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.
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
