Research Associate

Newcastle University; Newcastle upon Tyne; On-site; GBP 37,000 - 39,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Excellent benefits

Generous holiday allowance

Pension scheme

Health & wellbeing initiatives

Job summary

Newcastle University invites applications for a full-time Research Associate to join the Intercultural Extended Reality (XR) research and project coordination team. The role spans 60% research and 40% administration, supporting longitudinal mixed-method data collection and cross-site procedures within the LIL-ECHOES project.

You will work with multiple schools to integrate linguistics, computing, heritage and AI elements, contributing to ethical data management and international collaboration

Qualifications

• Practical experience with interdisciplinary research methods.
• Strong coordination and organisational skills for complex projects.
• Experience with longitudinal, mixed-method data collection.

Responsibilities

• Collect, analyse and interpret research data and draw conclusions on outcomes.
• Coordinate own work with others and manage competing priorities.
• Lead participant-facing impact activities and coordinate consortium data.
• Design, pilot and maintain harmonised data-collection instruments.
• Ensure ethics approvals and GDPR compliance; manage data securely.
• Contribute to dissemination through reports and publications.

Skills

Interdisciplinary research

Project coordination

Data collection design

Data governance

Research communication

Education

PhD in related field

Job description

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Salary: £36,636.00 to £38,784.00 per annum

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits . We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Closing Date: 20 September 2026

The Role

We are excited to offer a full-time Research Associate position in Intercultural Extended Reality (XR) Research and Project Coordination to join the Newcastle University team leading the LIL-ECHOES (Living Cultural Labs: Empowering Communities through Intercultural Encounters in Virtual Worlds) project. https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101287666

You will be based at Newcastle University in an interdisciplinary team spanning the School of Education, Communication and Language Sciences, the School of Computing (including Open Lab), and the School of Arts and Cultures. You will work closely with Dr Müge Satar, Dr Ahmed Kharrufa and Prof Areti Galani, and with colleagues specialising in applied linguistics (including digital, multimodal and intercultural communication), artificial intelligence, immersive technologies, digital heritage and museums, and community engagement. The role offers a distinctive opportunity to develop an interdisciplinary research profile while contributing to the coordination of a major international project.

Funded by Horizon Europe, LIL-ECHOES is a 48-month Research and Innovation Action involving a 16-partner consortium across eight countries. The project will establish Living Cultural Labs in public cultural spaces in Germany, Greece, Italy and the UK to investigate how Extended Reality (XR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are changing cultural life, language and communication, wellbeing, identity, heritage and social cohesion practices. Working with universities, museums, libraries, community organisations, public authorities, creative industries and technology partners, the project will generate new research evidence, inclusive XR and AI tools, design principles, open research resources and policy recommendations for ethical and culturally sustainable virtual worlds. More information can be found here: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101287666

You will support and lead Newcastle University’s principal data-collection and impact activities, including the design and delivery of longitudinal mixed-method research, participant recruitment and retention, cross-site research procedures and quality assurance, multimodal data management and analysis, and evidence of research and societal impact. You will also support the coordination of meetings and partner communications, maintenance of project records, support the project website and events, help to monitor milestones, deliverables and risks, and support preparation of information for technical, financial, ethics and data-management reporting.

The Research Associate will provide both interdisciplinary research support and leadership and the principal day-to-day administrative support for Newcastle University as project coordinator. The intended allocation is approximately 60% research and impact activity (three days per week) and 40% project coordination and administration (two days per week), flexed as necessary to meet fieldwork, event and reporting requirements. The postholder will take the operational lead for the main research data collection and impact activities assigned to UNEW, while working within the governance and task leadership arrangements of the wider consortium.

Dr Müge Satar will supervise the project-administration duties and the applied linguistics and impact research. Dr Ahmed Kharrufa will supervise computing and Human-Computer Interaction activities, and Dr Areti Galani will supervise heritage-related research. You will work with the wider Newcastle University team, research software engineers, European academic partners, Living Cultural Lab venues and community participants to integrate these strands across the project.

We are particularly keen to hear from collaborative and highly organised researchers with advanced expertise in at least one of applied linguistics, computing/Human-Computer Interaction or heritage studies, and sufficient subject-level knowledge to work confidently across all three. You should have experience of mixed-method, longitudinal and/or multimodal human-participant research; ethical and GDPR-compliant data management; community or cultural-sector engagement; impact evaluation; and the coordination of complex collaborative work. Experience of XR/VR, AI-mediated interaction, participatory design, multilingual data, museums, libraries or European-funded projects would be advantageous. Direct software development skills is not essential, although experience of working with technical teams or relevant research tools would be welcome.

Duration:

Full-time, fixed term, expected start date from October 2026 to 31 August 2030

Location and travel:

Based at Newcastle University, with regular work at UK partner cultural venues (Great North Museum: Hancock and Newcastle City Library) and occasional travel within the UK and Europe. Some fieldwork, public engagement or project events may take place outside standard office hours.

