Jobs and opportunities digest 261030

/ DrClaireH

12 selected · 2 closing within 7 days

1 — Career jobs

🎓🎓 Digital Investigations Analyst — online threats and disinformation
Protection Group International · London, UK · hybrid
Investigate disinformation campaigns, attribute information operations and produce concise threat assessments for clients. Strong FLiSS connection through online-language evidence, discourse and investigative reporting; prior OSINT/digital-investigation experience is required and a second language is desirable. More →

🎓🎓 Voice Technology Validation Scientist
Cambridge Cognition · Bottisham (Cambridge), UK · hybrid · £50,000–£65,000/year · full-time, 12-month fixed term
Lead evaluation of speech recognition and voice analytics across languages, populations and recording conditions, including transcription-error effects, reliability and bias. Particularly relevant to forensic speech evaluation; requires an MSc/PhD plus significant validation experience and quantitative analysis using R or Python. More →

🎓 Localisation Linguist (multiple languages) — synthetic voice evaluation
BRAHMA AI · London/remote, UK · salary and closing date not stated
Evaluate synthetic voices for linguistic accuracy, prosody, pronunciation, emotion, timing and naturalness, and develop pronunciation and quality standards. Formal linguistics/localisation training or equivalent experience and native or near-native proficiency in a recruiting language (including English) are sought; building neural networks is not required. More →

🎓🎓 Forensic Audio Analyst
J P French International · UK · full-time · salary and deadline not stated
Specialist forensic analysis of digital recordings, including enhancement, authentication and sound-source examinations: a direct forensic speech/audio pathway. Requires established forensic audio-examination experience and acoustics or acoustical-engineering expertise, so this is not a general graduate-entry role. More →

🎓🎓 Language Quality & AI Specialist
Language Inspired · fully remote (Europe/worldwide advertised) · permanent · salary and deadline not stated
Oversee human and AI-assisted language-quality evaluation using MQM and ISO standards, quality scorecards and multilingual review programmes. A linguistics/translation background plus at least three years of localisation-quality experience is required; UK contractual eligibility should be confirmed before applying. More →

3 — Scholarships & studentships

🎓🎓 Funded PhD — Multisensory Prosody in Spoken Catalan (PROSODY-SENSES PhD1)
Universitat Pompeu Fabra / GrEPG · Barcelona, Spain · €22,607.28 gross/year · full-time predoctoral contract, 1–4 years · closes 18 Dec 2026
ERC-funded experimental research on Catalan speech prosody, acoustic annotation and synchronised audiovisual/motion-capture data: a specific methodological bridge to forensic-speech phonetics, not a forensic project. Requires a relevant master’s and experimental quantitative experience; near-native Catalan is strongly valued, with doctoral enrolment and applicable work authorisation required. More →

🎓🎓 Funded PhD — Multisensory Prosody in Spoken Portuguese (PROSODY-SENSES PhD2)
Universitat Pompeu Fabra / GrEPG · Barcelona, Spain · €22,607.28 gross/year · full-time predoctoral contract, 1–4 years · closes 18 Dec 2026
Experimental research on European Portuguese prosody using acoustic, audiovisual and motion-capture measurements has a concrete phonetics and speech-analysis overlap with FLiSS/FSS. Requires a relevant master’s and experimental quantitative experience; Portuguese and Catalan are not required at entry but learning them is expected, alongside doctoral enrolment and applicable work authorisation. More →

4 — Paid work while you study

💷 Graduation Assistant — December 2026
Lancaster University · Lancaster campus · £12.71/hr + £1.53 holiday pay · up to 25 hours during December graduation · closes 2 Nov 2026
Paid ceremony and visitor support across cloakroom, Great Hall, live broadcast and welcome duties. Applicants must attend the in-person 7 December briefing and be available for their full assigned shifts; a CV and cover letter are required. More →

