Research Assistant in Autism

We are a dynamic and multi-disciplinary research team that is dedicated to improving the mental health and well-being of autistic people. We are highly committed to conducting rigorous, high-quality research alongside the autistic community. We are located in the UCL’s Division of Psychology and Language Sciences (PALS). Psychology at UCL is the top-ranked in Europe in the 2024 Shanghai Ranking of World Universities.

About the role

We are looking to recruit a research assistant and PhD candidate to work on a ground-breaking project, funded by the NIHR, called ‘Co-design and feasibility trial of autism social identity groups for psychological well-being in autistic adolescents’. This project will investigate the feasibility and acceptability of an RCT of social identity-based well-being groups for autistic adolescents aged 11-16 years old. At the heart of this work is close collaboration between researchers and the autistic community, which will shape the project at each stage.

• The starting salary for this role is fixed at Grade 6B, Spinal Point 25 (£38,607, inclusive of London Allowance)
• This role is an open-ended contract, funded for 3 years.
• An Enhanced DBS check is required to carry out this role.
• This role is eligible for hybrid working – to be further discussed in the interview stage.
• This role may meet the eligibility requirements for a skilled worker certificate of sponsorship or a global talent visa under UK Visas and Immigration legislation. Therefore, UCL welcomes applications from international applicants who require a visa. However, please note that whether we can sponsor someone for this role depends on the candidate as the eligibility criteria differs in this case per each candidate.

About you

The role provides funding for the completion of a PhD, and applicants will be expected to complete a PhD in mental health and well-being in autistic adolescents upon commencement of the role.

Alongside undertaking a PhD, the role requires the candidate to work as a research assistant on a busy clinical feasibility trial. We are looking to recruit a candidate with strong data management and quantitative research skills, with a commitment to co-produced autism and mental health research. The research assistant will need good communication and presentation skills to conduct clinical research assessments with autistic adolescents and run coproduction workshops with autistic individuals.

Further Details

The advert will close on 9th July 2025 at 23:59 GMT. Interviews are scheduled for 22nd July. A job description and person specification can be accessed by clicking the ‘Apply’ button to view the full UCL advert.

What we offer

As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, we also offer great benefits. Please visit https://www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/rewards-and-benefits to find out more.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

As London’s Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world’s talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong.

We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL’s workforce.

These include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women.

Athena Swan Status Statement

• Our department holds an Athena SWAN Silver award, in recognition of our commitment and demonstrable impact in advancing gender equality.

Customer advert reference: B02-08871

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