Assistant Scientist

Job Description

Classification Title: Assistant Scientist

Classification Minimum Requirements: Doctorate from an accredited institution in psychology, cognitive neuroscience, or a closely related health‑sciences discipline. Candidates with experience in multiple of these areas will be prioritized.

Job Description:
The Department of Psychology in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences invites applications for a full-time, twelve-month Assistant Scientist position. This is a non-tenure-accruing faculty appointment.

Duties Include:

1. Research Design and Implementation

• Designing Research Studies: Develop detailed research protocols and experimental designs focused on perception, attention, and emotion. Ensure that methodologies are scientifically rigorous and appropriate for the research questions and include detailed recruitment, analytic & results dissemination plans.
• Conducting Research: Carry out experiments, surveys, and assessments according to protocols. This includes conducting assessments, training staff, and ensuring the collection of high-quality data.
• Managing Data: Support the development and maintenance of databases for research data and/or the development and integration of data collection tools. Ensure data is stored securely and is accessible for analysis.
• Collecting and Analyzing Data: Oversee the collection of research data, ensuring accuracy and reliability.
• Reporting Results: Prepare visualizations, summary reports, journal publications and presentations to communicate findings effectively. Share results with the research team and external stakeholders to advance the field.
• Conducting Systematic Literature Reviews: Regularly review recent literature related to perception, attention, and emotion. Summarize and synthesize findings to inform ongoing and future research projects.
• Integrating New Knowledge: Apply insights from recent research to refine hypotheses, adapt methodologies, and enhance the relevance of research projects. Stay informed about emerging trends and technological advancements.

2. Outreach and Networking

• Community Engagement: Participate in the development and implementation of community outreach activities, e.g., public lectures, to promote research and foster public understanding of health-related topics.
• Professional Networking & Stakeholder Engagement: Help organize and/or attend professional meetings, networking and stakeholder events to build relationships with research stakeholders including academic, industry, clinical, and community partners to facilitate research and integrate research into day-to-day settings.
• Team Collaboration: Work collaboratively with interdisciplinary teams. Participate in regular team meetings to discuss progress, challenges, and strategies.
• Scientific Communication: Prepare and deliver presentations of research findings at conferences, workshops, and meetings. Contribute to writing and revising peer-reviewed publications and peer reviewing manuscripts for the journal in the research community.
• Provide Service to the University and Profession: participate in department, university, and professional organizations at the local, national, international level.

3. Grant Writing and Funding

• Develop Proposals: Draft and collaborate with team members to develop comprehensive and competitive grant proposals for a wide variety of funders, including government, industry and non-profit organizations.
• Obtain Funding: Identify potential funding sources and opportunities. Contribute to the development of project budgets and funding requests.

4. Special Projects

• Assisting in Projects: Contribute to special projects or initiatives that arise within the department, which may include administrative or operational tasks outside of primary research responsibilities.

5. Training and Supervision

• Mentoring: Provide guidance and support to junior researchers, students, interns, and lab assistants. Train new team members and learners in areas of expertise and/or on research protocols and techniques.
• Supervising: Oversee day-to-day activities of support staff and graduate/undergraduate students involved in research projects, ensuring tasks are completed effectively on time and in budget.

6. Ethical and Regulatory Compliance

• Monitoring Compliance: Participate in developing and executing compliance monitoring plans. Provide oversight to ensure that all research activities adhere to institutional, ethical, and regulatory guidelines. Obtain necessary approvals from ethics review boards and regulatory bodies.
• Ensuring Participant Confidentiality: Maintain confidentiality and privacy of research participants. Follow protocols for data security and ethical handling of sensitive information.

The Psychology Department offers doctoral programs in behavioral and cognitive neuroscience, behavior analysis, counseling psychology, developmental psychology, and social psychology. We currently have 44 full-time faculty, ~ 100 PhD students, and > 2,000 undergraduate majors.

About the University of Florida

A member of the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU), the University of Florida is the state's oldest and most comprehensive land-, sea-, and space-grant university, with an enrollment of over 50,000 students. For 2026, the University of Florida was ranked the seventh-best public university in the United States by U.S. News & World Report, with exceptional research, teaching, and a university-wide commitment to open intellectual discourse.

UF is located in Gainesville, a city of approximately 150,000 residents in North-Central Florida, 50 miles from the Gulf of Mexico, and 67 miles from the Atlantic Ocean, and within a 2-hour drive to large metropolitan areas (Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville). The beautiful climate and extensive nearby parks and recreational areas afford year-round outdoor activities, including hiking, biking, and nature photography. UF's large college sports programs, museums, and performing arts center support a range of activities and cultural events for residents to enjoy. Alachua County schools are highly rated and offer a variety of programs, including magnet schools and an International Baccalaureate program. Learn more about what Gainesville has to offer at visitgainesville.

The Department of Psychology is committed to promoting an environment that welcomes all abilities, classes, ethnicities/races, religions, gender identities and expressions, etc. We particularly welcome applicants who can contribute to such an environment through their scholarship, teaching, mentoring, and professional service.

Expected Salary:

The salary is competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience, and the compensation includes a full benefits package.

Benefits:

This faculty position is eligible for a comprehensive benefits package that includes state medical, dental, and vision plans; life and disability coverage; multiple retirement options; and paid time away and university holidays. Learn more about UF faculty benefits here.

Required Qualifications:

• Minimum of 2 years of research experience as a postdoctoral researcher.
• Publications in high‑quality, peer‑reviewed journals, as first author.
• Experience in university teaching, mentoring, and supervising graduate and undergraduate students.
• Demonstrated success in writing grant proposals.
• Record of refereed peer-reviewed publications and presentations.
• Experience of delivering presentations at academic conferences.
• Advanced proficiency in designing, conducting, and analyzing neuroimaging data (e.g., EEG, ERPs, fMRI), programming skills in Python and/or MATLAB, and applied experience using machine‑learning techniques (e.g., pattern‑recognition algorithms) for neuro‑signal processing.

Special Instructions to Applicants:

For full consideration, applications must be submitted online.

A complete application includes:

• Cover letter
• Curriculum vitae
• Research Statement
• Statement of teaching experience, interests, and philosophy
• Three letters of recommendation.

Please provide the names and email addresses of three references and the application system will automatically request letters at the time of application submission.

Review of applications will begin on October 30th, 2026, and will continue until the position is filled. Questions about the position may be directed to search committee chair Andreas Keil (akeil@ufl.edu). Only complete applications will be reviewed at this time. Applications received after this date may be considered at the discretion of the committee and/or hiring authority.

All candidates for employment are subject to a pre-employment screening, which includes a review of criminal records, reference checks, and verification of education.

The selected candidate will be required to provide an official transcript to the hiring department upon hire. A transcript will not be considered "official" if a designation of "Issued to Student" is visible. Degrees earned from an educational institution outside of the United States require evaluation by a professional credentialing service provider approved by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES), which can be found at http://www.naces.org/.

This is a time-limited position.

Health Assessment Required:
No

Applications Close: 30 October 2026

To apply, visit https://explore.jobs.ufl.edu/en-us/job/541713

Our Commitment:
The University of Florida is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.

Hiring is contingent on eligibility to work in the U.S. The University of Florida is a public institution and is subject to all requirements under Florida Sunshine and Public Record laws. If an accommodation due to a disability is needed to apply for this position, please call 352-392- 2477 or the Florida Relay System at 800-955-8771 (TDD) or visit Accessibility at UF.