreed in line with business needs - for this role, remote work may be supported, however there will be a need to attend the Canterbury campus regularly)
• 43 days' leave per year (personal leave, bank holidays and additional days allocated for the Christmas period, pro rata for part-time staff)
• Excellent pension scheme with generous employer contributions
• Corporate employee-funded healthcare plan, in partnership with Benenden Health

For more information about what you can look forward to if you join us, visit our dedicated webpage: Working at Kent

This role is based at the School of Social Sciences and the university-level research centre, the Centre for Global Science and Epistemic Justice (GSEJ). The School has been ranked 3rd in the UK for overall research quality, with 100% of its environment classified as world-leading in the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021). GSEJ serves as a hub for transdisciplinary and international collaboration on major research programmes. It has co-hosted a G20 India-UK dialogue on science diplomacy, and its policy recommendations on global biodata governance were included in the formal Think 7 communiqué to the G7 presidency in 2024. 

We are ambitious for our people, our communities and the region we serve – join us in making the world a better place. Visit our website for more on who we are: http://www.kent.ac.uk/about/

Please see the links below to view the full job descriptions for each post and to apply.

For enquiries about the roles, please contact Joy Y. Zhang via email at y.zhang-203@kent.ac.uk. For further information regarding the application process, please contact peopleserviceshr@kent.ac.uk quoting reference number SSS-036-26

Closing Date: 19 Jul 2026

Section: Research

Salary: £39,906 to £54,893 per annum

How can the UK shape the future of synthetic plants in ways that foster innovation, sustainability, and meaningful public participation? Join the ARIA-funded project Futuring Biological Commons, which aims to advance the UK’s governing approach on synthetic plants, support a sustainable research and industrial ecosystem, and promote meaningful public deliberation.

In this fixed term research post, you will work closely with Professor Joy Y. Zhang and a transdisciplinary research team comprising experts from the social sciences, synthetic biology, industrial biotechnology, and civil society. You will contribute to the development of an empirically grounded, future-oriented approach to relational plant ethics, exploring care for techno-lifeforms and ‘symbiodiversity’, while identifying practical strategies to address structural and cultural barriers to the responsible development and adoption of synthetic plant technologies.

As Research Associate (Sociology of Emerging Science) you can expect to be involved in:

•    Ensure the successful and timely delivery of the Futuring Biological Commons project, fostering a collaborative, collegial, and interdisciplinary research environment.

•    Actively contribute to the research culture and intellectual community of the Centre for Global Science and Epistemic Justice and the School of Social Sciences, engaging in knowledge exchange and academic development initiatives.

What will you bring to the role?

•    Proven ability to independently design and conduct rigorous empirical social research, demonstrating methodological excellence

•    Strong research track record, evidenced by publications in internationally recognised peer-reviewed journals and presentations at academic conferences

•    Comprehensive knowledge of emerging applications in engineering biology and their socio-environmental implications, particularly in areas such as agriculture, food            systems, and ecological sustainability

•    Experience in collaborative research and interdisciplinary teamwork, with a demonstrated ability to engage diverse stakeholders across academic, policy, industry and public  sectors

What we can offer in return:

As a member of our team, you can expect a friendly, open and collaborative working environment and support in your development and wellbeing. You'll enjoy a range of great staff benefits including:

•    Hybrid working options allowing a flexible blend of office and home working (to be agreed in line with business needs) (remove this bullet for ACADEMIC roles)

•    43 days' leave per year (personal leave, bank holidays and additional days allocated for the Christmas period, pro rata for part-time staff)

•    Excellent pension scheme with generous employer contributions

•    Corporate employee-funded healthcare plan, in partnership with Benenden Health

For more information about what you can look forward to if you join us, visit our dedicated webpage: Working at Kent

The role is based within the School of Social Sciences and the Centre for Global Science and Epistemic Justice (GSEJ), a university-wide research centre dedicated to advancing innovative and internationally connected research. The School was ranked 3rd in the UK for overall research quality in REF 2021, with 100% of its research environment assessed as world-leading. GSEJ serves as a hub for transdisciplinary collaboration on major global challenges, having co-hosted the G20 India–UK Dialogue on Science Diplomacy and contributed recommendations on biodata governance to the Think 7 communiqué for the 2024 G7 presidency. 

