Postdoctoral Research Fellow

The UCL Department of Philosophy wishes to appoint a full-time postdoctoral research fellow to work with Dr Jonathan Gingerich on a research project entitled ‘The Spontaneity of Freedom’ (SPONT). The five-year-long project, selected by the ERC and funded by UKRI, investigates the nature of spontaneous freedom–the freedom of acting in unplanned and unscripted ways–and its implications for ethics, politics, law, and aesthetics. SPONT organizes a speaker series during the academic year and an annual conference each summer.

This position is available for up to three years, commencing as early as 1 July 2026. Some flexibility regarding starting date is possible. The successful candidate will pursue their own research in one or more of the following areas: value theory (understood broadly to include ethics, political philosophy, jurisprudence, aesthetics, and moral psychology), history of philosophy, phenomenology, or philosophy of mind. The successful candidate should be prepared to engage in the intellectual life and activities of the Spontaneity of Freedom project, though their research need not concern spontaneity.

The successful candidate must hold (or be near completion of) a PhD in philosophy or a closely related subject.

As London’s Global University, we are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where all belong. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates whose backgrounds are underrepresented in Philosophy. You can read more about our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion here: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/equality-diversity-inclusion/.

Main Purpose of the Job

The primary obligation of the appointee will be to engage full-time in philosophical research and its dissemination. The appointee will plan and carry out a program of high-quality original research, disseminate this research through scholarly presentations and publications, and engage in the intellectual life and activities of the Spontaneity of Freedom research project.

Duties and Responsibilities

• To carry out excellent philosophical research, present this research to academic audiences, and publish it in scholarly journals.
• To attend and participate in the SPONT speaker series and annual conferences.
• Dependent on appointee skills and interests, to organize scholarly events under the auspices of the SPONT project.
• To contribute to the overall activities of the SPONT research project and philosophy department, including by contributing as needed to annual reports required by the grant funder.
• To occasionally carry out other specific tasks and duties, commensurate with the spirit of the role, as requested by the Principal Investigator.

General

• The starting date for this position may be as early as 1 July 2026 and the position may be held up to 30 June 2029. Some flexibility regarding starting date is possible.
• The appointment is expected to be at Grade 7, at UCL spine point 31. Appointment at a higher spine point within Grade may be possible if the appointed individual has significant relevant research experience post-PhD. The salary at this spine point is £45,103 in 2025/26 (inclusive of London Allowance) and is expected to be adjusted upwards in light of national pay negotiations for 2026/27. Annual incremental pay progression applies across the term of the position according to UCL’s pay policies. Please see https://www.ucl.ac.uk/human-resources/employees/pay-benefits/salary-scales for details. 
• SPONT will provide the appointee with a research budget equivalent to the personal research allowance provided to permanent academic staff in the Philosophy Department.
• The appointee must be able to satisfy UK right to work requirements. This means either holding a relevant citizenship or settled status in the UK or being eligible to secure a UK visa. At the time of advertisement, a successful applicant for this role would be eligible to apply under the Endorsed Funder Route of the Global Talent Visa.
• The appointee will actively follow UCL policies, including the Equal Opportunity Policy, the UCL Ways of Working, and UCL's Sustainability Strategy, policies and objectives.
• The appointee is expected to carry out any other duties within the scope, spirit and purpose of the job as requested by the line manager.
• This job description may be reviewed and is subject to amendment in consultation with the appointee.
• For information on UCL’s values, culture, community and staff benefits, visit Work at UCL, https://www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl.

Applying

To apply for this role, please complete the online application via the UCL Jobs website. https://www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/search-ucl-jobs. Applicants must upload the following materials as PDF documents within their application:

• A cover letter of no more than 2 pages which speaks to the job description and person specification, and sets out why you are applying for the role and the skills and experience you bring;
• An academic CV 
• One writing sample of no more than 15,000 words (an academic article or book chapter, either published or unpublished, on which the applicant was the lead author).

Shortlisted candidates invited to interview will be asked to arrange for three referees to submit letters of recommendation. We expect to hold interviews for this role in late April.

The deadline for applications is 5:00 pm BST on 2 April 2026.

If you have any queries related to the role, please contact Principal Investigator Jonathan Gingerich ([email protected]). For queries related to the application process or application submission, please contact Rima Cranston-Jones ([email protected]).