Postdoctoral Research Associate (Research Fellow in Neurodiversity) at Durham University

Durham, England, United Kingdom -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

28 Jul, 26

Salary

0.0

Posted On

29 Apr, 26

Experience

2 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Yes

Skills

Neurodiversity research, Contextual safeguarding, Mixed-methods research, Qualitative research, Quantitative research, Developmental science, Participatory research methods, Academic writing, Grant proposal development, Data analysis, Interdisciplinary collaboration, Student supervision, Research dissemination, Project management, Communication skills

Industry

Higher Education

Description

Working at Durham University A globally outstanding centre of teaching and research excellence, a warm and friendly place to work, a unique and historic setting – Durham is a university like no other. As one of the UK’s leading universities, Durham is an incredible place to define your career. The University is located within a beautiful historic city, home to a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and surrounded by stunning countryside. Our talented scholars and researchers from around the world are tackling global issues and making a difference to people's lives. We believe that inspiring our people to do outstanding things at Durham enables Durham people to do outstanding things in the world. Being a part of Durham is about more than just the success of the University, it’s also about contributing to the success of the city, county and community. Our University Strategy is built on three pillars of research, education and wider student experience, but also on our keen sense of community and of inspiring others to achieve their potential. You can read more about Our Purpose and Values here. We want our University to be a place where people can be free to be themselves, no matter what their identity or background. Together, we celebrate difference, value one another and are each responsible for creating an inclusive community that is respectful and fair for all. Find out more about the benefits of working at the University and what it is like to live and work in the Durham area on our Why Join Us? - Information Page The Department Durham University’s Global Centre for Contextual Safeguarding, in conjunction with Durham University’s Psychology department (via the Centre for Neurodiversity & Development), seeks to appoint a talented individual to a fixed-term Research Fellowship. The Global Centre for Contextual Safeguarding (GCCS) launched in September 2025, building on the work of a decade-plus Contextual Safeguarding Programme and a team that has been at the forefront of reforming safeguarding systems to promote the welfare of young people in places where they spend their time. The GCCS is an interdisciplinary Centre based in Durham’s Sociology Department with direct integration with various departments across the four faculties of the University – including collaborative working with the Centre for Neurodiversity & Development. It works to: transform how societies understand and deliver services that safeguard young people beyond their homes; create systems that look beyond the capacity of parents to protect children; and build sustainable partnerships in which safeguarding is truly everybody's business. GCCS is committed to a radical transformation in how safeguarding is conceptualised, studied, and practiced, and by whom. Over the coming years, GCCS will achieve this by building a critical interdisciplinary effort to cement an emergent field of research. This Research Fellow role will directly contribute to this interdisciplinary effort by working primarily within the GCCS team but being structurally embedded within the Centre for Neurodiversity & Development within the Department of Psychology. Founded in 1952, the Department of Psychology is consistently ranked as one of the best in the UK with an outstanding reputation for excellence in teaching, research, and student employability. The department is committed to creating and maintaining a research environment that spans the entire breadth of psychology. Currently the department’s research falls within three groupings: Cognitive Neuroscience, Developmental Science, and Quantitative Social Psychology. The Research Fellow will be part of the Developmental Science grouping and will join the Centre for Neurodiversity and Development, which includes researchers conducting a wide range of studies in the field of neurodiversity, using multi-methods approaches and embedding lived experience insights into its research. The department recognises both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies and is extremely well-equipped for research, including facilities for FMRI, TMS, tDCS, EEG/ERP, VR, eye movement tracking, and biophysiological recording. The department also has a motion capture lab for analysis of visuomotor action and experiments in immersive VR, a ‘bar’ lab for naturalistic studies in health psychology, and setups for psychophysics including an echo-attenuated chamber. In 2022, the Department received its third Athena SWAN Silver Award recognising our commitment to advancing women's careers in STEM academia and reflecting the supportive and positive environment within the Department. The Role The postholder will join the GCCS team to consider the wider application of Contextual Safeguarding and associated themes via a psychology and neurodiversity lens. Crucially, the postholder will bring together the fields of neurodiversity research and contextual safeguarding to advance this area of investigation and conduct research of real-world and applied significance. Questions such as contextual safeguarding within an educational setting for neurodivergent youth may be especially relevant here. However, the overall programme of research will be shaped collaboratively upon appointment with the GCCS and the Centre for Neurodiversity & Development. We welcome applications from those with research interests that align with the Centre for Neurodiversity & Development, and