Research Associate (Fixed Term)

The Faculty of Divinity invites applications for the position of Research Associate in Empirical Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience, Psychiatry, Analytic Philosophy of Mind, or Cognitive Anthropology. This is a fixed-term position for 21 months, starting 1 October 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter.

As this Research Associate post is externally funded by UKRI, the salary for this position is limited owing to the budgetary awards as per the grant application. Therefore, the starting salary for this post is non-negotiable and is as stated in the Further Particulars.

Candidates should have an interest in psychosis, delusional ideation, conspiracism, belief, or related topics. Candidates willing to apply their previous knowledge or research to these topics in a creative and thoughtful way will also be considered.

The successful candidate will be expected to:

• Plan and convene an interdisciplinary workshop
• As part of an interdisciplinary PDRA team, undertake qualitative coding of six autobiographies written by individuals experiencing delusional or conspiracist ideation and;
• As part of an interdisciplinary PDRA team, undertake qualitative coding of interview transcripts collected from research participants experiencing delusional or conspiracist ideation.

Further information on this role can be found in the Further Particulars document which is linked to this advert. For information on the Faculty of Divinity please see the Faculty website: https://www.divinity.cam.ac.uk/.

In order for your application to be considered, please upload the following:

• Curriculum Vitae (CV). Including educational qualifications and professional experience; current occupation; publications; academic activities; the names, addresses and full contact details of two referees who are familiar with your work.
• Covering Letter. This should clearly set out how you meet the criteria listed in the person specification (the skills and experience required for the role) including relevant examples.
• Short statement about your current and future research (up to 2 A4 pages, in Arial 12-point font)
• Sample of your research-related writing (up to 10,000 words). The writing sample might be a published research article, a chapter from a research monograph (already published or intended for publication), or a chapter of your doctoral dissertation.

If you upload any additional documents which have not been requested, we will not be able to consider these as part of your application.

Informal enquires about the role are welcomed and should be directed to Professor Joseph Webster jw557@cam.ac.uk. For questions on the application process, please contact the School's HR Team on sahhr@admin.cam.ac.uk

The closing date for applications is midnight (BST) on Monday 27 July 2026. Interviews are planned for August 2026, via Teams, subject to change.  

To apply online for this vacancy and to view further information about the role, please click 'Apply' above.

Please quote reference GF49773 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

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