Heriot-Watt University
4 days ago
Postdoctoral Research Associate in Geoeconomic Policy Discourse and Justification Mechanisms (Political Economy / International Relations) Heriot-Watt University in United Kingdom
Degree Level
Postdoc
Field of study
Political Science
Funding
Full-time fixed-term postdoctoral research associate role for 33 months with salary Grade 7 (£37,694–£47,389 per annum).
Deadline
Sep 27, 2026
Country
United Kingdom
University
Heriot-Watt University

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About this position
Postdoctoral Research Associate in Geoeconomic Policy Discourse and Justification Mechanisms at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom.
This is a full-time, fixed-term postdoctoral opportunity for 33 months within the project Markets Under Siege: How Geoeconomic Competition Undermines Free Markets, based at Panmure House and reporting to Professor Adam Dixon (Adam Smith Chair, Principal Investigator).
The post focuses on geoeconomics, political economy of trade, industrial policy, economic security, international relations, and public policy. Component 1 examines how liberal democracies justify departures from market principles through rhetorical strategies and institutional mechanisms such as national security expansionism, economic security, strategic autonomy, resilience, dual-use doctrine, and bipartisan coalition-building. The work compares the United States and the European Union, with parallel analysis of Chinese official discourse.
Responsibilities include designing and applying a coding framework for policy documents from 2015–2025, conducting comparative and temporal analysis, carrying out around 25–30 elite interviews, contributing to workshops and policy engagement, and producing peer-reviewed articles, policy briefs, and public-facing outputs.
Eligibility highlights: PhD awarded or expected before start date in political science, international relations, IPE, public policy, or a cognate discipline; strong qualitative text analysis skills; knowledge of US and/or EU economic policymaking; and ability to conduct elite interviews. Mandarin reading ability and experience with NVivo/ATLAS.ti/MAXQDA or computational text analysis are desirable.
Funding and terms: Grade 7 salary of £37,694–£47,389 per annum, full-time, fixed term for 33 months.
Application window: Apply by midnight UK time on 27 September 2026. Interviews are expected on 1 October 2026. Submit your CV via the Heriot-Watt online recruitment system.
Funding details
Full-time fixed-term postdoctoral research associate role for 33 months with salary Grade 7 (£37,694–£47,389 per annum).
What's required
PhD awarded or expected before the start date in political science, international relations, IPE, public policy or a cognate discipline. Applicants should have demonstrable expertise in the political economy of trade, industrial policy, economic security or geoeconomics, proven competence in systematic qualitative text analysis and coding frameworks, working knowledge of United States and/or European Union economic policymaking institutions and legislative processes, and experience of or clear capacity for elite interviewing. Desirable: reading competence in Mandarin, experience with qualitative analysis software or computational text analysis methods, existing networks in Washington DC and/or Brussels, policy writing experience, and additional European language skills relevant to EU documents.
How to apply
Submit your CV through the Heriot-Watt online recruitment system. Applications close at midnight UK time on 27 September 2026. Interviews are expected on 1 October 2026.
More information can be found here
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