Research Assistant

The Role

Applications are invited for a fixed-term position in the Department of Psychology at Durham University. The successful candidate will join the research project 'Let's drink on it? The overlooked neuromotivational impact of positive affect on alcohol use and addiction' led by Dr Niklas Ihssen and Professor Milica Vasiljevic, which is funded by the Hetzler Foundation. The project aims to gather quantitative data about how momentary emotional states influence the decision to drink alcohol. The project will involve a large-scale experimental study conducted in the Department’s ‘ Bar Lab’ in which participants will be presented with a series of game-like tasks and offered the opportunity to consume alcohol. The successful candidate will work on all phases of the study, including study set-up and design, recruitment, data collection, data analysis and writing up the results for publication. The RA will also contribute to a potential pilot study testing a small sample of participants with an adapted version of the paradigm in an MRI scanner.

This post is fixed term for 28 hours (0.8 FTE) for 12 months. The funding is available from 01/10/25 for this fixed period only.

The post-holder is employed to work on a research project which will be led by Dr. Ihssen and Professor Vasiljevic. Whilst this means that the post-holder will not be carrying out independent research in their 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.

Successful applicants will, ideally, be in post by 1^st October 2025.

Contact Information

Department contact for academic-related enquiries

Dr. Niklas Ihssen (Associate Professor)

University contact for general queries about the recruitment process

If you have any general queries about the recruitment process, please contact the recruitment team on e.recruitment@durham.ac.uk.

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:

1. A good first degree in Psychology or Psychology related subjects.
2. Experience in conducting basic laboratory research with human participants or providing assistance in such research, including the use of standard research methods and quantitative data analyses..
3. Demonstrable ability to produce concise and well-written reports for a range of stakeholders.
4. Demonstrable ability to work cooperatively as part of a team, including participating in research meetings.
5. Ability to manage time effectively and work to strict deadlines.
6. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.

Desirable Criteria:

1. A Masters (or be close to completion) in Psychology or Psychology related subjects.
2. Experience of conducting high quality academic research.
3. Experience of preparing academic papers.
4. Confidence in using statistical software (e.g. R, JASP, MAtlab) for advanced data analyses.
5. Experience in programming.
6. Experience in using MRI or brain imaging methods.

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