Higher Education Research & Support Officer - #1714380

This role will be based on the university campus, with scope for it to be undertaken in a hybrid manner. We are also open to discussing flexible working arrangements.

Are you interested in conducting research about/into pedagogical research in Higher Education? (meta-research, “research of research": impact, sustainability, enablers, blockers and drivers of pedagogical research in Higher Education/Scholarship of Teaching and Learning) Are you interested in supporting and enabling pedagogical research in Higher Education by supporting others? Are you interested in working with colleagues to design, deliver and evaluate the success of projects that will have real impact on student education at the University of Leeds and the wider sector? Can you contribute to the LITE's scholarly community?

You will be working alongside and supporting an impressive team of LITE Fellows and other LITE researchers to deliver a wide range of projects addressing important pedagogic challenges.  

We are inviting applications for a LITE Higher Education Research & Support Officer to join the Leeds Institute for Teaching Excellence (LITE).  

The Leeds Institute for Teaching Excellence (LITE) embodies the University’s commitment to excellence and innovation in education as its Research and Development function in Student Education. It achieves its goals through conducting strategic educational research, supporting and developing a community of Fellows and research communities of practice embedded in the Leeds community, and through events and activities for the Student Education Community at Leeds and more widely.  

LITE is launching an exciting 5-yr Strategy “Fostering Student Education Success for All” driving our own research in Higher Education, in addition to supporting the development of Pedagogical Research in Higher Education/Discipline-based Educational Research/Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (PedRes/DBER/SoTL) at the University of Leeds. Please note that given subject-dependency in the use of these terms (PedRes/DBER/SoTL), and our positioning in the University working across all subjects, LITE uses these terms broadly defined and interchangeably, focusing on robustness and quality of activity, instead. You can read more about our Strategy here: https://teachingexcellence.leeds.ac.uk/about-lite/lite-strategy/, which includes focusing activity within incubators of good pedagogical research practice (https://teachingexcellence.leeds.ac.uk/lite-incubators/).  

As part of our new strategy, we will conduct high-quality meta research (“research of the research”,) on PedRes/DBER/SoTL activities at Leeds and more broadly, their impact and affordances. To fulfil our mission, it is essential that we map and understand the relationships between enablers, blockers and impact of PedRes/DBER/SoTL activity. At Leeds, PedRes/DBER/SoTL is not just conducted by academic staff, but also by professional services staff; we are also growing our provision for co-creation and co-production of PedRes/DBER/SoTL with students. The proposed research will therefore explore issues across these groups, in addition to other intersectional characteristics. 

In this research, you will work closely together with Prof Gabriel Cavalli, Director of LITE, as well as other LITE researchers and more broadly across Leeds and external partners. Thus, this role provides exciting opportunities for networking in the field. 

Additionally, as with other research roles at LITE, you will support others conducting their own PedRes/DBER/SoTL, whether on their LITE Fellowship projects (the Leeds buy-out scheme to enable staff conduct this activity) as part of one of six LITE Incubators (Assessment, Feedback, Active & Experiential Learning, Inclusive Education & Belonging, Open & Digital Education, Sustainability & Community Engagement) or supporting specific leads on areas such as Student as Partners, Design Thinking or Educational Gain. In this aspect of your role, you will report to the LITE Head of Research or delegate.  

You will apply your planning, analytical and evaluative skills and experience to contribute to the success of LITE projects, through short- and longer-term evaluation and publication.  You will provide guidance and support to University colleagues carrying out PedRes/DBER/SoTL projects to ensure they achieve maximum impact. 

You will be expected to contribute fully to the dynamism of the LITE’s scholarly community, contribute content towards the digital and external-facing profiles of LITE and act as an ambassador at internal and external events. You will operate as part of the LITE team supporting all LITE projects and activities.

Please note that this post may be suitable for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker visa route but first-time applicants might need to qualify for salary concessions. For more information please visit: www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa.

For research and academic posts, we will consider eligibility under the Global Talent visa. For more information please visit: https://www.gov.uk/global-talent.

What we offer in return:

• 26 days holiday plus 16 Bank Holidays/days that the University is closed by custom (including Christmas) – that’s 42 days a year!


• Generous pension scheme 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:

Gabriel Cavalli, Director of LITE

Email: *********@leeds.ac.uk