Student Placement Opportunities with PaCCS and the National Crime Agency
The Partnership for Conflict, Crime & Security Research (PaCCS) is seeking two researchers to undertake placements, spending up to 3 months working with the National Crime Agency (NCA) to help NCA understand (1) the extent to which criminals are involved in multiple SOC crime types, and (2) to help the NCA identify which methodology could be employed to better understand the scale of the criminal use of firearms. These two placements are part of the PaCCS programme Transnational Organised Crime (TNOC): Deepening & Broadening Our Understanding.
The successful candidates will have strong academic grounding in either Arts, Humanities, Economic, or Social Science and be continuing to conduct research in at least one of these areas. They will have strong oral & written communication skills, and strong analytical capabilities, as well as meeting further core competencies which are specific to each position. Please see the individual placement ads (which are attached) for further information.
These posts are best-suited to those studying towards a PhD where the PaCCS funding (in the form of a Student Maintenance Grant) would allow – with the support of UKRI and the necessary approval of the researcher’s university – three months to be “taken out” to work on this placement. Those who are engaged in post-doctoral research are also eligible to apply.
The successful candidates will work with material classified at OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE and below. For this reason, the researchers will need to be security-cleared to SC level, allowing appropriate access to NCA offices, personnel and data. An NCA point-of-contact will provide support and in-house supervision. The Placement is expected to spend a significant amount of time working in the NCA but some remote working will be allowed (under the direction and agreement of the NCA line management chain); there will be a need for some travel between NCA sites.
To apply for these vacancies, please email Dr Tristram Riley-Smith at tr356@cam.ac.uk by midnight on 11 March 2022, providing a one-page cv and a covering letter describing:
a. your current research (150 words);
b. skills you can bring to this placement and your achievements to date of relevance to undertaking this work; current security clearance is not required, but let us know if you happen to have this; (200 words)
c. what you hope to gain from this placement? (150 words).
Please clearly indicate which of the two placements you are applying for in your email. If you are interested in being considered for both positions, please submit two separate applications in which you address the specific requirements of each position.
You can find further information about the role exploring the extent to which criminals are involved in multiple SOC crime types here, and you can find more information about the post exploring how we can better understand the scale of the criminal use of firearms here.
This placement is part of the PaCCS programme Transnational Organised Crime (TNOC): Deepening & Broadening Our Understanding.
COMPENSATION: A Student Maintenance Grant of £3,902.25 is provided to cover 3 months. Claims for eligible travel & accommodation costs incurred during the placement up to a limit of £2,400.