Flexible working:

We are committed to supporting flexible working where possible and welcome conversations about arrangements that can be accommodated within the requirements of the project

We follow the Researcher Development Concordat and enable colleagues to fulfil their research potential regardless of career stage. This commitment supports a thriving research culture and vibrant research environment. Our offer to each individual includes mentoring, annual research-planning discussions, pooled research funding to support career development and research activities, and peer-review support for the development of research and innovation funding applications. The interdisciplinary nature of this post will also provide opportunities to develop expertise in cross-sector partnership working, research leadership, impact evaluation, international project coordination and responsible research involving XR and AI.

Support

As a European Commission funded role, the successful applicant is eligible for the Endorsed Funder Route of the Global Talent Visa.The successful applicant would be eligible to reclaim the cost of their Global Talent Visa application under our visa Reimbursement Policy and we also have an Interest Free Loan Scheme to support with Health Surcharge costs.

Reporting line and who to contact

You will report to Dr Müge Satar, with subject supervision from Dr Ahmed Kharrufa and Prof. Areti Galani. For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Dr Müge Satar at [e-mail]. We are committed to making the recruitment process accessible and can provide reasonable adjustments and additional support to meet individual needs.

Appointment to this role is subject to a satisfactory DBS check.

As part of our commitment to career development for research colleagues, the University has developed 3 levels ofResearch Innovation Role Profiles.pdf . These profiles set out firstly the generic competencies and responsibilities expected of role holders at each level and, secondly, the general qualifications and experiences needed for entry at a particular level.

Newcastle University is committed to the responsible use of research metrics as part of our research culture and research strategy. We advocate for the transparent, appropriate, and inclusive use of metrics, guided by expert judgment, to support high-quality, impactful research that is open, collaborative and sustainable. Clickhere for our full policy statement on the Responsible use of Research Metrics. Clickhere for a self-study e-learning module on the Responsible Use of Research Metrics.

Duration of post is Fixed term to 31 August 2030

Key Accountabilities

Support the PI with day-to-day project coordination and administrative support for the consortium. (approximately 40% of the role):

Support scientific, technical, contractual and financial monitoring

Support for the design, piloting and maintenance of harmonised longitudinal mixed-method and multimodal data-collection instruments and procedures

help coordinate UNEW fieldwork; and support quality assurance activities to ensure consistent, ethical and comparable data collection across Living Cultural Labs

Lead participant-facing impact activity in UK Living Cultural Labs

Support for the management, analysis and communication of interdisciplinary research and impact data in accordance with ethics approvals, GDPR and the project Data Management Plan

Research Associate

Collect, analyse and interpret research data and draw conclusions on the outcomes

Co-ordinate own work with that of others, use problem solving to affect the achievement of research objectives and contribute to the planning of the project(s)

Present information on research progress and outcomes to a Principal Investigator or groups overseeing the research project

Write up results from own research activity and provide input into the research project’s dissemination, in whatever form (report, papers, chapters, books)

Use research resources (including, where required, laboratories, workshops and specialist equipment) as appropriate

Contribute ideas, including enhancements to the technical or methodological aspects of the project

Determine appropriate methodologies for research

Assess research findings for the need/scope for further investigations

Contribute to the writing up of the research and its dissemination, either through seminar and conference presentations or through publications

Present research findings, either at conferences or through publications in reputable outlets appropriate to the discipline

Contribute to grant applications submitted by others and develop own research objectives and proposals for funding

The Person

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Knowledge of advanced research expertise in at least one of applied linguistics, computing/Human-Computer Interaction or heritage studies, together with sufficient subject-level knowledge to collaborate effectively across the other two areas

Methodological agility and experience of interdisciplinary data collection: This should include experience of several of the following: observation (including on digital platforms), interviews, focus groups, questionnaires and validated scales, digital diaries, (multimodal) interaction analysis, audiovisual data and participant-generated materials

Ability to support complex project coordination and administration including to monitor multiple deadlines and competing priorities, identify emerging risks and escalation appropriately

Attention to detail and ability to work at high levels of accuracy

Ability to present complex information effectively to a range of audiences

Proven ability to analyse data and write-up results

Experience of working collaboratively with colleagues

The ability to use personal initiative and creativity to solve research problems

Awareness of the research environment

High levelof analytical andproblem solvingcapacity

Ability to communicate complex information with clarity

Experience of presentations at conferences and/or inhigh qualitypublications

Experience of participatory research and impact work in XR/VR, human–AI dialogue, online intercultural exchange, co-designor usability testing, ideally with cultural or heritage organisations, migrants, olderpopulationsor groups facing barriers to cultural or digital participation

Experience of Horizon Europe, other European Commission programmes, or similarly complex multi-partner funded projects

Attributes and Behaviour

• Commitment to working positively as a member of a multi-skilled research team

Ability to negotiate and prioritise multiple, competing responsibilities and to work to deadlines

Commitment to continued professional development

Understanding of good practice in equality, inclusion and diversity

Qualifications

• A PhD in applied linguistics, intercultural communication, Human-Computer Interaction, computing, digital humanities, heritage or museum studies, or another closely related interdisciplinary field

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.

We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society. We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent. We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.

At Newcastle University we hold a GoldAthena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality. We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC. We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.

In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe.