Navigating Sensitive Research: Ethics, Methods & Researcher Wellbeing Summer School

Join ARU and EU-GLOCTER for a summer school exploring what it really means to conduct sensitive research and how you can strengthen your approach to doing so.

Working with sensitive topics isn’t just academically challenging - it’s emotionally and ethically complex too. This two-day summer school offers a rare opportunity to step back, reflect, and strengthen your approach to researching issues like extremism, terrorism, trauma, marginalisation, and vulnerability.

Bringing together leading researchers and experienced practitioners, this immersive programme creates a supportive space to explore what it really means to conduct sensitive research. Through a mix of expert talks, panel discussions, interactive workshops, and creative sessions, you’ll engage with the practical realities behind the theory.

Whether you are navigating ethical dilemmas, working with vulnerable communities, or processing difficult data, this summer school will help you build confidence, clarity, and resilience in your research practice.

What you’ll gain

• Practical tools for conducting ethical and responsible research
• Strategies for engaging with vulnerable individuals and sensitive data
• Insights into managing emotional challenges, including vicarious trauma
• Opportunities for interdisciplinary exchange and collaboration
• A supportive network of peers and practitioners in your field

Who should attend?

ARU and EU-GLOCTER doctoral students, early career researchers, and anyone working on or interested in sensitive research topics across disciplines.

Why attend?

Because doing meaningful research shouldn’t come at the cost of your wellbeing - and navigating complex topics requires more than just methodology. It requires care, reflexivity, and community.

Join us this summer to rethink how sensitive research is done – responsibly, ethically, and sustainably.