Postdoctoral Research Associate
View: 101
Update day: 24-05-2024
Location: Durham North East
Category: Science Labor Pharmaceutical / Chemical / Biotech
Industry:
Salary: £37,099 - £44,263 a year
Job content
The University
A globally outstanding centre of teaching and research excellence, a collegiate community of extraordinary people, a unique and historic setting – Durham is a university like no other.
As one of the UK’s leading universities, Durham is an incredible place to define your career while enjoying a high-quality work/life balance. We are home to some of the most talented scholars and researchers from around the world who are tackling global issues and making a difference to people’s lives.
We believe that inspiring our people to do outstanding things at Durham enables Durham people to do outstanding things in the world.
Our University Strategy is built on three pillars of research, education and wider student experience, but also on our keen sense of community and of inspiring others to achieve their potential.
Our University Strategy
Our Purpose and Values
Find out more about the benefits of working at the University and what it is like to live and work in the Durham area on our Why Durham? information page.
The Role and Department
Founded in 1952, the Department of Psychology is consistently ranked as one of the very best in the UK with an outstanding reputation for excellence in teaching, research and employability of our students. We are currently ranked 6th in the Complete University Guide, 4th in the Guardian University League Table, and in the top 100 of Psychology Departments world-wide according to the QS World Rankings.
The department’s research falls within three groupings: Cognitive Neuroscience, Developmental Science, and Quantitative Social Psychology. The department is committed to creating and maintaining a research and teaching environment that spans the entire breadth of Psychology.
The department is well equipped for research in most areas including facilities for fMRI, TMS, EEG, eye tracking, as well as the analysis of visuomotor action and psychophysical performance. The Department also has a motion capture lab, an echo-attenuated chamber and a suite of observation labs.
In 2022, the Department received its third Athena SWAN Silver Award recognising our commitment to advancing women’s careers in STEM academia and reflecting the supportive and positive environment within the Department.
The Role
A 36-month fixed-term full time post-doctoral Research Associate position is available at the Department of Psychology at Durham University, UK. The successful candidate will join a research project led by Prof Holger Wiese in collaboration with Dr Soazig Casteau and Dr Ulrik Beierholm, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). The project aims to understand the cognitive and neural underpinnings of how we learn new faces. You will combine psychometric, behavioural, eye-tracking, and electrophysiological (EEG/ERP) measures to investigate how faces become represented in the brain over time, as well as how situational factors and individual differences (both with respect to the learner and the to-be-learnt face) influence this process. The project team will investigate these questions using state-of-the-art computational modelling approaches. You will have a purpose-built and fully equipped EEG and eye-tracking lab at your disposal to develop novel experimental paradigms and cutting-edge data analysis techniques. Research costs will be fully covered by the grant. You will work alongside a collaborative and dynamic team addressing complementary research questions.
The successful applicant will be expected to have a background in visual perception and/or face recognition research. Methodological experience with EEG, eye-tracking and/or computational modelling is desirable.
Responsibilities:
- To understand and convey material of a specialist or highly technical nature to the team or group of people through presentations and discussions that leads to the presentation of research papers in conferences and publications.
- To prepare and deliver presentations on research outputs/activities to audiences which may include: research sponsors, academic and non-academic audiences.
- To publish high quality outputs, including papers for submission to peer reviewed journals and papers for presentation at conferences and workshops under the direction of the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder.
- To assist with the development of research objectives and proposals.
- To conduct individual and collaborative research projects under the direction of the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder.
- To work with the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder and other colleagues in the research group, as appropriate, to identify areas for research, develop new research methods and extend the research portfolio.
- To deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines by discussing with the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder and offering creative or innovative solutions.
- To liaise with research colleagues and make internal and external contacts to develop knowledge and understanding to form relationships for future research collaboration.
- To plan and manage own research activity, research resources in collaboration with others and contribute to the planning of research projects.
- To deliver training in research techniques/approaches to peers, visitors and students as appropriate.
- To be involved in student supervision, as appropriate, and assist with the assessment of the knowledge of students.
- To contribute to fostering a collegial and respectful working environment which is inclusive and welcoming and where everyone is treated fairly with dignity and respect.
- To engage in wider citizenship to support the department and wider discipline.
- To engage in continuing professional development by participation in the undergraduate or postgraduate teaching programmes or by membership of departmental committees, etc. and by attending relevant training and development courses.
This post is fixed term for 36 months, as ESRC funding is currently available for this fixed period only.
The post-holder is employed to work on research/a research project which will be led by another colleague. Whilst this means that the post-holder will not be carrying out independent research in his/her own right, the expectation is that they will contribute to the advancement of the project, through the development of their own research ideas/adaptation and development of research protocols.
Working at Durham
A competitive salary is only one part of the many fantastic benefits you will receive if you join the University: you will also receive access to the following fantastic benefits:
- 30 Days annual leave per year in addition to 8 public holidays and 4 customary days per year – a total of 42 days per year.
- The University closes between Christmas and New Year.
- We offer a generous pension scheme, As a new member of staff you will be automatically enrolled into the University Superannuation Scheme (USS).
- No matter how you travel to work, we have you covered. We have parking across campus, a cycle to work scheme which helps you to buy a bike and discount with local bus and train companies.
- There is a genuine commitment to developing our colleagues professionally and personally. There is a comprehensive range of development courses, apprenticeships and access to qualifications and routes to develop your career in the University. All staff have dedicated annual time to concentrate on their personal development opportunities.