💷 Uncover Progress (UP) Mentor
Lancaster University · campus / remote within UK · £13.71/hr + £1.65 holiday pay · around 2 hours/month plus preparation, Feb–Nov 2027 · closes 5 Nov 2026
Paid online mentoring for Year 12 pupils, including training and a March residential. Restricted to eligible continuing Lancaster students (extended degree or staying for postgraduate study); enhanced DBS and safeguarding requirements apply. More →

💷 Graduation Photography Assistants — December 2026
Lancaster University / Creative Studio · Lancaster campus · £12.96/hr + £1.56 holiday pay · temporary graduation support · closes 9 Nov 2026
Paid sales, studio administration and ushering support for graduation photography. Must attend training on 8 December and be available for the full days on both 9 and 10 December; a cover letter is required. More →

💷 Web Developer with LLM Adapter Knowledge — CASS
Lancaster University / CASS · campus / remote within UK · £17.33/hr + £2.09 holiday pay · 10–15 hours/week, Nov 2026–Jun 2027 · closes 16 Nov 2026
Paid development of corpus-query tools and local-LLM integrations, directly connected to language research. Suitable only for applicants with substantial JavaScript/Python web development, frameworks, APIs/databases, Linux deployment and LLM integration experience; UK residence required. More →

💷 Online Spanish Tutor — Salamanca House
Salamanca House (advertised via Lancaster ERS) · remote within UK · National Living Wage by age + holiday pay · flexible 1–10 hours/week · rolling
Paid online teaching of small adult Spanish classes, with direct email application through the advert. Requires native Spanish or DELE C2, English B2+, age 19+, UK right to work and suitable private online-teaching facilities; this is an external employer. More →

Key and cautions

🎓 = undergraduate / graduate-entry · 🎓🎓 = postgraduate · 🎓🎓🎓 = doctoral/postdoctoral · 💷 = paid work while you study

Jobs Radar is powered by AI and is designed to surface useful opportunities, not replace the original advert. AI can make mistakes, jobs can change, close, or be withdrawn early, and employers can remove adverts before an originally listed deadline. Always check the linked source yourself before acting, especially for deadlines, eligibility, pay/funding, location, sponsorship, and security-clearance requirements.

Jobs and opportunities digest 261023

/ DrClaireH

9 selected · 5 closing within 7 days

1 — Career jobs

🎓 Police Constable Entry Programme — Detective (October 2026)
West Yorkshire Police · West Yorkshire · £32,256 starting · two-year detective entry · closes 25 Oct 2026
Two-year detective-entry pathway involving investigative interviews, intelligence gathering and evidential case files: a direct FLiSS/FACTOR bridge. Requires three years’ UK residence, a driving licence, Level 3 qualifications and police vetting; the campaign may close early. More →

🎓🎓🎓 Postdoctoral Researcher — Sociophonetics, Language Variation and Sound Change (PLAPPER)
Leibniz-Centre General Linguistics (ZAS) · Berlin, Germany · TVöD Bund E13 · 24-month full-time postdoc · closes 26 Oct 2026, 18:00 Berlin
Postdoctoral sociophonetics work on speech perception, variation and quantitative modelling directly matches forensic speech research methods. Requires a completed relevant PhD, good German and quantitative/acoustic phonetics skills including R. More →

🎓 Detective Constable Programme
Derbyshire Constabulary · Derbyshire · £32,256 starting · permanent detective-entry route · closes 28 Oct 2026
Closing-soon reminder: investigations, interviewing, evidence assessment and case-building offer a direct FLiSS/FACTOR pathway. Requires Level 3 qualifications or an advertised alternative, a full UK/EU manual driving licence and police recruitment checks. More →

🎓 Forensic Services Graduate Programme – September 2027 intake
EY · London · competitive salary · three-year graduate scheme · closes 12 Nov 2026 (targetjobs listing)
EY’s forensic investigations programme develops digital-evidence analysis, investigative reasoning and clear communication of findings: a realistic FLiSS/FACTOR graduate route. Open to any degree subject; check EY’s live sponsorship rules and application availability. More →

