"Research Assistant"

Cardiff University - School of Psychology

Location: Cardiff

Salary: £33,951 to £36,636 per annum, pro-rata (Grade 5).

Hours: Full Time

Contract Type: Fixed-Term/Contract

Placed On: 22nd January 2026

Closes: 19th February 2026

Job Ref: 21220BR

We have an exciting opportunity for a Research Assistant with a degree (or nearing completion) in Psychology (or a related field) to join the Cardiff Babylab on the project funded by a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship awarded to Dr Hana D’Souza. The project focuses on understanding the everyday learning opportunities of infants and toddlers with and without Down syndrome during play.

This project is primarily carried out in participants’ homes using head-mounted cameras and eye-tracking to record the children’s visual and auditory experiences as well as interactions with their caregivers.

The post holder will join a large team and assist with various aspects of research, including: (1) participant recruitment; (2) data collection; (3) data entry and data annotation; (4) project management; and (5) supervision. There will also be opportunities to engage in data analysis and dissemination as appropriate.

This position is full-time, working on campus 35 hours per week, and fixed-term for two years or until 14th May 2028 (whichever is soonest).

For any queries or an informal discussion about this opportunity, please contact Dr Hana D’Souza (dsouzah@cardiff.ac.uk).

This role may occasionally require weekend work, to accommodate the needs of families, for which time off during the week will be received as compensation.

Salary: £33,951 - £36,636 per annum, pro-rata (Grade 5).
Please note that it is not expected that we will appoint above Grade 5, spine point 25 (currently £33,951 per annum, pro-rata).

Research Environment

The successful candidate will be based at the Cardiff Babylab in the Cardiff University Centre for Human Developmental Science (CUCHDS). CUCHDS houses some of the most advanced equipment for child research, including state-of-the-art eye-tracking, functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), and magnetoencephalography with optically pumped magnetometers (OPM-MEG). CUCHDS is part of the School of Psychology. The School is one of the strongest in the UK for world-leading research in psychology, psychiatry, and neuroscience – e.g., it is ranked 6th in the UK for research power (Research Excellence Framework 2021).

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive team and strongly encourage candidates from underrepresented groups to apply.

Closing date: Thursday, 19 February 2026

Cardiff University is committed to supporting and promoting equality and diversity and to creating an inclusive working environment. We believe this can be achieved through attracting, developing, and retaining a diverse range of staff from many different backgrounds. We therefore welcome applicants from all sections of the community regardless of sex, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, trans identity, relationship status, religion or belief, caring responsibilities, or age. In supporting our employees to achieve a balance between their work and their personal lives, we will also consider proposals for flexible working or job share arrangements.

Cardiff University is a signatory to the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), which means that in hiring and promotion decisions we will evaluate applicants on the quality of their research, not publication metrics or the identity of the journal in which the research is published. More information is available at: Responsible research assessment - Research - Cardiff University

Applications may be submitted in Welsh, and an application submitted in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than an application submitted in English.