Developmental Science. We are particularly keen to hear from mixed-methods researchers with experience of combining qualitative and quantitative insights in their research on aspects of neurodiversity and neurodivergence. Research involving neurodivergent youth would be of benefit in this role, as would experience of embedding participatory research methods within studies. Indeed, experience of working collaboratively with teams across academia, on multi-disciplinary projects, and with community partners would be a clear benefit for this post. It is not anticipated that the post will be extended beyond the initial 2-year fixed term, as that is the duration of the funding available. Successful applicants will ideally be in post by 1 September 2026. The research fellow would be expected to be in Durham at least two days per week. The University provides a working environment that is inclusive and welcoming and where everyone is treated fairly with dignity and respect. Candidates will be expected to demonstrate these key principles as part of the assessment process. Key responsibilities: • Demonstrate progress towards independent development of internationally excellent research/scholarship related to Contextual Safeguarding and related fields, with a focus on neurodiversity / neurodivergence in youth. • Work with GCSC Senior Leadership to develop clear plans for the pursuit of national and international funding opportunities to support research / scholarship and end-user engagement. • Develop a personal research /scholarship plan which supports and enhances the departments and centres' research. • Contribute to enhancing quality of research environment, build internal contacts and participate in networks of exchange information. • Membership of departmental and GCSC committees and appropriate professional bodies. • Develop the ability to manage own time for designing, planning and writing of research. • To publish high quality outputs, including papers for submission to peer reviewed journals and papers for presentation at conferences and workshops under the direction of the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder. • To assist with the development of research objectives and proposals. • To conduct individual and collaborative research projects under the direction of the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder. • To work with the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder and other colleagues in the research group, as appropriate, to identify areas for research, develop new research methods and extend the research portfolio. • To liaise with research colleagues and make internal and external contacts to develop knowledge and understanding to form relationships for future research collaboration. • Deliver training in research techniques/approaches to peers, visitors and students on occasion, when required. • To be involved in student supervision, as appropriate, and assist with the assessment of the knowledge of students. • 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. The post-holder is employed to work on research/a research project which will be led by another colleague. Whilst this means that the post-holder will not be carrying out independent research in his/her 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 1st September 2026. Durham University is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion Equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are a key component of the University’s Strategy and a central part of everything we do. We also live by our Purpose and Values and our Staff Code of Conduct. At Durham we actively work towards providing an environment where our staff and students can study, work and live in a community which is supportive and inclusive. We welcome and encourage applications from those who are currently under-represented in our work force, including people with disabilities and from racially minoritised ethnic groups. If you have taken a career break or periods of leave that may have impacted on the volume and recency of your research outputs and other activities, such as maternity, adoption or parental leave, you may wish to disclose this in your application. The selection committee will take this into account when evaluating your application. The University has been awarded the Disability Confident Leader status. If you are a candidate with a disability, we are committed to ensuring fair treatment throughout the recruitment process. We will make adjustments to support the interview process wherever it is reasonable to do so and, where successful, reasonable adjustments will be made to support people within their role. Working at Durham A competitive salary is only one part of the many fantastic benefits you will receive if you join the University: You’ll receive 30 days annual leave per year in addition to 8 public holidays and 4 customary days per year – a total of 42 days per year. The University closes between Christmas and New Year. We offer a generous pension scheme, and as a new member of staff you will be automatically enrolled into the University Superannuation Scheme (USS). No matter how you travel to work, we have you covered. We have ample parking across campus, a cycle to work scheme which helps you to buy a bike and discount with local bus and train companies. You can also take advantage of our cost-effective and environmentally friendly Tusker Car Benefit Scheme, allowing you to lease a brand-new electric or hybrid vehicle with savings on tax and National Insurance. We have a genuine commitment to developing our colleagues professionally and personally. There is a comprehensive range of development courses, apprenticeships and access to qualifications and routes to develop your career in the University. All staff have dedicated annual time to concentrate on their personal development opportunities. We provide wide-ranging health and wellbeing support including discounted membership for our state-of-the-art sport and gym facilities and access to a 24-7 Employee Assistance Programme. Our on-site nursery is rated Outstanding