Research Assistant in Autism

UCL AI Centre; London; Hybrid; GBP 39,000; Full time

Job summary

The UCL AI Centre seeks a research assistant and PhD candidate for an innovative project focused on autism-related mental health. Candidates will engage in rigorous research, collaborate closely with the autistic community, and enjoy a competitive salary alongside numerous benefits, including extensive holidays and professional development opportunities.

Benefits

41 Days holiday (27 days annual leave, 8 bank holiday, and 6 closure days)

Additional 5 days’ annual leave purchase scheme

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

Qualifications

• Strong skills in data management and quantitative research.
• Good communication and presentation skills required.
• PhD candidates must focus on mental health and well-being.

Responsibilities

• Work as a research assistant on a clinical feasibility trial.
• Conduct clinical research assessments with autistic adolescents.
• Run co-production workshops with autistic individuals.

Skills

Data management

Quantitative research

Communication

Presentation skills

Education

PhD in mental health and well-being

Job description

Ref Number B02-08871 Professional Expertise Research and Research Support Department School of Life & Medical Sciences (B02) Location London Working Pattern Full time Salary See advert text Contract Type Fixed-term Working Type Hybrid Available for Secondment No Closing Date 09-Jul-2025

About Us

We are a dynamic and multi-disciplinary research team that is dedicated to improving the mental health and well-being of autistic people. We are highly committed to conducting rigorous, high-quality research alongside the autistic community. We are located in the UCL’s Division of Psychology and Language Sciences (PALS). Psychology at UCL is the top-ranked in Europe in the 2024 Shanghai Ranking of World Universities. This reflects the excellent links between teaching, professional training and research within PALS, the wide range of research expertise, and the excellent opportunities for collaboration and interdisciplinary research provided at UCL.

The successful candidate will report to supervisors Dr Kate Cooper and Professor Will Mandy, as well as the wider study team, including Professor Liz Pellicano at UCL.

About The Role

We are looking to recruit a research assistant and PhD candidate to work on a ground-breaking project, funded by the NIHR, called ‘Co-design and feasibility trial of autism social identity groups for psychological well-being in autistic adolescents’. This project will investigate the feasibility and acceptability of an RCT of social identity-based well-being groups for autistic adolescents aged 11-16 years old. At the heart of this work is close collaboration between researchers and the autistic community, which will shape the project at each stage.

• The starting salary for this role is fixed at Grade 6B, Spinal Point 25 (£38,607, inclusive of London Allowance)
• This role is an open-ended contract, funded for 3 years.
• An Enhanced DBS check is required to carry out this role.
• This role is eligible for hybrid working – to be further discussed in the interview stage.
• This role may meet the eligibility requirements for a skilled worker certificate of sponsorship or a global talent visa under UK Visas and Immigration legislation. Therefore, UCL welcomes applications from international applicants who require a visa. However, please note that whether we can sponsor someone for this role depends on the candidate as the eligibility criteria differs in this case per each candidate.
  
  

This appointment is subject to UCL Terms and Conditions of Service for Research and Professional Services Staff. Please visit https://www.ucl.ac.uk/human-resources/conditions-service-research-teaching-and-professional-services-staff for more information.

About You

The role provides funding for the completion of a PhD, and applicants will be expected to complete a PhD in mental health and well-being in autistic adolescents upon commencement of the role.

Alongside undertaking a PhD, the role requires the candidate to work as a research assistant on a busy clinical feasibility trial. We are looking to recruit a candidate with strong data management and quantitative research skills, with a commitment to co-produced autism and mental health research. The research assistant will need good communication and presentation skills to conduct clinical research assessments with autistic adolescents and run coproduction workshops with autistic individuals.

Further Details

The advert will close on 9th July 2025 at 23:59 GMT. Interviews are scheduled for 22nd July. A job description and person specification can be accessed at the bottom of this page.

If you have any queries about the role, please contact Kate Cooper at [e-mail]. If you need reasonable adjustments or a more accessible format to apply for this job online or have any queries about the application process, please contact PALS HR at [e-mail].

The UCL Ways of Working supports colleagues to be successful and happy at UCL through sharing expectations around how we work – please visit www.ucl.ac.uk/ways-of-working to find out more.

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)
• Additional 5 days’ annual leave purchase scheme
• 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/rewards-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; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women.

Athena Swan Status Statement

• Our department holds an Athena SWAN Silver award, in recognition of our commitment and demonstrable impact in advancing gender equality.
  
  

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

Available documents

Attached documents are available under links. Clicking a document link will initialize its download.

• download: RA in Autism JD.pdf