- Lots of support for health and wellbeing including discounted membership for our state of the art sport and gym facilities and access to a 24-7 Employee Assistance Programme.
- On site nursery is available and children’s clubs in the summer holidays.
- Family friendly policies, including maternity and adoption leave, which are among the most generous in the higher education sector (and likely above and beyond many employers).
- The opportunity to take part in staff volunteering activities to make a difference in the local community.
- Discounts are available via our benefits portal including; money off at supermarkets, high street retailers, IT products such as Apple, the cinema and days out at various attractions.
- A salary sacrifice scheme is also available to help you take advantage of tax savings on benefits.
- If you are moving to Durham, we can help with removal costs and we have a dedicated team who can help you with the practicalities such as house hunting and schools. If you need a visa, we cover most visa costs and offer an interest free loan scheme to pay for dependant visas.
Durham University is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion
Our collective aim is to create an open and inclusive environment where everyone can reach their full potential and we believe our staff should reflect the diversity of the global community in which we work.
As a University equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are a key part of the University’s Strategy and a central part of everything we do. We also live by our values and our Staff Code of Conduct. At Durham we actively work towards providing an environment where our staff and students can study, work and live in a community which is supportive and inclusive. It’s important to us that all of our colleagues are aligned to both our values and commitment to EDI.
We welcome and encourage applications from members of groups who are under-represented in our work force including people with disabilities and people from racially minoritised ethnic groups.
We are committed to equality: if for any reason you have taken a career break or periods of leave that may have impacted on the volume and recency of research outputs, such as maternity, adoption or parental leave, you may wish to disclose this in your application. We also understand that the Covid-19 pandemic will have had differential impacts on different people and welcome information on this if you wish to share it. The selection committee will recognise that this may have reduced the quantity of your research accordingly
The University has been awarded the Disability Confident Employer status. If you are a candidate with a disability, we are committed to ensuring fair treatment throughout the recruitment process. We will make adjustments to support the interview process wherever it is reasonable to do so and, where successful, reasonable adjustments will be made to support people within their role.
Contact Information
Department contact for academic-related enquiries
For informal enquiries please contact Dr Holger Wiese (holger.wiese@durham.ac.uk). All enquiries will be treated in the strictest confidence.
Contact information for technical difficulties when submitting your application
If you encounter technical difficulties when using the online application form, we prefer you send enquiries by email. Please send your name along with a brief description of the problem you’re experiencing to e.recruitment@durham.ac.uk
Alternatively, you may call 0191 334 6801 from the UK, or +44 191 334 6801 from outside the UK. This number operates during the hours of 09.00 and 17.00 Monday to Friday, UK time. We will normally respond within one working day (Monday to Friday, excluding UK public holidays).
University contact for general queries about the recruitment process
If you have any queries about the recruitment process please contact the recruitment team on e.recruitment@durham.ac.uk.
How to Apply
To progress to the assessment stage, candidates must evidence each of the essential criteria required for the role in the person specification below. It will be at the discretion of the recruiting panel as to whether they will also consider any desirable criteria, but we would urge candidates to provide evidence for all criteria.
While some criteria will be considered at the shortlisting stage, other criteria may be considered later in the assessment process, such as questions at interview.
Submitting your application
We prefer to receive applications online. We will update you about your application at various points throughout the selection process, via automated emails from our e-recruitment system. Please check your spam/junk folder periodically to make sure you have not missed any of our updates.
What to Submit
All applicants are asked to submit:
- a CV and cover letter which details your experience, skills, and achievements in meeting (or the potential to meet) the criteria set out below.
- One scientific publications reflecting your work relevant for this application;
- Details of two academic referees.
Next Steps
Short-listed candidates will be invited to the University, the assessment for the post will include the submitted application documents as outlined above. Shortlisted candidates will be invited for interview and assessment in December 2023 (date to be confirmed). the interview will include a short presentations of the candidate’s research to date.
In the event that you are unable to attend in person on the date offered, it may not be possible to offer you an interview on an alternative date.
Please note that in submitting your application Durham University will be processing your data. We would ask you to consider the relevant University Privacy Statement https://www.durham.ac.uk/about-us/governance/information-governance/privacy-notices/privacy-notices/job-applicants/ which provides information on the collation, storing and use of data.
When appointing to this role the University must ensure that it meets any applicable immigration requirements, including salary thresholds which are applicable to some visas.
Person Specification
Essential Criteria:
Qualifications
- A PhD (or be close to submission) in Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience, or a related subject.
Experience
- Experience in conducting high quality academic research.
- Demonstrable ability to write material of a quality commensurate with publication in highly-ranked journals.
- Demonstrable ability to present research papers at international conferences and communicate complex information to specialists and within the wider academic community.
Skills
6. Demonstrable ability to work cooperatively as part of a team, including participating in research meetings.
- Ability to work independently on own initiative and to strict deadlines.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
Desirable Criteria:
Experience
- Strong publication record in peer-reviewed journals, commensurate with stage of career.
- A track record of presenting research at conferences, symposia, or meetings, commensurate with stage of career.
- Demonstrable ability to develop research proposals and designs in collaboration with other academics.
- Experience of overseeing students with respect to the development of their practical/research skills e.g. acting as a demonstrator; supervising student projects/practicals.
- Specialist knowledge in the relevant discipline: Background in empirical research on visual perception and/or face recognition.
- Methodological experience: Prior experience with conducting EEG or eye-tracking research.
Skills
16. Strong organisational skills, and demonstrable ability to plan and manage independent research.
Deadline: 08-07-2024
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