Call for a Lead Researcher
09 November 2020
The ERRC is looking for a lead researcher for a project on mapping the situation of Romani children in institutional care in North Macedonia, and Ukraine, and also conducting qualitative interviews in Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic.
Terms of reference:
The ERRC is accepting applications for a lead researcher for its research project on mapping the situation of Romani children in the child protection system in North Macedonia and Ukraine, and to follow up with qualitative work and supporting advocacy on the previous research published by the ERRC on this topic in Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and the Czech Republic.
In North Macedonia and Ukraine the researcher is expected to lead work on policy and legal reviews, be part of conducting interviews and produce reports comprised of desk and field research to provide an overview of the situation, and the extent to which Romani children are overrepresented in the care systems. In Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and the Czech Republic the researcher is expected to take the lead in conducting interviews with Roma who have spent time in care, parents, child care professionals, and child rights defenders in order to explore the impact of removals on family life.
The lead researcher will be supported by a national researcher in each country in order to facilitate the research implementation.
Background:
The ERRC's previous research in this area showed that Romani children are overrepresented in institutional care compared to their proportion of the population as a whole in several European countries. Many factors contribute to this overrepresentation, including discrimination, poverty and material conditions (such as unemployment, indebtedness, and inadequate housing), school absenteeism, single parenthood, unwanted pregnancies, and migration. Preventive measures are often inadequate, and there are an insufficient number of skilled social workers and an absence of community level prevention services in isolated Romani neighborhoods due to insufficient funding. Given that a disproportionate number of Romani children are in institutional care, that they are unlikely to return to their biological families, and that many are passed up for adoption, a large proportion of Romani children spend their whole childhood in an institutional setting. Romani children are disadvantaged on multiple grounds when it comes to child protection placement, in-care treatment, and leaving, including on the basis of their ethnicity, poverty, disability, and institutionalised status. More information about the previous research can be found here: http://www.errc.org/reports-and-submissions/life-sentence-romani-children-in-institutional-care. ERRC is currently finalizing a new report on this topic that will be published soon covering Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Romania, Moldova and Bulgaria.
Deadlines and deliverables:
Start date: January 2021
The lead researcher will need to work on all the covered countries in parallel and is expected to complete the research components with the support of national researchers by no later than 31st August 2021.
The researcher is expected to deliver two country reports – on North Macedonia and Ukraine - by no later than October 2021.
The work will need to be completed in English.
How to apply?
- Provide a CV including two references;
- Provide a letter of interest demonstrating how your qualifications and previous experience will aid and enhance the implementation of the research
- Submit examples of previous published work if applicable
For informal inquiries about the post, and to submit your application package please contact marek.balaz@errc.org
Remuneration will be appropriate to the experience and skills of the successful applicant.
While actual recruitment to all ERRC jobs is based strictly on merit, the organisation strives to increase the number of persons of Romani origin in its hiring and therefore specifically encourages Romani candidates to apply.
Application deadline: 23th November 2020