🎓🎓 Researcher — Communication Needs after Breast Cancer (KURMA)
Bielefeld University — Public Health · Bielefeld, Germany · TV-L E13 at 75% FTE · fixed-term to Dec 2029 · closes 5 Nov 2026
Qualitative interviews, participatory observation and communication-needs analysis offer a concrete bridge for FLiSS researchers with strong empirical social-science methods. The advert is in German and appointment is conditional on funding approval. More →

🎓🎓🎓 Early Career Research Fellowship (Arts) — Linguistics eligible
Trinity Hall, University of Cambridge · Cambridge · stipendiary three-year research fellowship · Oct 2027–Sep 2030 · closes 9 Nov 2026, 17:00
The 2027 fellowship competition explicitly accepts Linguistics, including original research on language, evidence and communication. Applicants must have submitted their PhD by the deadline; selection is highly competitive and immigration eligibility must be checked. More →

4 — Paid work while you study

💷 Lancaster Link Student Ambassador 2026/27
Lancaster University — External Relations · Lancaster campus · £12.71/hr + £1.53 holiday pay · paid student ambassador · closes 28 Oct 2026
Paid outreach and school visits for current Lancaster students who previously attended a Lancaster Link partner school or college. Mandatory training is on 14 November; this alumni-of-partner-school condition is essential. More →

💷 FHASS Student Ambassador — School of Social Sciences
Lancaster University · Lancaster campus · £12.71/hr + £1.53 holiday pay · paid student ambassador · closes 25 Oct 2026
Final reminder for current School of Social Sciences undergraduates, including Linguistics, English Language and Language Science, to undertake paid campus outreach. Applicants must be available for the advertised offer-holder and open-day commitments. More →

💷 Undergraduate Research Conference Reviewer
Lancaster University — Global Experiences · Lancaster campus / UK remote · £17.33/hr + £2.09 holiday pay · temporary, 20–30 hours · closes 6 Nov 2026
Paid review of undergraduate conference abstracts and posters uses critical reading, evidence assessment and constructive feedback. Work runs approximately November–March and can be undertaken remotely from within the UK. More →

Key and cautions

🎓 = undergraduate / graduate-entry · 🎓🎓 = postgraduate · 🎓🎓🎓 = doctoral/postdoctoral · 💷 = paid work while you study

Jobs Radar is powered by AI and is designed to surface useful opportunities, not replace the original advert. AI can make mistakes, jobs can change, close, or be withdrawn early, and employers can remove adverts before an originally listed deadline. Always check the linked source yourself before acting, especially for deadlines, eligibility, pay/funding, location, sponsorship, and security-clearance requirements.

Hardaker – Trust in the VoIDs: following the trail of £580,000 of public funds

/ DrClaireH

FACTOR is pleased to announce our Week 5 talk by Professor Claire Hardaker (FACTOR, LAEL, DSAIL):

TITLE

Trust in the VoIDs: following the trail of £580,000 of public funds

ABSTRACT

This talk explores what happens to trust and accountability when generative AI tools help decide who receives public funding. It draws on a recent bid for funding into AI-generated voice descriptions which was then screened out at the AI assessment stage before reaching a human, and asks whether Large Language Models can be relied on as reviewers.

TIME & PLACE

W05, 1100-1150, Tue 03rd Nov 2026

In-person: Fylde Lecture Theatre 1

All welcome.

Find information on how to get to campus here, and how to navigate campus buildings here.

Jobs and opportunities digest 261016

/ DrClaireH

10 selected · 3 closing within 7 days

1 — Career jobs

🎓 Forensics Advisory Graduate Programme (Autumn 2027) — London
Grant Thornton UK · London · £40,000 + conditional £5,000 milestone bonus · permanent graduate scheme
Work on forensic investigations, asset recovery and complex advisory projects, with funded professional qualifications and flexible academic entry. Check right-to-work/sponsorship and the closing date with the employer. More →

🎓 Intelligence Researcher — Counter Terrorism Policing North East
Counter Terrorism Policing NE · South Leeds · £27,204–£29,859 · full-time police staff · closes 25 Oct 2026
Research police and open-source intelligence for specialist investigations, producing clear reports under pressure. British citizenship/passport eligibility and enhanced vetting apply. More →

