CASUAL ACADEMIC - Research Assistant/Associate

Durham University; North East; Hybrid; GBP 26,000 - 36,000; Part time

Job summary

Durham University invites applications for a Casual Research Assistant/Associate in the School of Education. The role supports a Seedcorn-funded project on Parent-Child Dialogic Book Reading, with recruitment, data handling and stakeholder engagement.

Hybrid working with seven in-person days in Durham between Oct 2026 and July 2027; fixed-term for eight months; salary £31,236 (Grade 6) plus hourly rate £17.16; closing date 22 September 2026.

Qualifications

• A good first degree in Education, Psychology, Linguistics, Childhood Studies, Social Sciences or a related discipline.
• Master's degree or working towards a Master's or PhD in Education, Psychology, Childhood Studies, Linguistics, Social Research, or a related field.
• Complete fluency in spoken and written English.
• Experience in conducting basic academic research or providing research assistance.
• Experience working with parents, schools and other education stakeholders.
• Experience with participant recruitment, community outreach or stakeholder engagement.
• Ability to travel across County Durham and surrounding areas.
• Ability to work independently, manage tasks effectively and meet deadlines.
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy.
• Experience of preparing academic papers.
• Experience using Microsoft Office applications.

Responsibilities

• Support the recruitment of participating families at the beginning of the study.
• Visit local schools, nurseries, family hubs and other community settings across County Durham to promote the study and support recruitment.
• Develop and maintain relationships with partner organisations, including early years settings and family support services.
• Maintain regular communication with participants throughout data collection.
• Assist with scheduling and coordination of research activities.
• Monitor participant engagement and maintain accurate records under data protection requirements.
• Support organisation and management of project documentation and study materials.
• Assist with data entry, data management, and preparation of research records.
• Provide general administrative support to the Principal Investigator to facilitate successful delivery of the project.
• Attend project meetings and contribute to project-related tasks.

Skills

Fluent English

Research assistance experience

Communication skills

Organisational skills

Independent working

Attention to detail

Report writing

Teamwork

Education

First degree in Education/ Psychology/ Linguistics/ Childhood Studies/ Social Sciences or related

Master's degree or working towards Master's/ PhD

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

We welcome applications from candidates with disabilities, neurodiversity and long-term health conditions, and we are committed to ensuring fair treatment throughout the recruitment process.

We will make adjustments to support the recruitment and interview process wherever it is reasonable to do so and, where successful, adjustments will be made to support people within their role.

If you are unable to complete your application via our recruitment system or would like to discuss any reasonable adjustments to support you in the application process, please get in touch with us on [e-mail]

Job Description - CASUAL ACADEMIC - Research Assistant/Associate (26001144)

Job Description

CASUAL ACADEMIC - Research Assistant/Associate 26001144

School of Education

Casual/Atypical (Fees) - Atypical

Typical/Contracted Hours : 150

Closing Date

Closing Date: 22-Sep-2026, 10:59:00 PM

Job Title: Casual Research Assistant for Parent-Child Dialogic Book Reading Programme
Department: School of Education
Grade:Grade 6
Salary: £31,236, hourly rate £17.16
Working arrangements:Up to 150 hours (equivalent to approximately 21 working days) between October 2026 and June 2027

Location: Hybrid working, with a minimum of 7 working days undertaken in person in Durham
Closing date: 22 September 2026
Potential interview date: 8/9 Oct2026 (online interview)

The University

At Durham University we are proud of our people. A globally outstanding centre of educational excellence, a collegiate community of extraordinary people, a unique and historic setting – Durham is a university like no other. We believe that inspiring our people to do outstanding things at Durham enables Durham people to do outstanding things professionally and personally.
Across the University we have a huge variety of roles and career opportunities, which together make us a large and successful community, which is a key hub of activity within our region and nationally. We would be thrilled if you would consider joining our thriving University. Further information about the University can be found here

The Role and Department

About the Project

This Grant Seedcorn-funded project aims to develop and evaluate a Parent-Child Dialogic Book Reading programme designed to support young children's language and literacy development through shared reading interactions between parents and children.

