Research Assistant/Fellow in Textual Data and Bias

UCL; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 43,000 - 53,000; Part time

Job summary

A prestigious university in London is seeking a Research Assistant/Research Fellow to contribute to research in health informatics. This part-time role involves working on text analytics related to public health datasets. Ideal candidates will have a PhD or be near completion, with strong programming skills and knowledge of bias detection in NLP workflows. The position offers flexible working options and an attractive benefits package including generous holiday and wellness programs.

Benefits

41 days of holiday (pro rata)

Cycle to work scheme

Season ticket loan

On-site gym

Employee Assistance Programme

Qualifications

• PhD or near completion in a relevant discipline.
• Postgraduate degree in computer science, informatics, or related field.
• Strong programming skills and experience with machine learning.

Responsibilities

• Conduct research on text analytics and public health datasets.
• Collaborate with team members to improve health outcomes through research.
• Manage own work schedule to meet project deadlines.

Skills

Research design

Textual de-biasing techniques

Programming skills

Machine learning

Organisational skills

Education

PhD in relevant discipline

Postgraduate degree (MSc)

Job description

We’re looking for a Research Assistant/Research Fellow to join our team and help shape the future of health informatics. You’ll play a key role in conducting research on text analytics and knowledge-driven methods, focusing on public health and healthcare datasets.

This is a part-time post, (21.9 hours/week over 3 days). Working pattern is negotiable. Start date is flexible – ideally 1st January 2026 but later is possible. The post is funded until 31 July 2028, with the possibility of extension.

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 £38,607 - £41,255 per annum) with payment at Grade 7 being backdated to the date of final submission of the PhD thesis.

About you

If you believe you meet the requirements, come and be part of this unique and exciting opportunity and contribute to our mission to improve health outcomes through research.

You’ll have:

• A PhD in a relevant discipline (or be near completion)
• A postgraduate degree (MSc or equivalent) in computer science, informatics, or a related discipline (e.g., natural language processing, artificial intelligence, machine learning)
• Knowledge of textual de-biasing techniques and/or bias detection and mitigation in NLP workflows.
• Strong programming skills, with experience in applying machine learning to text
• Excellent organisational and time-management skills

Your application must include a CV and a supporting statement and it will be assessed on how you evidence the essential and desirable criteria in the job description..

That’s why we offer flexible working options, including part-time roles and job-sharing opportunities wherever possible.

When you join UCL, you’ll enjoy:

• 41 days of holiday (pro rata for part-time staff) – that’s 27 days of annual leave, 8 bank holidays, and 6 closure days
• Cycle to work scheme – save money and stay healthy
• Season ticket loan – making your commute more affordable
• On-site gym – fitness made convenient
• Employee Assistance Programme – for confidential wellbeing support when you need it

Learn more about our full range of benefits at: ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/reward-and-benefits

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

The Institute prides itself on operating in an all-inclusive environment irrespective of personal, physical, or social characteristics. 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.

You can read more about our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion here https://www.ucl.ac.uk/equality-diversity-inclusion/

£43,981 to £52,586 pro rata