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Call for Researcher(s) 

24/07/2025

Background

Facing Facts, coordinated by CEJI, is a multi-stakeholder partnership of civil society organisations and public authorities that works to better understand and address hate crime and hate speech through research, training and advocacy. Our online learning programmes, hosted by Facing Facts Online, have been running since 2015. Our programmes draw on the latest research and policy developments on hate crime and hate speech. Our tutors have extensive experience in the area and are qualified in online learning design and facilitation. We offer a mix of online learning options, including self-paced courses, cohort-based learning and customised courses and programmes. Our aim is to deliver programmes that equip learners with the knowledge and tools to effectively and appropriately respond to hate crime and hate speech in their context whether public authority, civil society, national or international.

We are committed to grounding our practice in evidence. Building on a policy paper published in December 2022, we conducted research to understand the evidence and policy gaps regarding digital learning for police, criminal justice and civil society professionals, specifically in the context of hate crime and hate speech. Published in late 2024, our recommendations focus on achieving policy alignment, robust evaluation frameworks, strengthened multi-stakeholder collaboration, strategic leadership support, and supporting innovative, learner-centred design.

We have now entered a dissemination phase, involving the following activities, which this role would support: 

  • A workshop in Brussels in November 2025 to discuss policy-focused recommendations and to share good practice
  • Developing a roadmap for taking forward our research recommendations in the medium term  
  • Producing graphics and visual materials that communicate the key findings of the research 
  • Designing an empirical research project that aims to evidence the strengths and weaknesses in multistakeholder online learning design. 


Role description

Under the guidance of the project lead, the successful candidate(s) will perform the following tasks:

  • Track relevant research, summarise and analyse current data and literature on the needs, motivations and perspectives of online learners in the context of cross disciplinary communities of practice such as Facing Facts. 
  • Track and share relevant EU policy and guidance 
  • Track, summarise and evaluate strengths and gaps in current online learning landscape on hate crime and hate speech, including programmes offered by Council of Europe, CEPOL, UN, OSCE/ODIHR etc. 
  • Track and share innovative practice in the area of strengthening online communities of practice in human rights education, for example supporting collaborative and social learning. 
  • Support the organisation and implementation of the activities outlined above.


Person specification 

Essential:  

  • Good knowledge of online learning and design, ideally in the context of continuing professional development and/or professional communities of practice, and/or human rights education.  
  • Experience in reviewing, summarising and analysing empirical data and policy documents
  • Experience in preparing events and transcribing and thematically analysing contributions
  • Excellent written English
  • Highly desirable: Experience in researching understanding of police/ prosecutor/ civil society/ victim support perspective in online learning context 

Project Duration: 6 months with the possibility of continued cooperation in 2026 

Contract duration and fee

The researcher(s) will be subcontracted for 5 working days to contribute to the above mentioned activities. 

Expert fee varies depending on Researcher(s)’ seniority/experience

Application process and deadline

Please send a CV, a motivation letter and a maximum of two relevant written samples to annabelle.betz@ceji.org by 8 August 2025. Online interviews will be held during the week of 18 August.

Download the call as PDF.