Welcome to Foresighters

FORESIGHTERS Doctoral Programme Queen’s University, Belfast is delighted to launch the recruitment process for 20 Early-Stage Researchers (ESRs) as part of its Foresighters Doctoral Training Programme. This offers an exceptional opportunity for future research leaders to access an innovative programme of doctoral training at one of the UK’s leading universities and engage in high impact, inter-disciplinary research with a wide range of non-academic partners. FORESIGHTERS ( F uture OR i E nted S kills, I nnovation for G overnance for H ealth, T echnology, E neRgy, citieS and creativity) offers unique opportunities to build a future research career that tackles complex societal problems. While researchers will be based in academic units across the university, from engineering, humanities, social science and the arts, they will be working within one of 5 interdisciplinary research themes ( Health , Technology , Energy , Future Cities , and Creativity ). The cohort of researchers will be bound by a common perspective and training in Futures Thinking and Futures Literacy and will develop the skills and capabilities to understand, imagine, and critically use different ideas about the future to better understand key challenges. In addition to advanced training offered by the Thomas Moran Graduate School , FORESIGHTERS ESRs will be trained in skills for anticipating change and using multiple possible futures to stimulate reflection, creativity, resilience and focus for contemporary action. The training programme also has a strong emphasis on the development of sustainable, diverse, and equitable research environments. The critical factor in the success of FORESIGHTERS will be our ability to attract Early-Stage Researchers with exceptional potential, from a wide range of academic backgrounds. To enable this, we are offering a highly attractive financial package , (including a generous family allowance if eligible), supported by 42-month employment contracts with full staff benefits. Appointed candidates will be endorsed by Queen's University Belfast in an application for a Global Talent Visa that will allow you to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain after 3 years. Coupled with the world leading training programme for skills in research, employability and Futures Thinking, we are confident that FORESIGHTERS will nurture incredible long-term career opportunities. Queen’s University Belfast is ranked in the top 200 universities in the world and as a member of the Russell Group, is one of the UK’s 24 leading research-intensive universities.  Based close to the centre of the culturally vibrant and affordable city of Belfast , Queen’s offers a high quality of life with a huge number of attractions and adventures. Queen’s is also recognised as being a leader in Equality and Diversity, and proud to be the first university in Ireland - and only the second in the UK - to earn an Athena Swan Gold Award for our commitment to gender equality. In recognition of our on