Foresighters MSCA COFUND Early Stage Researcher; Creativity Research Theme

This position is part of the FORESIGHTERS Doctoral Training Programme (Future ORiEnted Skills, Innovation for Governance for Health, Technology, Energy, Cities and Creativity) which will provide world‑class advanced research training, with an innovative emphasis on skills such as futures literacy, foresight, systems thinking, citizen engagement, and other transferable capabilities. Each Early‑Stage Researcher (ESR) will play an active role within a collaborative inter‑disciplinary cohort of researchers to undertake a high impact doctoral research project addressing a significant social, environmental, cultural, or economic issue.

ESRs will be awarded a 42‑month contract, funded through the prestigious Marie Skłodowska Curie Actions (MSCA) COFUND programme, with match funding provided by a Northern Ireland Department for the Economy studentship.

You will work primarily under the theme of Creativity, undertaking a dedicated research project. Successful appointees will demonstrate and develop skills for working in inter‑disciplinary environments and engage with research undertaken across all the thematic areas in FORESIGHTERS.

The Creativity Theme is based on the idea that future is imagined before it can be realised. It will explore how creativity can be further embedded in inter‑disciplinary approaches to managing key future challenges; what potential they have for solution‑finding and how they can reveal new modes of sustainable creative practice. Under this theme, projects may include a range of artforms and/or new creative technologies working across other disciplines or with non‑creative sector partners.

They may seek to deploy creative methods, undertake practice use arts, humanities or social sciences approaches to engage across disciplines and sectors in creative thinking.

• Conduct research underpinned by inter‑disciplinarity within the Creativity theme and as appropriate across multiple project themes, in an organised and timely manner.
• Carry out the research and training activities specified by a Personal Career Development Plan (PCDP).
• Actively participate in skills development and undertake mandatory training programmes as required by Supervisors, Theme Leaders, and Project Coordinator. Submit training reports in fulfilment of the project requirements.
• Undertake secondment and placements with non‑academic partners, as appropriate to the research project. Submit secondment reports in fulfilment of the project requirements.
• Study and engage with contemporary research literature in appropriate disciplines including academic journals and papers, books, textbooks, and other relevant sources to ensure doctoral research projects bring new thinking and state‑of‑the‑art approaches to the research field.
• Record, analyse and write up results of research work and contribute to the production of outputs, in a variety of formats, as appropriate.
• Document, prepare, analyse and complete a final thesis in formats appropriate to the field.

Interviews are scheduled to take place on Friday 9 October 2026.

More information (including advice about the application and assessment and decision making processes) can be found on

ESRs will be highly motivated, and expected to deliver high‑quality, high‑impact, cutting‑edge research, within the field of Futures research. ESRs pro‑actively engage with their inter‑disciplinary supervisory team, undertake advanced training and collaborate with intersect oral, non‑academic partners to help shape the direction of their research.

• Hold (or be about to be awarded) a degree equivalent to a 1st class or 2.1 Honours degree from a UK Higher Education Provider, or an equivalent qualification from outside the UK that is acceptable to the University.
• Meet MSCA career stage requirement and not yet have been awarded a doctorate level qualification.
• Meet MSCA mobility requirements (i.e. must not have resided or carried out main education and/or employment activity in the UK for more than 12 months in the 3 years prior to appointment).
• Demonstrate…