The African Studies Centre (ASC) at the Oxford School of Global and Area Studies (OSGA) is seeking to appoint a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in African Studies for a two-year fixed-term position.

This fellowship offers an outstanding opportunity for an early-career scholar to consolidate and launch their postdoctoral career within one of the world’s leading centres for African Studies.

ELIGIBILITY:

The successful candidate will hold, or be close to completion of, a relevant doctorate by the time of the start of employment and no earlier than three years before 1st January 2026. Applicants from all academic fields will be considered. They will be able to demonstrate excellent communication skills, including writing for publication, presenting research papers at academic seminars and conferences, and publishing high-quality research in peer-reviewed international journals and presses. Further essential criteria for the role include a commitment to teaching and supervising postgraduate students.

They welcome applications from candidates with previous experience in:

Delivering teaching and thesis supervision

Independently leading a research programme and

Working collaboratively with researchers.

They are committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse academic environment. Applications are particularly welcome from women and Black and minority ethnic candidates, who are underrepresented in academic posts in Oxford.

If, for any reason, a candidate has taken a career break or has had an atypical career and wishes to disclose this in their application, the selection committee will take this into account, recognising that the quantity of their experience may be reduced as a result.

The school holds a Bronze Athena Swan Award to recognise the advancement of gender equality, representation, and progression.

Applications are to be submitted via Oxford University’s website: please click on the “Apply Now” button and follow the application instructions. You will be asked to upload a CV, a supporting statement explaining how you meet each of the selection criteria for the post, and a short statement of your proposed research project. For further details of your application, including the job description and selection criteria, please refer to the attached job description below. We request that candidates do not submit any published work at this stage.

For initial queries about the post, visas, and application process please contact the HR Office at recruitment@area.ox.ac.uk . Any queries about the post that are non-administrative should be addressed to Professor Rita Abrahamsen at rita.abrahamsen@africa.ox.ac.uk

All inquiries will be treated in strict confidence; they will not form part of the selection decision. The successful candidates will be offered visa application support, if required, to allow them to apply to appropriate sponsorship schemes from the UK or from overseas.

If you, as an applicant, require reasonable adjustments to be made in the interview process, please do reach out and discuss this with our HR team at recruitment@area.ox.ac.uk. We will do our best to facilitate and accommodate reasonable adjustments

The closing date for applications is 12:00 noon (UK time) on Monday, 20th April 2026.

Interviews are to be held online on Thursday 14th May 2026.

BENEFIT:

Grade 7: £39,424 – £47,779 per annum 

Full time (37.5 hours per week) 

Two-year fixed-term contract 

Start date: 1 October 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter

Working at the University of Oxford offers several exclusive benefits, such as :

38 days of annual leave (inclusive of public holidays) to support your well-being, with the option to purchase up to 10 extra days and additional leave after long service.

One of the most generous family leave schemes in UK higher education, offering up to 26 weeks of full-pay maternity and adoption leave, plus 12 weeks of full-pay paternity/partner leave.

An excellent contributory pension scheme.

Affordable and sustainable commuting options, including a cycle loan scheme, discounted bus travel, and season ticket loans.

Access to a vibrant community through our social, cultural, and sports clubs.