Research Assistant in Psychology

ABOUT THE ROLE

Working as part of multi-disciplinary teams, you will support the Principal Investigator in delivery of research activity on a study concerned with how we approach the ethics review of studies involving participants who are considered clinically vulnerable. We are interested in whether taking a dimensional approach to assessing vulnerability will allow for a more inclusive and balanced approach to research ethics review. As part of this work we would like you to assist with:

• research identification and collation as part of a review;
• devising and engaging in interviews with research ethics reviewers;
• the development of an online survey, including generation of questions and driving recruitment; and
• running of focus groups with people who are considered clinically vulnerable.

For further detail see the job description .

The role is 7.5 hours per week - fixed term for 8 months until December 2025.

It would suit someone wanting to build skills and knowledge in psychology and social sciences at the early stage of their career path.

This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 therefore the successful candidate will be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service check.

ABOUT THE TEAM

This Research Project is being delivered within the Department of Psychology and involves colleagues from the Departments of Humanities and Social Work, Education and Community Well-Being. The research team comprises: Dr. Emma Barkus based in the Department of Psychology, Dr. Alex Ho-Cheong Leung within the Department of Humanities and Dr. Se Kwang Hwang in Department of Social Work, Education and Community Well-Being. All of the team are active members of the research ethics review processes at Northumbria University that positively contributes to the research culture at the university. You will be part of this interdisciplinary research team.

The Department of Psychology, where you will be based, is a large international multi-disciplinary department with over 70 academic staff. Research interests of staff reflect the broad range of disciplines in psychology from individual differences, health, organisation, forensic, sleep, clinical and cognitive psychologies. The study you will work on focuses within the clinical psychology domains and would be of interest to someone who is concerned with how research methods can be appropriately applied to vulnerable individuals.

ABOUT YOU

Applicants should hold an undergraduate degree in psychology, social sciences or a related discipline and should be completing or have recently completed a Masters degree in an appropriate discipline with a strong emphasis on research methods. We would like you to have demonstrable knowledge in how research ethics processes are applied in psychology, social sciences or a related discipline. We would like you to have experience of:

• Using quantitative and qualitative research methods;
• Conducting research reviews; and
• Engagement in research with human participants.

A demonstrable willingness to learn and understanding of factors that might make people classified as vulnerable in research settings would be desired.

Further information about the requirements of the role is available in the person specification .

If you would like an informal discussion about the role, please contact Emma Barkus on emma.barkus@northumbria.ac.uk

To apply for this vacancy please click 'Apply Now'. Your application should include a covering letter and a CV and a cover letter detailing your interest in the study and how you meet the role specifications.

ABOUT US

Northumbria University is a research-intensive university that unlocks potential for all. We change lives regionally, nationally, and internationally through education and research, tackling the global challenges of our age to transform society and the economy. Find out why we were named Times Higher Education's University of the Year in 2022 and Modern University of the Year in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025.

Northumbria recorded the biggest rise of any UK university for research power in the Research Excellence Framework for the second time in 2021 and is now ranked top 25 in the UK for this measure.

One of the largest universities in the UK with over 37,000 students from more than 140 countries, filled with world-leading research, award-winning partnerships, and students at the heart of an outstanding experience. Discover more about us .

Northumbria University is a great place to work. We empower our exceptional people to achieve shared ambitions and promote a positive work life balance. We offer a wide range of benefits including excellent pension schemes, flexible working, a generous holiday entitlement, continued commitment to your learning and development and more .

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Please visit Our Values and Behaviours page to find out more.

We are an on-campus organisation where colleagues work regular patterns of hours and on campus, with some flexibility on the timing of their hours and the location of their work in discussion with their manager. Our campus locations include our City and Coach Lane Campuses in Newcastle upon Tyne and our London campus.

Northumbria University is committed to creating an inclusive culture where we take pride in, and value, the diversity of our staff. We encourage and welcome applications from all members of the community. The University holds bronze Athena Swan and Race Equality Charter awards in recognition of our commitment to advancing gender and race equality, we are a Disability Confident Leader and are participating in the Stonewall Diversity Champion Programme. We also hold the HR Excellence in Research award for implementing the concordat supporting the career Development of Researchers and are members of the Euraxess initiative to deliver information and support to professional researchers. The University has implemented a range of flexible working arrangements, and we are happy to explore candidate requirements as part of the recruitment process.

We are committed to keeping your data safe so it's important for you to know how we use any personal data you give us. For more detailed information, access our Privacy Policy .Are you an experienced Researcher with specialist skills in psychology and/or social sciences looking for an opportunity to join the UK's first modern research-intensive University?