Research Assistant in Behavioural Economics

Opportunita; Greater London; On-site; GBP 37,000 - 44,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

41 days holiday

Pension scheme

Cycle to work scheme

On-site gym

On-site nursery

Job summary

University College London is seeking a Research Assistant in Behavioural Economics to join the Institute for Global Prosperity (IGP) in London. The role focuses on constructing and validating measures of cognitive load, mental health, and economic inactivity using Understanding Society data, with testing across population groups over time.

You will contribute to the Productivity Research Programme, and write reports, working papers, and journal articles.

Qualifications

• Training in behavioural economics, economics, or behavioural science.
• Knowledge of scarcity and cognitive load research.
• Ability to prepare Understanding Society data and construct measures.

Responsibilities

• Build and validate measures of cognitive load and mental health from survey items.
• Prepare and link administrative/local data to Understanding Society data.
• Construct and validate the Economic Inactivity Index and extended SLI.
• Contribute to reports, working papers, and journal articles.

Skills

Behavioural economics

Economics background

Behavioural science

Data handling

Education

Bachelor's degree in economics/ behavioural science/ related field

Tools

Understanding Society data

Job description

# Research Assistant in Behavioural EconomicsUniversity College London · University London, United KingdomPosted 11 Nov 2026Apply on official website Opens ucl.ac.ukSalary: £37,162-£43,749Application deadline: November 18, 2026 7 days leftSource details may be limited. Not stated by the source: contact email and contract duration.## At a glanceGenerated summaryUniversity College London is seeking a Research Assistant in Behavioural Economics to join the Institute for Global Prosperity (IGP) in London. The successful candidate will focus on constructing and validating measures of cognitive load, mental health, and economic inactivity using Understanding Society data. This role involves testing measure consistency across population groups and contributing to the IGP’s Productivity Research Programme through reports and journal articles. Applicants should have training in behavioural economics, economics, or behavioural science, with specific knowledge of scarcity and cognitive load research. The position offers a salary between £37,162 and £43,749, along with benefits including 41 days of pro-rata holiday, a pension scheme, and access to an on-site gym and nursery.Generated from stored offer content. Always confirm details in the official posting.## DetailsPosition type: Research assistantDepartment: UCL BEAMS (B04)Date posted: November 11, 2026## About this positionOfficial opportunity text, in English · about 4 min read### About usThe Institute for Global Prosperity (IGP) at UCL was founded in October 2014 as part of The Bartlett, UCL’s Faculty of the Built Environment. IGP works towards a prosperous and sustainable global future grounded in fairness and justice. Its research asks what prosperity means to people in different places and develops new ways to measure it, drawing on researchers from across UCL and beyond. IGP works closely with decision-makers, business, civil society, and communities, so that knowledge from outside academia shapes the research.IGP has research partnerships in the UK, Lebanon, Tanzania, Greece, and other countries. Its UK work includes the East London Longitudinal Study of household prosperity and the Citizen Prosperity Index. IGP’s Productivity Research Programme studies what holds back work, earnings, and productivity in the UK.The IGP Data Team, led by the Head of Data, carries out IGP’s quantitative research and builds its measures.### About the roleThe Research Assistant will build the measures on which the project rests. The post holder will prepare the Understanding Society data, with the administrative and local data linked to it, and construct measures of cognitive load and mental health from existing survey items. They will also help construct and validate the Economic Inactivity Index and the extended SLI. These measures and their code are the base for the project’s econometric analysis and for its work with policy partners.The project’s central mechanism is behavioural. Stacked insecurities are thought to wear down people’s capacity to work through cognitive overload, disrupted routines, and time diverted to managing insecurity.The post holder will work within a measurement framework set by the IGP Data Team and test whether the measures behave consistently across population groups and over time. The post holder will also contribute to IGP’s Productivity Research Programme, which draws on the same data, and to the project’s reports, working papers, and journal articles.### About youWe are looking for a researcher trained in behavioural economics or a candidate trained in economics or behavioural science. The right candidate will know the research on scarcity and cognitive load and be able to judge what survey items can and cannot measure.For full details and personal specification please see the attached Job Specification.### What we offerAs well as the exciting opportunities this role presents we also offer some great benefits, some of which are below:- 41 Days holiday - (including 27 days annual leave 8 bank holiday and 6 closure days)- Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE)- Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan- On-Site nursery On-site gym- Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay- Employee assistance programme: Staff Support Service- Discounted medical insurance### Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and InclusionAs London’s Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong.We particularly encourage applications from candidates underrepresented in UCL’s workforce, including those from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds, disabled people, and – for and 10 roles – women.Read more: UCL Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.Applicants should also familiarise themselves with UCL’s policies on: Prevention of Bullying, Harassment and Sexual Misconduct Policy and Personal Relationships Policy.