Associate Project Scientist

Project Scientist Series makes significant and creative contributions to research or creative projects in an academic discipline and / or may engage in University and public service.

This position, Associate Project Scientist, will be affiliated with the Afghanistan Human Rights Project within the UCI School of Law International Justice Clinic. The work will involve leading and supervising students, collaborating with law and other faculty, researching, monitoring and reporting on human rights abuses by Afghanistan’s de facto authorities in national, multilateral and UN forums, with a focus on issues, such as the media environment and digital threats, not well addressed by other human rights researchers.

The successful candidate will collaborate with, and have experience working, international stakeholders including the United Nation’s Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Afghanistan and relevant human rights treaty bodies; provide a platform for Afghan human rights defenders and journalists to voice their concerns and share updates; conduct accurate documentation of rights violations, including through interviews and desk research, to fill knowledge gaps and inform global stakeholders;

and prepare and publicize research findings to support calls for investigations, accountability, and sanctions against human rights violators. There is a strong expectation that research and analysis will continue to involve Afghan human rights defenders and journalists and require analysis of Afghan language sources. A strong background in and experience applying international law generally and rule-of-law issues in Afghanistan in particular will be expected.