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Research Fellowship – Participatory governance in UnborderED Knowledge

Deadline: September 17, 2026

 

Project: UnborderED Knowledge Research Project, funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSRHC)


Host Organization: University of Ottawa

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Supervision: Co-supervised by Dr Christina Clark-Kazak (uOttawa) and Dr David Matsinhe (Amnesty International)

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Location: Ottawa, ON; in person or hybrid preferred; remote work in Ontario may be considered


Term: 1-Year Part-Time Appointment starting October 1st, 2026

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Salary: (0.6 FTE) $33,000 per annum

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Submit Applications to: Online application form

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CANDIDATE REQUIREMENTS:

  • Have been awarded a PhD, or equivalent, in the last five years (specific circumstances and career interruptions to this time frame can be taken into account, including leave for health, childcare and displacement reasons);

  • Have recent personal experience of forced migration, including resettled refugee, Convention refugee, refugee claimant, protected person, person holding a humanitarian visa, person holding a temporary resident permit, person from a country for which there is a moratorium on deportation and/or person from a country for which the Government of Canada has implemented a temporary immigration measure.

  • Be legally entitled to work in Canada at the time of the application and must be resident in Canada at time of application and for the duration of the employment contract;

  • Have complete fluency in English. Some knowledge of French is an asset. Candidates who are not fully fluent in French will be expected to participate in free French training courses at uOttawa to upgrade their French level.

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APPLICATION DEADLINE: September 17, 2026

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RESEARCH PROJECT DESCRIPTION

UnborderED Knowledge is a SSHRC-funded research project. This bilingual, interdisciplinary, pan-Canadian partnership aims to widen, deepen and institutionalize access to higher education, research and training opportunities to bridge the gap between the talents of students and researchers with lived experiences of forced migration, and opportunities in Canadian research communities and labour markets.

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As a participatory action research project, UnborderED knowledge centres displaced scholars and students in governance, research and training activities. The postdoctoral fellowship will be focused primarily on creating and chairing project-wide Assemblies of displaced researchers and students; and, proposing and implementing good practices of participatory governance in project activities.

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The position will be based at the University of Ottawa, the largest bilingual (French-English) university in the world. A member of the U15, University of Ottawa is ranked among the top five universities in Canada for research intensity. The successful candidate will be a uOttawa employee, with access to university libraries, language and skills training, and world-class facilities in the nation’s capital.

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The fellowship will be co-supervised by Amnesty International, through a PhD-holding staff member with expertise in human rights, social justice, participatory governance and movement-based advocacy. Amnesty International brings a distinctive contribution as a global human rights movement grounded in membership participation, activist leadership, democratic deliberation and accountability to rights holders and affected communities. Through this co supervision, the postdoctoral fellow will have the opportunity to learn from Amnesty’s experience in participatory governance, movement building, ethical advocacy, people-powered grassroots and knowledge mobilization for human rights change.

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RESPONSIBILITIES

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The postdoctoral fellow will lead the design, implementation and knowledge mobilization of the following activities:

  • In coordination with the co-supervisors, oversee all aspects of the creation of Assemblies of displaced researchers and students, including: developing the Terms of Reference, organizing and chairing meetings, developing mentorship materials for Assembly members, and identifying challenges and solutions to address them.

  • Assist the Secretariat with the development and implementation of monthly online training and mentoring sessions with displaced students and researchers.

  • Develop and deliver project deliverables (listed below).

  • Provide regular updates to the co-supervisors and the UnborderED Knowledge Research Project Team.

  • In collaboration with the UnborderED Knowledge Secretariat, develop and deliver presentations, reports, and other knowledge-sharing products to communicate research findings and strategic recommendations to key stakeholders.

  • Contribute to the collaborative and scholarly environment of the UnborderED Knowledge team.

  • Work with Amnesty International to explore how principles and practices of participatory governance within a membership-based human rights movement can inform the design, facilitation and evaluation of Assemblies of displaced researchers and students.

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DELIVERABLES

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The individual will be expected to deliver the following:

  • Inception report outlining the workplan, methodology to develop terms of reference, and mentoring strategies.

  • Annotated bibliography of best practices for participatory governance.

  • Draft report on lessons learned and promising practices for the UnborderED Knowledge project.

  • Validation/interpretation workshop with key project stakeholders

  • Final report incorporating feedback from co-supervisors and addressing any comments or concerns.

  • Dissemination plan

  • Presentation of the report to the UnborderED consortium and other relevant stakeholders, including a summary of key findings.

  • A practical learning brief or toolkit on participatory governance for displaced researcher and student engagement, drawing on lessons from UnborderED Knowledge and Amnesty International’s movement-based governance experience.


QUALIFICATIONS AND COMPETENCIES

The successful candidate will:

  • Hold a PhD or equivalent in a relevant field

  • Have professional or voluntary expertise in participatory governance, including committee work and/or board membership in a non-profit and/or academic context  

  • Demonstrated ability to think creatively and synthesize findings, particularly for non-academic audiences (e.g., through the development of tools and/or guidelines).

  • Have exceptional writing and oral communication skills.

  • Show excellent project management and organizational abilities.

  • Be experienced in group facilitation (discussions, workshops).

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APPLICATIONS

Application form, which includes cover letter (summary of research experience and experience relevant to research topic) and CV (including list of publications)

Please note that AI-generated materials will not be accepted.

 

For more information on how to write an academic cover letter and CV, and how to apply for jobs in Canada, please see our training resources: https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/unborderedtraining/chapter/applying-for-jobs/.

ADDITIONAL APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

  •  We welcome and encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds and abilities. Accommodations are available upon request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.

  • Persons with disabilities who need accommodation in the application process, or those needing job postings in an alternative format, may e-mail a request to cclarkka@uottawa.ca

  • Please note that only the candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

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