We are ambitious for our people, our communities and the region we serve – join us in making the world a better place. Visit our website for more on who we are: http://www.kent.ac.uk/about/

Please see the links below to view the full job description and to apply for this post. For further information regarding the application process, please contact peopleserviceshr@kent.ac.uk quoting reference number SSS-037-26.

Closing Date: 23 Jul 2026

Section: Research

Salary: £39,906 to £44,746 per annum

We are seeking a motivated Research Associate to join our exciting EPSRC funded project AIRTIME. The AIRTIME project aims to transform everyday smartphones into low-cost, non-invasive intelligent respiratory screening tools by using built-in sensors (e.g. microphones, accelerometers) combined with lightweight, explainable AI models. This mobile-first approach enables early detection of abnormal breathing patterns in real time, without requiring internet access or clinical equipment.

You will work within our interdisciplinary team of physiologists, medical practitioners, engineers and computer scientists. You will lead our community-based trials that focus on collection and analysis of breathing patterns in healthy and respiratory patients. This will involve using smartphone-based respiratory data acquisition and preprocessing and using the 3D motion caption standard method of measuring breathing patterns (Optoelectronic Plethysmography). Your expertise will ensure data quality, and protocol refinement.

As Research Associate you can expect to be involved in:

• Contributing to the design and execution of the AIRTIME project, ensuring alignment with the grants aims and objectives
• Leading participant recruitment and data capture in the biomechanics laboratory
• Organising and storing data appropriately. Analysing data, writing up results, and reporting regularly to the research group, partners and other stakeholders
• Publishing research findings in high quality peer reviewed journals and support in presenting results at conferences to share insights with the academic community.

What will you bring to the role?

• A relevant postgraduate degree (Master's or PhD) or equivalent in a related field of study (e.g., biomechanics, computing, engineering) 
• Proven experience in conducting research projects, including data collection and analysis  
• Specialist expertise in or theoretical knowledge of 3D motion capture to capture human movement, and/or mobile phone housed sensors (e.g. accelerometers, microphone) 
• Demonstrated ability to write and publish research findings in peer-reviewed journals.

What we can offer in return:

As a member of our team, you can expect a friendly, open and collaborative working environment and support in your development and wellbeing. You'll enjoy a range of great staff benefits including:

•    43 days' leave per year (personal leave, bank holidays and additional days allocated for the Christmas period, pro rata for part-time staff)

•    Excellent pension scheme with generous employer contributions

•    Corporate employee-funded healthcare plan, in partnership with Benenden Health

For more information about what you can look forward to if you join us, visit our dedicated webpage: Working at Kent

We are ambitious for our people, our communities and the region we serve – join us in making the world a better place. Visit our website for more on who we are: http://www.kent.ac.uk/about/

Please see the links below to view the full job description and to apply for this post. For further information regarding the application process, please contact peopleserviceshr@kent.ac.uk quoting reference number SNS-084-26.

Closing Date: 23 Jun 2026

Section: Research

Salary: £39,906 to £44,746 per annum

On the 1 August 2026, The University of Greenwich and the University of Kent will form a pioneering new multi-university group called London and South- East (LASE) University Group. Should you join us, you will be employed by LASE and within this, you will be closely connected to and work across one of our academic divisions (University of Greenwich or University of Kent), contributing to its distinct strengths, community and identity. Combining these strengths, LASE brings scale, resilience and shared ambition to deliver outstanding education, impactful research, and meaningful regional and global impact.

Are you excited by the opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge research helping protect the future of space exploration? If so, this 36 month fixed term role could be ideal.