About the Role

We are seeking a reliable and enthusiastic Research Assistant to provide research and administrative support throughout the project between November 2026 and July 2027. The successful candidate will play a key role in supporting participant recruitment, maintaining communication with participating families, and assisting with the smooth delivery of the study. The role will operate under a hybrid working arrangement, with specific working patterns to be agreed with the line manager. Successful applicants should note that a minimum of seven working days must be undertaken in person in Durham during the contract period.

The successful applicant will be working directly with Dr Xiaofei Qi, the Principal Investigator (PI) for the research project.

Key Responsibilities

• Support the recruitment of participating families at the beginning of the study.
• Visit local schools, nurseries, family hubs and other community settings across County Durham and surrounding areas to promote the study and support participant recruitment.
• Develop and maintain positive relationships with partner organisations, including early years settings and family support services.
• Maintain regular communication with participants throughout the data collection period, responding to queries and providing study updates as appropriate.
• Assist with the scheduling and coordination of research activities.
• Monitor participant engagement and maintain accurate participant records in accordance with data protection requirements.
• Support the organisation and management of project documentation and study materials.
• Assist with data entry, data management, and preparation of research records where required.
• Provide general administrative support to the Principal Investigator to facilitate the successful delivery of the project.
• Attend project meetings and contribute to project-related tasks as appropriate.

This post is fixed term for [8 months as the role is funded through a time-limited Seedcorn Grant and is required solely for the duration of the Parent-Child Dialogic Book Reading project, ending in July 2027]

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.

The successful applicant will be subject to an Enhanced DBS check, as the role involves working with children in educational and community settings, including visits to schools, nurseries and family hubs, and may involve one-to-one contact with child participants.

In addition to the DBS, the University will also require satisfactory evidence of the successful applicant's right to live and work in the UK prior to appointment.

This role is not eligible for visa sponsorship under the UK's Skilled Worker route. Applicants must be able to demonstrate their right to work in the UK at the time of application and for the full duration of the appointment.

Successful applicants will, ideally, be in post by [ 1 Nov 2026 ].

Contact Information

Department contact for academic-related enquiries

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 abrief description of the problem you're experiencing to [e-mail]

Alternatively, you may call 0191 334 6801 from the UK, or [phone] 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).

Person Specification

• A good first degree [Education, Psychology, Linguistics, Childhood Studies, Social Sciences or a related discipline.]
• Experience working with parents, schools and other education stakeholders.
• Experience in conducting basic academic research or providing research assistance, including the use of standard research methods.
• Complete fluency in spoken and written English .
• Excellent communication and organisational skills and ability to liaise with a range of stakeholders.
• Ability to travel across County Durham and surrounding areas.
• Demonstrable ability to produce concise and well-written reports for a range of stakeholders.
• Ability to work independently, manage tasks effectively and work to strict deadlines.
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy.
• Demonstrable ability to work cooperatively as part of a team, including participating in research meetings.
• Experience using Microsoft Office applications.

• A Master's degree, or working towards a Master's or PhD degree in Education, Psychology, Childhood Studies, Linguistics, Social Research, or a related field.
• Experience of working with children and families.
• Experience of participant recruitment, community outreach or stakeholder engagement.
• Experience supporting education, literacy, language development or early years projects.
• Experience of research administration and maintaining confidential records.
• Interest in children's language, literacy and family learning.
• Experience of conducting high quality academic research.
• Experience of preparing academic papers

Disclosure and Barring Service Requirement : Please note that the successful applicant will require DBS disclosure. Further info: https://bit.ly/3DP5K8y

We welcome applications from candidates with disabilities, neurodiversity and long-term health conditions, and we are committed to ensuring fair treatment throughout the recruitment process.

We will make adjustments to support the recruitment and interview process wherever it is reasonable to do so and, where successful, adjustments will be made to support people within their role.

If you are unable to complete your application via our recruitment system or would like to discuss any reasonable adjustments to support you in the application process, please get in touch with us on [e-mail]