🎓 Intelligence Researcher — Counter Terrorism Policing North West
Greater Manchester Police / CTPNW · Manchester, office-based · £30,333–£32,613 · permanent · closes 21 Oct 2026, 23:55 BST
Research regional threats and produce intelligence summaries for specialist investigations. UK nationality, ten years’ UK residence and Developed Vetting are required; closing-soon reminder. More →

2 — Paid placements & internships

🎓🎓 Natural Language Processing Internship — Summer 2027
G-Research · London · competitive paid compensation + accommodation · 10 weeks, 21 Jun–27 Aug 2027
Paid research internship in applied NLP with mentoring and relocation/immigration support. Requires advanced Python, ML frameworks and postgraduate NLP or equivalent experience; PhD preferred. More →

4 — Paid work while you study

💷 ER Student Ambassador 2026/27
Lancaster University — External Relations · Lancaster campus · £12.71/hr + £1.53 holiday pay · paid student work · closes 19 Oct 2026
Paid tours, events and applicant support open to current Lancaster students, including first-years and postgraduates. Mandatory 14 November training and Saturday offer-holder availability apply; closing-soon reminder. More →

💷 ER International Student Ambassador 2026/27
Lancaster University — External Relations · Lancaster campus · £12.71/hr + £1.53 holiday pay · paid student work · closes 22 Oct 2026
Represent Lancaster to international applicants and support recruitment events. Eligibility is limited to specified countries/regions and UG/PG levels listed in the advert; closing-soon reminder. More →

💷 FHASS Postgraduate Student Ambassador 2026/27
Lancaster University — FHASS · Lancaster campus · advertised £12.71/hr + £1.53 holiday pay · Dec 2026–Oct 2027 · closes 25 Oct 2026
Lead tours and outreach while representing postgraduate study. The vacancy header shows the stated pay but older figures remain in its body; confirm the rate before accepting. More →

💷 FHASS Student Ambassador Leader 2026/27
Lancaster University — FHASS · Lancaster campus · £13.21/hr + £1.59 holiday pay · Dec 2026–Oct 2027 · listing closes 25 Oct 2026
Lead ambassador teams at recruitment events; prior ambassador experience is desirable, not essential. The listing says 25 October but its body says 3 November: apply early. More →

💷 Global Experiences Student Ambassador 2026/27
Lancaster University — Global Experiences · Lancaster campus · £12.71/hr + £1.53 holiday pay · approx. 20 hrs/term · closes 26 Oct 2026
Help promote overseas study and welcome incoming exchange students. Applicants must already have studied abroad for a term, year or short overseas programme. More →

💷 Undergraduate Research Conference Reviewer
Lancaster University — Global Experiences · Lancaster / remote UK · £17.33/hr + £2.09 holiday pay · 20–30 hours to Mar 2027 · closes 13 Nov 2026
Review undergraduate research abstracts and posters, give constructive feedback and support the 2027 conference. Four or five temporary posts; check the advert’s applicant criteria. More →

Key and cautions

🎓 = undergraduate / graduate-entry · 🎓🎓 = postgraduate · 🎓🎓🎓 = doctoral/postdoctoral · 💷 = paid work while you study

Jobs Radar is powered by AI and is designed to surface useful opportunities, not replace the original advert. AI can make mistakes, jobs can change, close, or be withdrawn early, and employers can remove adverts before an originally listed deadline. Always check the linked source yourself before acting, especially for deadlines, eligibility, pay/funding, location, sponsorship, and security-clearance requirements.

Discussion – Trust in the VoiD: another unsuccessful grant application

/ DrClaireH

FACTOR is pleased to announce our Week 3 discussion for FACTOR PhD students and staff:

TITLE

Trust in the VoiD: another unsuccessful grant application

ABSTRACT

We’ve had yet another grant application turned down. Rather than bin it straight away, we’ll read it and discuss it together. We’ll look at two aspects:

  • The project idea, design and usefulness. What’s worth keeping, and how might we build on it?
  • The proposal as an example of a grant application, sparking discussion about good and bad practice in grant writing. You can be honest about what you think, we can handle it.