We are seeking a motivated and collaborative Research Associate to join the ERC-funded PROSPER project, exploring the risks posed by space debris and helping develop technologies that support sustainable access to space. Working within an interdisciplinary team across physics, chemistry, engineering and computing, you’ll play a key role in developing and testing next-generation debris detectors.

As Research Associate you can expect to be involved in:

• Building and developing dust detector prototypes for testing and validation
• Conducting impact experiments using the University’s two-stage light gas gun facility
• Analysing detector data and developing software to support data processing and interpretation
• Presenting research findings through publications, presentations and collaborative project work

What will you bring to the role?

• A PhD (completed or near completion) in physics, engineering, computing or a related discipline, or equivalent research experience
• Experience working in a scientific laboratory or research environment
• Coding experience in Python, Matlab, LabVIEW or similar
• A collaborative and proactive approach, with enthusiasm for interdisciplinary research

What we can offer in return:

As a member of our team, you can expect a friendly, open and collaborative working environment and support in your development and wellbeing. You'll enjoy a range of great staff benefits including:

• 43 days' leave per year (personal leave, bank holidays and additional days allocated for the Christmas period, pro rata for part-time staff)
• Excellent pension scheme with generous employer contributions
• Corporate employee-funded healthcare plan, in partnership with Benenden Health

For more information about what you can look forward to if you join us, visit our dedicated webpage: Working at Kent

We are ambitious for our people, our communities and the region we serve – join us in making the world a better place. Visit our website for more on who we are: http://www.kent.ac.uk/about/

Please see the links below to view the full job description and to apply for this post. For further information regarding the application process, please contact peopleserviceshr@kent.ac.uk quoting reference number EMP-010-26.

Closing Date: 21 Jun 2026

Section: Research

Salary: £39,906 to £44,746 per annum

Are you an early-career researcher with expertise in the study of fungi and extensive, up-to-date theoretical and practical knowledge in your subject area? 

This is an exciting opportunity to join our research team on a project funded by a Wellcome Trust Fungal Adaptation grant to address how adaptation to natural and host environments drives Mucorales pathogenicity, to deliver a step change in our understanding of Mucorales biology and to aid the identification of novel therapeutic targets.

As Research Associate in Mucorales Adaptation you can expect to be involved in:

• Performing original laboratory-based research
• Taking initiatives in the planning and delivering of high-quality research
• Conducting data analysis and ensuring the validity and reliability of data at all times
• Preparing research findings for publication and presentation. Attending meetings and presenting regular written oral and/or written progress reports to local and national colleagues and collaborators.

What will you bring to the role?

• A relevant PhD or equivalent in a related field of study (e.g. Microbiology, immunology, cell biology) 
• Extensive and up-to-date theoretical and practical knowledge in your subject area 
• Excellent technical skills in the study of fungi, e.g. using in vitro and/or in vivo infection models, genomic and transcriptomic analyses, high-throughput phenotypic characterisation, confocal and/or imaging flow cytometry-based experimentation
• Proven experience in conducting research projects, including data collection and analysis plus a collaborative and proactive approach, with strong communication skills and the ability to contribute to a dynamic research team.

What we can offer in return:

As a member of our team, you can expect a friendly, open and collaborative working environment and support in your development and wellbeing. You'll enjoy a range of great staff benefits including:

•    43 days' leave per year (personal leave, bank holidays and additional days allocated for the Christmas period, pro rata for part-time staff)

•    Excellent pension scheme with generous employer contributions

•    Corporate employee-funded healthcare plan, in partnership with Benenden Health

For more information about what you can look forward to if you join us, visit our dedicated webpage: Working at Kent

We are ambitious for our people, our communities and the region we serve – join us in making the world a better place. Visit our website for more on who we are: http://www.kent.ac.uk/about/

Please see the links below to view the full job description and to apply for this post. For further information regarding the application process, please contact peopleserviceshr@kent.ac.uk quoting reference number SNS-082-26.

Closing Date: 19 Jun 2026

Section: Research

Salary: £39,906 to £44,746 per annum