Are you a post-doctoral researcher with an understanding of impact arising from arts and humanities research? Do you have experience of working to connect research to industry, business, the public and cultural sector partners? Have you worked on collaborative, practice-based or participatory research with non-academic partners and stakeholders? 

We are recruiting Research Impact Associates aligned to three impact clusters:

• Sustainability, design and environment
• Place-based innovation and cultural engagement
• Creative technologies, industry engagement and innovation

The RIAs will work with UCA’s academic researchers to capture, document and amplify the impact they are creating through their research and collaborations. You will implement strategies for collecting robust evidence of impact, deliver events and activities to accelerate future developments, and work with your fellow RIAs to explore cross-cutting themes and methods for impact design and evaluation.

These fixed-term roles are funded by the UCA’s AHRC Impact Acceleration Account (IAA) at a pivotal moment, as we enter the final year of the award, and reach a strategic point in the REF cycle. The roles will be integrated into UCA’s wider Research, Innovation and Knowledge Exchange team which is based at the University’s Farnham campus, although it may be possible for at least one post to work out of the Canterbury campus.

Please note the actual salary for 29 hours (pro rata) is £28,486.

For an informal conversation regarding the role please contact:          

Professor Victoria Kelley, UCA IAA Principal Investigator, VKELLEY@uca.ac.uk    

At UCA, creativity and innovation are at the heart of what we do. Our legacy of educating eager and passionate artists, makers and thinkers runs back almost 160 years, and today we’re helping shape a global future that supports and nourishes talent worldwide. 

Our campuses across Surrey and Kent are vibrant communities, each specialising in different areas of the creative industries. We are also home to a thriving research culture, with creative and academic experts leading the way in research on sustainability, design, textiles, animation, history and culture, and more. 

Are you ready to share your passion for creativity with the next generation of innovators? If so, we want to hear from you.

Closing Date: 05 Jul 2026

Department/School: Professional Services

Salary: £35,608 per annum pro rata
Fixed Term / Part Time 29 hours, 6 month contract

The Research & Knowledge Exchange Manager leads the centralized Research, KE and Innovation Office at UCA, reporting to the Director of Research, Knowledge Exchange and Innovation. The Office provides support for academic staff, schools and research centres to facilitate, advance and evaluate their research and knowledge exchange activities.  The RKE Manager has responsibility for the operational delivery of the RKEI portfolio, including budget management, coordination of research culture and environment, knowledge exchange and impact, researcher and ECR development, REF preparation, and research infrastructures such as ethics and integrity processes. They manage a small team, each of whom has responsibility for specific aspects of this portfolio. The RKE Manager oversees the business of the Research and Innovation Committee, and various other reporting functions including the REF Steering Group and the Ethics Committee. They have responsibility for both KE and research aspects of internal and external funding, supporting the Director to drive external funding success and ensuring the RKEI Office administers and reports funding appropriately. The RKE manager works with UCA’s Schools, Research Centres and Professional Services Departments (including Finance and People & Culture) to ensure RKEI business is communicated effectively and reported on in a timely fashion.

Key Responsibilities:

• Operational management of external audit processes such as REF and KEF
• Management of internal research and KE funding schemes
• Oversight of pre and post-award external funding
• Research support mechanisms for academic staff, including training and development
• Oversight of research ethics and integrity processes
• Managing and reporting budgets
• Coordination of relevant committees
• Managing a small team

For an informal conversation regarding the role please contact Professor Jane Pavitt, Director RKEI @ jane.pavitt@uca.ac.uk

At UCA, creativity and innovation are at the heart of what we do. Our legacy of educating eager and passionate artists, makers and thinkers runs back almost 160 years, and today we’re helping shape a global future that supports and nourishes talent worldwide.

Our campuses across Surrey and Kent are vibrant communities, each specialising in different areas of the creative industries. We are also home to a thriving research hub, with academic experts and fellows leading the way in research on sustainability, design, textiles, animation, history and culture, and more.

Are you ready to share your passion for creativity with the next generation of innovators? If so, we want to hear from you.

Closing Date: 22 Jun 2026

Department/School: Professional Services

Salary: £48,822 per annum

The Research & Knowledge Exchange Funding Lead is part of the centralized Research, KE and Innovation Office at UCA, led by the Director of Research, Knowledge Exchange and Innovation. The team provides support for academic staff, schools and research centres to facilitate, advance and evaluate their research and knowledge exchange activities. 

The RKE Funding Lead provides support to researchers across all aspects of pre-award research funding. Their responsibilities include developing, writing, editing, and costing funding bids, gathering intelligence about funding opportunities and providing training to staff to enhance their knowledge and skills in securing external funding.

Reporting to the Research & Knowledge Exchange Manager and working collaboratively within the team, the RKE Funding Lead helps researchers develop and secure external research & KE grants by providing specialist support throughout the pre-award and contracting process. Their responsibilities include developing, writing, editing, and costing funding bids, gathering intelligence about funding opportunities, providing training to staff to enhance their knowledge and skills in securing external funding, providing data analysis and reports for the Director/Committees. Acting as a key point of contact for researchers, the RKE Funding Lead offers expert guidance on funder terms and conditions, costing and pricing, due diligence of external partners, and submission processes. They also play a vital role in negotiating research agreements, setting up projects, and ensuring a smooth transition from pre-award to post-award support by working closely with colleagues in RKEI Office and Finance.

Key Responsibilities:

• Identify and disseminate relevant funding opportunities from UKRI, EU, Arts Council, charities, and other funders.
• Support researchers in writing, editing, costing, and submitting competitive funding bids.
• Align external opportunities with UCA’s research strengths and strategic goals.
• Coordinate collaborative bids, including international and interdisciplinary partnerships.
• Deliver training sessions and maintain guidance materials on research funding.
• Track application outcomes to inform strategy and success rates.

For an informal conversation regarding the role please contact Professor Jane Pavitt, Director RKEI @ jane.pavitt@uca.ac.uk

At UCA, creativity and innovation are at the heart of what we do. Our legacy of educating eager and passionate artists, makers and thinkers runs back almost 160 years, and today we’re helping shape a global future that supports and nourishes talent worldwide.

Our campuses across Surrey and Kent are vibrant communities, each specialising in different areas of the creative industries. We are also home to a thriving research hub, with academic experts and fellows leading the way in research on sustainability, design, textiles, animation, history and culture, and more.

Are you ready to share your passion for creativity with the next generation of innovators? If so, we want to hear from you.

Closing Date: 22 Jun 2026

Department/School: Professional Services

Salary: £41,064 per annum