Click here for further information:
https://www.iis.ac.uk/events/ghulat-and-the-early-shii-memory/

The Institute of Ismaili Studies (IIS) is seeking a Research Associate to join Ismaili Heritage (IH) within the Department of Academic Research. The role will contribute to IH’s work to document, protect, conserve and celebrate the built and associated tangible heritage of global Shiʿa Ismaili Muslim communities.

The postholder will undertake academic research and documentation relating to Ismaili and wider Shiʿi and Islamic heritage, with a particular focus on site research and documentation and knowledge creation and dissemination. Responsibilities will include identifying and researching heritage sites, maintaining and developing information within the IH database, reviewing existing site documentation, contributing to IH’s Sites and Stories and Sites and Studies series, and supporting the development of an annotated bibliography on Ismaili heritage.

The Research Associate will work collaboratively with other researchers and colleagues across the Institute, while taking responsibility for planning and organising their own research. There may also be opportunities to contribute to teaching and wider academic activities within IIS.

This is an exciting opportunity for a researcher in the early to middle stages of their academic career to contribute to a distinctive programme of research and documentation focused on Ismaili material and built heritage.

What we’re looking for
A PhD in Islamic Studies, History, Art or Architectural History, or another related discipline relevant to the research and documentation of Islamic material and built heritage
Demonstrable knowledge of Islamic history, material culture, art, architecture and/or heritage.
Strong academic research skills, including the ability to critically evaluate primary and secondary sources.
Excellent written communication skills, with the ability to communicate research effectively to both specialist and non-specialist audiences.
Excellent editorial and proofreading skills, with strong attention to accuracy, consistency and detail.
The ability to organise, synthesise and accurately document complex research data.
Confidence in using digital collaboration and project management tools, with the ability to learn new platforms quickly.
Knowledge of Shiʿi and/or Ismaili history and heritage, relevant language skills, scholarly publications, or experience with digital humanities and heritage databases would be advantageous.

This is a unique opportunity to contribute to the research, documentation and wider understanding of Ismaili heritage while working within an internationally focused academic institution.

You must have the right to work in the UK. Sponsorship is not offered for this role.

To apply, please visit our careers page and submit your CV and covering letter before the closing date 13 November 2026. Please see the full job description for further details on applicant criteria: https://tiism.jobs.people-first.com/jobs/details/recruitment%2Fjobdetails%2F3968e167-2a3c-41be-8e7f-1a15e6da4590

Salary: Grade 6 (£44,110 – to be pro-rated)
Location: London, King’s Cross (Aga Khan Centre) – Hybrid
Department: Ismaili Heritage – Department of Academic Research
Contract: Permanent, 0.6 FTE

1.IHTLS Lecture God, the Universe, and Us: On Classical Islamic Theology in the Modern Day Monday, 9th of November at 5 pm (London, UK time), for the next session of the Islamic History and Thought Lecture Series organised by the Institute of Ismaili Studies. Dr Rumee Ahmad’s talk is titled 

Continue Reading →

1.The British Institute of Persian Studies: the Petrie Museum of Egyptian and Sudanese Archaeology is inviting you to three events for the project ‘Groundbreakers: Women in Archaeology’. The exhibition ‘Groundbreakers: Women in Archaeology’ was developed in collaboration with the British International Research Institutes (BIRI), of which BIPS (the British Institute

Continue Reading →

1.CFP 13th School of Mamluk Studies Conference (Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain, November 11–13, 2027) We are pleased to announce that the Thirteenth Conference of the School of Mamluk Studies will be held at the Maritime Museum of Barcelona and organized by the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)

Continue Reading →

Special Issue in the journal Culture & Religion, entitled “Aesthetics, Material Culture, and Religious Identity: Transnational Shi’i Islam in Europe and the Middle East”
Guest editors: Avi Astor and Oliver Scharbrodt.
Click here for access.

1. UCL Press is delighted to announce the publication of a new open access book that may be of interest Poetics and Politics of Islamic Imaginaries, edited by Sertaç Sehlikoglu, Fatemeh Sadeghi, Sumrin Kalia,  Erol Saglam and Alexander Pymm. Download free: https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fuclpress.co.uk%2Fbook%2Fpoetics-and-politics-of-islamic-imaginaries%2F&data=05%7C02%7C%7C93dfb55d5bbc4b6954d708df2f5a1ce6%7C2e9f06b016694589878910a06934dc61%7C0%7C0%7C639281736226916094%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=UGGC2p7XZ1uVtEMw8CcbieeFDU3SGlGfC6xY9tpGFpU%3D&reserved=0         2. Call for Papers: Second

Continue Reading →

Conflict Exposure in a Multi-Sectarian Society: Evidence from Lebanon

E. Lucy Deacon and Sara Khalili Jahromi,
“Preservation, Prohibition and Provenance: Addressing the Mysteries of the Cerulli Collection of Taʿziyeh Manuscripts,” The Vatican Library Review, 4, 2 (2025): 233-254.
Access here.