Junior Research Scientist - Cognition

New York University; Al Ruways Industrial City; On-site; AED 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

New York University Abu Dhabi is seeking a Junior Research Scientist - Cognition in Abu Dhabi to join a 30‑month collaborative project with the National Academy of Childhood Development. The role blends lab work, computational analysis, and field sessions with Emirati communities.

The ideal candidate holds a Bachelor's in psychology or related field; a Master’s is preferred. Emirati nationality is required; experience in psychology, cognition, language or development is desired; strong data and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Neuroscience, Linguistics, Developmental Psychology, Cognitive Science or related field.
• Master’s degree in a relevant field is preferred.
• Emirati nationality is required.
• Previous research experience in psychology, cognition, language, neuroscience or human development.
• Interest in psycholinguistics or language-processing research.
• Computational ability in data processing, statistical analysis or experimental programming.
• Interest or experience in Arabic-language research with local populations.
• Background in developmental psychology is highly desirable.
• Strong organizational, scheduling, documentation and data accuracy skills.

Responsibilities

• Assist design and implementation of interdisciplinary research studies.
• Prepare experimental materials, participant instructions, language stimuli, questionnaires and research protocols.
• Support participant recruitment and scheduling with the National Academy of Childhood Development.
• Conduct research sessions with Emirati participants across groups.
• Explain procedures clearly while following ethics and consent requirements.
• Collect behavioral, linguistic, developmental, and cognitive data using lab and field procedures.
• Organise, clean, code and validate research datasets before analysis.
• Apply computational and statistical methods to examine findings.
• Contribute to Arabic-language research and culturally appropriate materials.
• Maintain records of participant activity, study progress and data quality.
• Coordinate on-site activities among NYU Abu Dhabi, NACD, participants and stakeholders.
• Identify data quality issues and communicate them to the team.
• Assist with literature reviews, research summaries, reports and manuscripts.
• Participate in meetings, training, and project planning.
• Protect confidentiality and comply with ethics, data-security, and safeguarding standards.

Skills

Interdisciplinary research

Cognition research

Psycholinguistics

Data analysis

Experimental design

Participant coordination

Laboratory methods

Research ethics

Documentation

Statistical methods

Scientific writing

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Psychology or related

Master’s degree preferred

Job description

Role Overview

Junior Research Scientist - Cognition – Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesNew York University Abu Dhabi is hiring an Emirati researcher for a 30‑month collaborative research initiative with the National Academy of Childhood Development. The role supports interdisciplinary studies in psychology, neuroscience, linguistics, psycholinguistics, and developmental science, combining laboratory work, participant engagement, computational analysis and on‑site collaboration across NYU Abu Dhabi and NACD facilities.

Key Responsibilities

• Assist with the design and implementation of interdisciplinary research studies.
• Prepare experimental materials, participant instructions, language stimuli, questionnaires and research protocols.
• Support participant recruitment and scheduling in coordination with the National Academy of Childhood Development.
• Conduct research sessions with Emirati children, adults, families and other community participants.
• Explain study procedures clearly and sensitively while following approved ethical and informed‑consent requirements.
• Collect behavioral, linguistic, developmental, and cognitive research data using established laboratory and field procedures.
• Organise, clean, code and validate research datasets before analysis.
• Apply computational and statistical methods to examine experimental findings and participant responses.
• Contribute to Arabic‑language research, including the preparation and evaluation of culturally appropriate linguistic materials.
• Maintain accurate records of participant activity, study progress, data quality and research documentation.
• Coordinate on‑site activities between NYU Abu Dhabi researchers, NACD personnel, participants and project stakeholders.
• Identify operational or data‑quality issues and communicate them promptly to the research team.
• Assist with literature reviews, research summaries, technical reports, presentations and academic manuscripts.
• Participate in laboratory meetings, research discussions, training sessions and collaborative project planning.
• Protect confidential participant information and comply with institutional research ethics, data‑security and safeguarding standards.

Ideal Profile

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Psychology, Neuroscience, Linguistics, Developmental Psychology, Cognitive Science or a related discipline.
• Master’s degree in a relevant field is preferred.
• Emirati nationality is required.
• Previous research experience involving psychology, cognition, language, neuroscience or human development.
• Strong knowledge or demonstrated interest in psycholinguistics or language‑processing research.
• Computational ability in research data processing, statistical analysis or experimental programming.
• Interest or experience in Arabic‑language research and culturally grounded studies involving local populations.
• Background in developmental psychology, child development or developmental neuroscience is highly desirable.
• Confidence interacting professionally with children, adults, families, researchers and institutional representatives.
• Strong organisational skills with close attention to experimental details, scheduling, documentation and data accuracy.
• Ability to work across multiple on‑site research locations in Abu Dhabi.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills with appropriate cultural sensitivity.
• Capacity to work independently while contributing reliably to an interdisciplinary research team.

Skills Set

• Cognitive psychology
• Developmental psychology
• Neuroscience
• Psycholinguistics
• Linguistic research
• Arabic‑language research
• Child development
• Experimental design
• Stimulus preparation
• Participant recruitment and coordination
• Behavioral data collection
• Research ethics and informed consent
• Data cleaning and quality control
• Statistical analysis
• Computational research
• Experimental programming
• Literature review
• Research documentation
• Scientific writing
• Stakeholder coordination
• Cross‑cultural communication
• Data confidentiality
• Quality control

Why Join Us

This 30‑month appointment offers an Emirati researcher the opportunity to build advanced experience in interdisciplinary cognitive and developmental research. The successful candidate will work with specialists from NYU Abu Dhabi and the National Academy of Childhood Development while contributing to studies involving Arabic language, Emirati communities, child development, perception and cognition.

About the Company

New York University Abu Dhabi is an international research university that brings together scholars, students and research professionals across science, engineering, social sciences, arts and humanities. Its Perception and Active Cognition Lab conducts interdisciplinary work on human perception and cognition while supporting collaborative research that responds to the needs and characteristics of communities in Abu Dhabi and the wider UAE.