by Ofsted, and you can access holiday camps for children aged 5-16. Our family-friendly policies, including maternity and adoption leave, are among the most generous in the higher education sector (and likely above and beyond many employers). We offer all staff the opportunity to take part in volunteering activities to make a difference in the local community. You can access exclusive discounts via our benefits portal including money off at supermarkets, high street retailers, IT products such as Apple, eating out and days out at various attractions. Various salary sacrifice schemes are also available to help you take advantage of tax savings on benefits. If you are moving to Durham, you may be eligible for help with removal costs, and we have a dedicated team who can help you with the practicalities such as house hunting and schools. If you need a visa, we cover most visa costs and offer an interest-free loan scheme to pay for dependant visas. Discover more about our total rewards and benefits package here. Contact Information Department contact for academic-related enquiries Professor Debbie Riby deborah.riby@durham.ac.uk or Professor Carlene Firmin carlene.firmin@durham.ac.uk Contact information for technical difficulties when submitting your application If you encounter technical difficulties when using the online application form, we prefer you send enquiries by email. Please send your name along with a brief description of the problem you’re experiencing to e.recruitment@durham.ac.uk Alternatively, you may call 0191 334 6801 from the UK, or +44 191 334 6801 from outside the UK. This number operates during the hours of 09.00 and 17.00 Monday to Friday, UK time. We will normally respond within one working day (Monday to Friday, excluding UK public holidays). University contact for general queries about the recruitment process e.recruitment@durham.ac.uk How to Apply To progress to the assessment stage, candidates must evidence each of the essential criteria required for the role in the person specification below. It will be at the discretion of the recruiting panel as to whether they will also consider any desirable criteria, but we would urge candidates to provide evidence for all criteria. While some criteria will be considered at the shortlisting stage, other criteria may be considered later in the assessment process, such as questions at interview. Submitting your application We prefer to receive applications online. We will update you about your application at various points throughout the selection process, via automated emails from our e-recruitment system. Please check your spam/junk folder periodically to make sure you have not missed any of our updates. What to Submit All applicants are asked to submit: A CV A cover letter which details your experience, strengths and potential in the the criteria set out below (maximum two A4 pages). Person Specification Essential Criteria: Qualifications 1. A good first degree in Psychology or related subject (2:1 or higher). 2. A PhD (or be close to submission) in Psychology or a related subject, or equivalent demonstrable practitioner experience which may inlclude appropriate certification and / or membership of a relevant professional body. Experience 3. Experience of participating in internal or external networks to share and discuss good practice and develop strong and productive working relationships. 4. Evidence of high-quality outputs in the field of Psychology or a related subject. 5. Experience, skills and / or achievements that demonstrate the ability to deliver high quality, effective and engaging dissemination outputs, including teaching and training resources. Skills 6. Experience of working with neurodivergent individuals for the purposes of research. 7. Experience of mixed methods research involving qualitative and quantitative methodologies. 8. An interest in Contextual Safeguarding, extra-familial harm and / or Risk Outside the Home. 9. The ability to foster a respectful working and learning environment and a commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion. 10. Excellent oral and written communication skills with the ability to engage with a range of colleagues, practitioners and policymakers across a variety of forums. 11. Experience, skills and / or achievements that demonstrate experience of or the potential to participate in the collegial / administrative activities of an academic Department, Faculty or University. Desirable Criteria Experience Evidence of work undertaken in keeping up to date with developments in the subject area, such as : • active membership and engagement with a professional body; • demonstrable innovation in educational practice; • publication in scholarly journal or relevant publication; • attending and presenting internal and / or external seminars or at a regional conference; and / or • relevant materials / curriculum development for wider use in a department. Next Steps Short-listed candidates will be invited to the University, either virtually or in-person and will have the opportunity to meet key members of the Department. The assessment for the post will normally include a presentation followed by an interview and we anticipate that the assessments and interviews will take place over two days in or around Friday 5th June 2026. In the event that you are unable to attend in person on the date offered, it may not be possible to offer you an interview on an alternative date. Please note that in submitting your application Durham University will be processing your data. We would ask you to consider the relevant University Privacy Statement Job Applicants/Potential Job Applicants - Durham University which provides information on the collation, storing and use of data.

Responsibilities

The research fellow will conduct interdisciplinary research bridging contextual safeguarding and neurodiversity, contributing to the GCCS and the Centre for Neurodiversity & Development. Responsibilities include publishing high-quality research, pursuing funding opportunities, and engaging in departmental citizenship and student supervision.