"Postdoctoral Research Fellow - Early Childhood Development / Brain Health"

• Child Health Research Centre
• Full-time, fixed-term position through until December 2027
• Base salary will be in the range $83,698.91 - $111,431.10 + 17% Superannuation (Academic Level A)
• Based at the Centre for Children’s Health Research next to the Queensland Children’s Hospital, South Brisbane.

About This Opportunity

This is an exciting opportunity for a Postdoctoral Research Fellow to join the Thriving Kids, Active Brains project within the Brain Builders Initiative (BBI). Based in the Brain Health and Early Development Research Group at the Child Health Research Centre, you will contribute to work that strengthens outcomes for children, families, and communities across Queensland.

The Brain Builders Initiative is a partnership between The University of Queensland, the Queensland Kids Partnership, and the Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY). Working closely with government, non‑government, community, and philanthropic partners, BBI aims to translate contemporary evidence on brain development into practical tools, training, and resources that support the diverse workforces engaging with children and families.

In this role, you will collaborate with community, not‑for‑profit, and industry partners to co‑design, develop, implement, and evaluate programs that build workforce capability and embed neuro‑informed practice. This position offers the opportunity to grow your research expertise, strengthen your academic profile, and contribute to meaningful, large‑scale systems change that supports children to thrive.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Co‑design, implement, and evaluate research, training materials, and translational resources in partnership with community, government, and industry stakeholders.
• Produce high‑quality research outputs (traditional and non-traditional) and contribute to collaborative research projects, funding applications, and knowledge‑translation activities.
• Build and maintain strong partnerships across academic, community, and professional networks to support sustainable practice change and positive outcomes for children and families.

This is a research focused position. Further information can be found by viewing UQ’s Criteria for Academic Performance.

About You

• Completion, or near completion, of a PhD in early childhood development, psychology, allied health, early education, applied neuroscience, or a related discipline with a focus on early childhood (birth to five years).
• Demonstrated experience engaging with early childhood development workforces through professional and/or research‑focused roles.
• Experience in, or the demonstrated capacity to undertake, co‑design, implementation, and evaluation of professional training materials, programs, or resources.
• A track record of research productivity, including publications in reputable peer‑reviewed journals, conference presentations, and contributions to securing external research funding.

Appointment to this role is subject to the successful completion of relevant pre-employment checks, which may include verification of the right to work in Australia, qualifications and Blue Card, This may also include checks relating to gender-based violence matters or other integrity and conduct requirements.

You must maintain unrestricted work rights in Australia for the duration of this appointment to apply. Employer sponsored work rights are not available for this appointment.

Want to Apply?

We welcome applications from all individuals and are committed to an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. To be considered, please ensure you upload:

• Resume
• Cover letter
• Responses to the ‘About You’ section

Applications close Wednesday 4th March 2026 at 11.00pm AEST (R-61495).