Research Assistant

Fixed Term - Part Time

Contract Duration: 9 months

Contracted Hours per Week: 24.5

The Role

The 9-month fixed-term Research Assistant (RA) position is available 3 ½ days per week in the Department of Psychology at Durham University. The successful candidate will join the research project “Solitude as Opportunity for Rest in Everyday Life” led by Dr Thuy-vy Nguyen and funded by UKRI ESRC grant. The project focuses on how we can cultivate the benefits of time spent alone for relaxation and rest.

The Project:

Expectations: The successful applicant will mostly help with coordinating advisory team meeting for the project, such as soliciting feedback and devising solutions to move the project forward. The candidate will also help managing the project website, which includes synthesising research findings in accessible format, coming up with creative ways to collect tangible data from visitors to the website, and tracking engagement. Standard RA responsibilities and specific requirements are listed in more detail below.

This post is ideal for those who have finished a master’s degree and want to gain more work and research experience before pursuing a PhD. This position will prepare the post holder research experience valuable to future independent work aimed toward impactful research with community samples.

Responsibilities:

• To gain sufficient knowledge of the literature on solitude to communicate effectively with stakeholders.
• To organise advisory panel, including sending emails, coordinating meeting times, taking notes during meetings, soliciting feedback and devising solutions to move the project forward based on feedback.
• To understand and convey information which needs careful explanation to the team or group of people through presentations, discussions and meetings which contribute to the production of research reports and publications.
• To manage the project website, which includes synthesising research findings in accessible format, coming up with creative ways to collect tangible data from visitors to the website, and tracking equipment.
• To contribute to the planning of research, including development of questionnaires and participant recruitment.
• To write up results of research work, present information on research progress and outcomes to bodies supervising research in a clear and accurate manner.
• 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 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 attending relevant training and development courses.

This post is fixed term for 9 months; the project is time limited and will end on 28th February 2025.

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