Research Fellow

About us

Applications are invited for a postdoctoral research position to contribute to a project led by Prof David Shanks at UCL on understanding the consequences of retrieval practice on long-term learning and memory. UCL hosts one of the foremost experimental cognitive psychology research communities in the world, and the Experimental Psychology Research Department is centrally placed within the university, with state-of-the-art facilities for conducting behavioural research and close connections to UCL’s cognitive neuroscience, language, and other related research units.

About the role

This 3-year project, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council and in collaboration with Dr Chunliang Yang (Beijing Normal University), will aim specifically to investigate the conditions in which tests and quizzes enhance learning and retention of new information. The research will increase knowledge of the boundary conditions o f the testing effect and assess whether retrieval can be employed as a practical method for consolidating learning and memory inside and outside the classroom. A job description and person specification can be accessed here. Applications should include a covering letter and CV. This post will be for 22 months, starting around May 2024. Appointment at Grade 7 is dependent upon having been awarded a PhD; if this is not the case, initial appointment will be at Research Assistant Grade 6B salary with payment at Grade 7 being backdated to the date of final submission of the PhD thesis. Please see the ‘UCL Non-clinical grade structure with spinal points’ for the current year here: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/human-resources/pay-benefits/salary-scales

About you

The successful candidate is expected to have a Ph D in psychology, cognitive science or a related area as well as extensive experience of research in human learning and memory. Applicants should demonstrate advanced knowledge in cognitive psychology and have experience in designing, conducting and analysing psychological experiments. They should also have excellent data analysis and programming (e.g., R) and writing skills.

What we offer

As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, we also offer some great benefits some of which are below: • 41 Days holiday (27 days annual leave 8 bank holiday and 6 closure days) • Additional 5 days’ annual leave purchase scheme • Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE) • Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan • Immigration loan • Relocation scheme for certain posts • On-Site nursery • On-site gym • Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay • Employee a ssistance programme: Staff Support Service • Discounted medical insurance Visit https://www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/reward-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; LGBTQI+ people; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women.

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