Research Assistant- 0.4FTE at UCL

UCL; Greater London; On-site; GBP 36,000 - 43,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

41 Days holiday

Relocation scheme

On-site nursery

On-site gym

CARE pension

Cycle to work

Season ticket loan

Immigration loan

Staff Support Service

Medical insurance discount

Job summary

UCL invites applications for Research Assistant- 0.4FTE in London to support the STERN project. The role focuses on developing questionnaires, selecting samples, and recruiting schools for data collection across England. This is a part-time, on-site position within the School of Education.

The candidate should hold a master’s degree in a relevant social science and have experience with quantitative methods; proficiency in R is essential. Closing date is 2 November 2026.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in a relevant social science discipline (sociology, social psychology, education, behavioural science, or related field) or equivalent research experience.
• Experience in quantitative research methods and an interest in social inequalities, social networks, or stereotypes.
• Experience with statistical software and willingness to develop proficiency in R.

Responsibilities

• Support development of the questionnaire for the STERN project.
• Assist with sample selection and recruitment of participating schools.
• Support data collection and data management activities.
• Contribute to potential own research projects using project data.

Skills

Quantitative methods

R programming

Social inequalities

Education

Master's degree

Tools

R

Job description

Apply for Research Assistant- 0.4FTE at UCL in London, ENG, GB. This Full time on site position offers great opportunities for career growth. Ref Number B16-02280 Professional Expertise Research and Research Support Department School of Education (B16) Location London Working Pattern Part time Salary £36,433-£42,891 Contract Type Fixed-term Working Type Hybrid Available for Secondment No Closing Date 02-Nov-2026

About us

Founded in 1902, UCL Institute of Education has been shaping policy and helping government, organisations and individuals navigate a changing society for the last 120 years. We embrace collaboration and excellence to create a future that is inclusive and just and have been ranked number one for education every year since 2014 in the QS World University Rankings by Subject. The Social Research Institute is one of the leading centres for social research in the UK. It is home to seven internationally renowned research units: Centre for Longitudinal Studies Centre for Time Use Research CLOSER EPPI Centre Quantitative Social Science Social Science Research Unit Thomas Coram Research Unit All of our centres are multidisciplinary, with staff drawn variously from economics, sociology, social policy, demography, psychology, anthropology and social statistics. We promote problem-solving interdisciplinary research on particular themes where we have outstanding scholarship and critical mass, e.g. gender, families, work, inequalities, migration, bio-social interactions.

About the role

We are looking for research assistants to work on the project “Applied stereotypes, social networks, and self-fulfilling prophecies: How stereotypes reinforce social inequalities” (STERN). STERN is a five-year research project, now starting its second year, funded by the European Research Council and led by Zsófia Boda. The team also includes a postdoctoral researcher and two PhD students. We are a multidisciplinary team, with backgrounds ranging from sociology to education to psychology. The team aims to develop a measurement of applied stereotypes – the way people apply the stereotypes they hold to others – and collect empirical data in secondary schools in England. The project will analyse how applied stereotypes of peers emerge, and how they affect educational outcomes and well-being of pupils. We are looking for two or three research assistants to support the preparation for, and implementation of, data collection planned for autumn 2027. Each position will be between 0.2 and 0.4 FTE (equivalent of one to two days per week), depending on the availability of the successful applicants. In this post you will work closely with other team members on a range of tasks, based on the needs of the project and, where possible, your individual interests and expertise. You will support the development of the questionnaire, including potentially developing new measures; the selection of the sample; recruitment of participating schools; and data collection. Research assistants who are interested in developing their own research are also welcome to participate in the academic activities of the research group, and they may they have the opportunity to conduct their own research projects using the project data.

About you

You will have a master’s degree in a relevant social science discipline (sociology, social psychology, education, behavioural science, or related field), or equivalent research experience. You will also have experience in quantitative research methods and an interest in social inequalities, social networks, or stereotypes. Experience using statistical software for quantitative data analysis, with a willingness to develop proficiency in R, is essential. Your application form should address all Person Specification points and clearly demonstrate how your skills and experience meet each of the criteria. It is important that the criteria are clearly numbered and that you provide a response to each one. This opportunity is offered until 30th September 2027 in the first instance. For further information contact Zsófia Boda: [e-mail]

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 (pro rata for part time staff)
• Additional 5 days’ annual leave purchase scheme (pro-rata for part-time staff)
• 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 assistance 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. Our faculty holds an Athena SWAN Silver award, in recognition of our commitment to advancing gender equality.