The application will be circulated by email beforehand, so please give it a read before the session.

TIME & PLACE

W03, 1100-1150, Tue 20th Oct 2026

In-person: County South D72

Please note that this session is for FACTOR PhD students and staff only.

Find information on how to get to campus here, and how to navigate campus buildings here.

Jobs and opportunities digest 261009

/ DrClaireH

17 selected · 7 closing within 7 days

1 — Career jobs

🎓 Forensic Services Graduate Programme – September 2027 intake
EY · London · graduate scheme · closes 15 Oct 2026
Investigations, digital evidence, AI-assisted analysis and explaining findings to clients are central. Check employer right-to-work requirements. Forensic investigation, analytical evidence review and communicating findings make this a realistic FLiSS/FACTOR graduate pathway. More →

🎓🎓🎓 Research Fellow – Accent Bias and Domestic Abuse Victimisation
University of Southampton · Southampton / optional remote · £41,885 p.a. · 12 months · closes 29 Oct 2026
ESRC-funded experimental sociolinguistics on accent bias in perceptions of domestic-abuse victims. PhD and survey/statistical analysis experience (R or Python) required. Matched-guise experiments, auditory stimuli, phonetics and credibility research map directly onto FLiSS/FSS expertise. More →

🎓 Intelligence Researcher – Counter Terrorism Policing North West
Greater Manchester Police / CTPNW · Manchester · £30,333–£32,613 · permanent, office-based · closes 21 Oct 2026
Research and evaluate open/closed-source information for regional intelligence assessments. UK nationality, ten years’ UK residence and Developed Vetting required; no home-working. Source evaluation, pattern analysis and clear written/verbal intelligence summaries provide a direct bridge from forensic-linguistic research skills. More →

🎓 Detective Constable Programme
Derbyshire Constabulary · Derbyshire · £32,256 starting · permanent · closes 28 Oct 2026
Direct-entry detective training with broad subject eligibility; Level 3 qualifications or specified alternative routes accepted. Full manual driving licence required; may close early. Investigative interviewing, evidence assessment and case-building offer a realistic pathway from FLiSS into policing. More →

🎓 Analyst Researcher – Scottish Violence Reduction Unit
Police Scotland · Glasgow · £34,750 · fixed term to Mar 2027 · closes 14 Oct 2026 at 12:00
Support programme evaluation, intelligence research and analytical products for violence prevention. Prior evaluation experience and knowledge of criminology, psychology or public health are advantageous. Research design, evidence synthesis and communication suit research-trained FLiSS/FACTOR graduates. More →

🎓 Intelligence Researcher
Devon & Cornwall Police · Plymouth / Exeter / hybrid · £30,333–£32,613 · fixed term to Mar 2028 · closes 14 Oct 2026
Research diverse sources for serious-crime and vulnerability investigations. Review the attached role profile for essential criteria; vetting and right-to-work checks apply. Source evaluation, pattern-finding and investigative intelligence are natural extensions of FLiSS/FACTOR research methods. More →

🎓 Intelligence Analyst (Linguist)
Royal Air Force · UK military service · £27,200+ starting · currently recruiting
Analyse foreign-language transmissions and produce operational intelligence. Requires British citizenship from birth, substantial UK residence, Developed Vetting, fitness and a service commitment. Linguistic analysis of communications and intelligence reporting provide a direct language-to-intelligence career route. More →

2 — Paid placements & internships

🎓 Student Placement – Data & Analysis
Counter Terrorism Policing HQ · West London / hybrid · £27,705.60 · 12-month paid placement · closes 15 Nov 2026 at 23:55
Analysis and research placement, restricted to undergraduates on sandwich-year courses returning to study in autumn 2028. Enhanced security vetting and possible British-nationality restrictions apply. Research, evidence synthesis and intelligence communication provide a clear route for eligible social-science/linguistics placement students. More →

