LSE Undergraduate Political Review

Research Division Recruitment 2022/2023

The LSE Undergraduate Political Review is looking for 4-5 Research Team Leaders to join its Research Division.

Responsibility:

• Lead a team of 3 through the research process including:
  • Identifying a subfield of political science that you are interested and formulating a specific research question.
  • With the help of your team, devise a methodology.
  • Guide your team through writing a full draft and presenting the paper at academic conferences.
• Liaise with academic faculty and the Senior Team of the UPR to ensure your team gets the support it needs.
• Attend and participate in UPR workshops.
• Time to commit: the expected workload for this role is around 5-10 hours per week, although this will vary significantly depending on the stage of the project.

Requirements:

• Passion for research and a keen commitment to the UPR and its mission.
• Team management and/or leadership experience.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Strong writing skills.
• Must be a current LSE undergraduate student in either the second, third, or fourth (for PPE BSc students) year of your degree programme from any department.
• Prior research experience or knowledge of the research process is highly desirable.

What you can expect to gain from the role:

• Gain an insight into research methods available to social science researchers and how they are applied.
• Understand the intricacies of the research process and all its idiosyncrasies, challenges, and joys.
• Improve your team management and communication skills.
• Experience what it is like to create an academic paper from scratch which will give you a good understanding of what it is like to have a career in research.
• Exposure to like-minded peers and academics.
• The chance to present your research at world-renowned academic conferences.

How to apply:

To apply, please submit the following documents to lseupr@lse.ac.uk with the subject line “Recruitment Research – [First and Last Name]”. It is essential that the subject header is correct so that your application is not accidentally missed. You need to include:

• A copy of your CV.
• A cover letter that addresses the following questions [max. 500 words]:
  • What are your research interests in politics and why are you applying for this position?
  • What relevant research experience do you have?
  • What relevant leadership experience do you have?
  • How many hours per week could you realistically commit to working on a research project?
• A preliminary Research Proposal covering the following points
  • Motivation: A short introduction to the topic you want to look at, including what the unique contribution of the proposed paper is or what gap in the literature it aims to close. [max. 300 words]
  • Research Question: A clearly stated research question. [max. 50 words]
  • Methodology: A brief summary of potential research methods and (if possible) hypotheses. [max. 200 words]
• [Note: Of course, the specifics of your Research Proposal are likely to change with the input of your Research Associates and the academics you will talk to. The point of this is not to have a perfect proposal but simply to get you thinking about a topic you would like to research and a possible way of doing so. Do not be discouraged if this is difficult – this is part of the process, and you will receive a lot of help and support from the UPR and others at LSE.]:

Deadline: Friday 11th November 2022, 23:59 BST