Research Associates

The Resolution Foundation is now establishing a Research Associates programme, to enrich its work and offer new part-time or temporary opportunities for those with research or policy expertise to contribute to important economic policy debates.

The programme will initially involve the appointment of up to five Associates who wish to contribute to our work on securing widely-shared economic growth and improving the living standards of those on low-to-middle incomes. This is an exciting time in the Foundation’s development and in British economic policy making, as the country wrestles with how to restart sustained living standards growth, and we are keen to hear from you if you would like to get involved.

What does the role involve?

Research Associates will be part of the Foundation’s research team that best matches their areas of expertise, producing complementary publications or co-authoring with the Foundation’s researchers. These are not full-time, permanent roles, but those appointed will be fully involved in the intellectual life of the Foundation, attending seminars, commenting on others’ work and speaking at events.

The Foundation works across a wide range of economic and social policy areas, and we are interested in pursuing collaborations across our full work programme which includes: incomes and inequality; jobs, skills and pay; housing, wealth and debt; tax and welfare; public finances and the economy; net zero and its impact on households; productivity, levelling up and economic growth; and trade and economy.

What kind of person are we looking for?

The Research Associate programme aims to provide new opportunities for those with significant experience in a particular subject to contribute to important economic policy debates. It is likely this expertise will have been acquired in academic, research, or policy making roles, but applications are also welcome from those with a wide range of backgrounds, including from civil society or the private sector. In most cases we anticipate Associates continuing with their principal employment alongside these appointments.

Reflecting that suitable candidates may come from a range of organisations or career stages, we are open to a variety of possible working relationships, including (but not limited to):
• Associates who spend one or two days a week collaborating with us on a specific work stream, producing sole-authored reports, or co-authoring with Foundation researchers.
• Associates who spend a short period of time based in our research team, perhaps on a secondment, a sabbatical, or a short break from teaching or other commitments.
• Associates who produce policy-relevant work in a specific area to be published as a Resolution Foundation report, in addition to their full-time commitments elsewhere.

These are flexible roles and the level of time commitment will vary, but all Associates will be enthusiastic about engaging in the development of the Foundation’s research agenda and publishing papers under its auspices in order to contribute to our goal of improving outcomes for those on low-to-middle incomes.

We also require a commitment to upholding and improving the Foundation’s reputation for analytical rigour.

Closing date for applications and start date

The closing date for the initial intake of Associates is 3 June 2024, but there is no fixed start date or timeframe for the positions.

For more information, including how to apply, please download our application pack.