🎓 Disability Inclusion Africa Network Assistant – GROW Micro Internship
Lancaster University · Lancaster / partly remote · £12.71/hr + £1.53 holiday pay · 30 hours · closes 5 Nov 2026
Help improve disability-inclusion web content and organise an online workshop. Applicants must be eligible members of Lancaster’s GROW Your Future widening-participation scheme. Accessible writing, content review and cross-cultural communication make this an applied-language skills opportunity. More →

3 — Scholarships & studentships

🎓🎓 Funded PhD – Auditory Processing and Foreign-Language Pronunciation
Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language · San Sebastián, Spain · €21,000 gross p.a. · four-year PhD · closes 8 Nov 2026
Study auditory processing precision and second-language pronunciation through acoustic/behavioural or EEG methods. Requires 300 ECTS in total, including 60 at master’s level. Acoustic phonetics, speech perception and bilingual pronunciation research directly match FLiSS/FSS training. More →

4 — Paid work while you study

💷 Research Assistant – Students’ Union Voice team
Lancaster University Students’ Union · Lancaster campus · £13.01/hr + £1.57 holiday pay · temporary to Jun 2027 · closes 11 Oct 2026
Paid interviews, focus groups, quantitative/qualitative data analysis and reporting. Current Lancaster students only; a supporting cover letter is required. More →

💷 FHASS Student Ambassador – School of Social Sciences
Lancaster University · Lancaster campus · £12.71/hr + £1.53 holiday pay · Dec 2026–Oct 2027 · closes 25 Oct 2026
Paid ambassador work for current FHASS undergraduates, explicitly including Linguistics, English Language and Language Science. Several weekend open-day commitments are compulsory. More →

💷 ER Student Ambassador 2026/27
Lancaster University · Lancaster campus · £12.71/hr + £1.53 holiday pay · casual work · closes 19 Oct 2026
Support open days, tours and recruitment events. Open to current Lancaster undergraduates and postgraduates; mandatory November training and Saturday event commitments. More →

💷 ER International Student Ambassador 2026/27
Lancaster University · Lancaster campus · £12.71/hr + £1.53 holiday pay · casual work · closes 22 Oct 2026
Paid international-student outreach and recruitment. Only students from the listed countries/regions and relevant undergraduate/postgraduate levels qualify. More →

💷 AM Student Partner
Lancaster University Library / AM · Lancaster campus / remote · £13.70/hr + £1.65 holiday pay · 5 hrs/week · closes 16 Oct 2026
Study how students use primary-source collections through interviews and questionnaires; help produce a podcast. Exclusively for Lancaster undergraduates entering their second year. More →

💷 Our Bay, Our Future – Green Action Facilitators
Lancaster University / partners · Morecambe Bay / campus · £12.71/hr + £1.53 holiday pay · flexible shifts · closes 11 Oct 2026
Support climate-action activities with local young people; paid training included. Current Lancaster or University of Cumbria students only, with UK work eligibility, relevant interest and a DBS check. More →

5 — Other opportunities

🎓🎓🎓 Global Innovation Fellowship – German Council on Foreign Relations
British Academy / DGAP · Berlin · award up to £150,000 · 12 months · closes 14 Oct 2026 at 17:00 BST
Policy-facing fellowship for UK-based early- and mid-career researchers; current PhD students are ineligible. The £150,000 is an institutional award, not a personal salary. Policy research on security, resilience, technology and AI provides a plausible FACTOR-aligned route for experienced humanities/social-science researchers. More →

Key and cautions

🎓 = undergraduate / graduate-entry · 🎓🎓 = postgraduate · 🎓🎓🎓 = doctoral/postdoctoral · 💷 = paid work while you study

Jobs Radar is powered by AI and is designed to surface useful opportunities, not replace the original advert. AI can make mistakes, jobs can change, close, or be withdrawn early, and employers can remove adverts before an originally listed deadline. Always check the linked source yourself before acting, especially for deadlines, eligibility, pay/funding, location, sponsorship, and security-clearance requirements.

A small update to FACTOR email subscriptions

/ DrClaireH

From Friday, we’re making a small change to the FACTOR site and its email updates.

What’s changing

  • Talks and events: the content you know and love – our seminars, workshops, careers events, occasional conferences, summer schools, and other things you might want to attend
  • Jobs and opportunities: this is the new stuff – a weekly selection of relevant jobs, paid placements and internships, funded studentships and scholarships, paid work while studying, and other worthwhile opportunities

Managing your subscription

If you’re already subscribed to FACTOR by email, WordPress has automatically subscribed you to both of these new categories. We would have preferred to leave Jobs and opportunities switched off initially so that each of you could choose to opt in, but new newsletter categories are automatically added to existing subscriptions and, quite rightly, we can’t edit your choices for you. So…

  • If you’re happy to receive both you don’t need to do anything.
  • If you’d prefer Talks and events only use the Manage Subscription link at the bottom of any FACTOR email to switch off Jobs and opportunities
  • Want to leave altogether? You can unsubscribe from FACTOR completely from the same place

And of course, you can change your choices again at any time.

Easter egg

For reading this far, a little extra bonus: we’ve also created a FACTOR | Events Google calendar. This is populated with events that we think are likely to be useful – or at least interesting – to students, academics, and practitioners in forensic linguists, forensic speech scientists, and adjacent areas. Feel free to preview it first, and if it it looks relevant to your interests, you can subscribe by clicking “Add to Google Calendar” in the bottom left of the desktop website’s preview screen, or by using the .ics link. (This format is widely accepted by, e.g. Google, Outlook, Apple, etc.)

As always, thanks for being part of FACTOR.

Conference updates from the summer

/ DrClaireH

FACTOR is pleased to announce our first session of the 2026-2027 academic year, an informal discussion for FACTOR PhD students and staff:

TITLE

Conference updates from the summer

ABSTRACT

Between us, we went to a number of things over the summer, so let’s pool that knowledge. It could have been an in-person conference, an online event, an internal Lancaster event or anything similar.

If you went to something, please come ready to speak for no more than 5 minutes. Share the highlights, key talks or research trends that caught your eye. It’s all informal, and there’s no need for slides.

TIME & PLACE

W01, 1100-1150, Tue 06th Oct 2026

In-person: County South D72

Please note that this session is for FACTOR PhD students and staff only.

Find information on how to get to campus here, and how to navigate campus buildings here.

Dewar – AI and Misogyny: Unequal, Unregulated, and Unbridled

/ DrClaireH

FACTOR is pleased to announce the upcoming talk by Megan Dewar (FACTOR, LAEL):

TITLE

AI and Misogyny: Unequal, Unregulated, and Unbridled

ABSTRACT

The UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI states that: ‘AI actors should make all reasonable efforts to minimize and avoid reinforcing or perpetuating discriminatory or biased applications and outcomes throughout the life cycle of the AI system to ensure fairness of such systems’. Whilst sound in theory, there are some major issues with this statement in practice. Firstly, humans are biased, and therefore the data that AI is trained on is also biased; its outputs carry sexist undertones even when the user themselves did not set out to create content that is so. Secondly, policymakers are woefully unprepared to deal with the sheer volume and complexity of the AI content that is currently being disseminated. Finally, some AI users approach AI tools with explicit intent to create sexualised, violent, or criminal content. These issues can be considered as ‘passive’ (e.g., sexist training data, lack of moderation) or ‘active’ (e.g., content creation). The former facilitate the latter, and the latter are indicative of the attitudes of the most extreme in the current landscape of gender-based discrimination as a whole. This project is a very brief consideration of some of the recurring ideas surrounding AI and anti-gender content, where rhetorics of Andrew Tate are being parroted in the playground, LGBTQ+ people are labelled as harmful or hypersexual, and the male loneliness epidemic pushes more and more young boys towards AI girlfriends over true human connection.

TIME & PLACE

W17, 1400-1450, Thu 26th Feb 2026

In-person: County South B89

Online: Teams

Find information on how to get to campus here, and how to navigate campus buildings here.