Research Assistant

Durham University - Psychology

The Role

The 12-month fixed-term Research Assistant position is available 2.5 days per week (50% FTE). The successful candidate will join the project "Train the Trainer - Echolocation Habilitation Workforce Training with Guide Dogs UK” led by Professor Lore Thaler and funded by UKRI ESRC grant. The project focuses on training Guide Dog UK's workforce and assessing the effects of this training on the workforce and the effects on their clients. To deliver the project the research team will travel on approximately 12 occasions to various locations in the UK to deliver training workshops. Costs of travel and accommodation will be covered by the project. Otherwise work times and location (including hybrid working) are flexi ble, subject to meeting project goals and deadlines.

The habilitation workforce of Guide Dogs UK is the largest provider of services and support to children with sight loss and their families. This project will deliver training in echolocation to this workforce. There will be remote & initial in-person training to the whole workforce, and follow-up in-person training to develop Subject Matter Experts for continued independent support within the workforce. The project will measure and document effects of training on attendees’ practice and effects on service users.

The successful candidate, supervised by Professor Lore Thaler, will assist with the delivery of training to teach echolocation and echolocation instruction to visual impairment habilitation workers and to people with vision impairments. Planned work includes delivery of in-person and remote training workshops, development of materials to gather feedback data (including online tools), accessibility testing of materials, data gathering, analysis and presentation of results, and engagement with stakeholders via workshops and email.

The candidate will be based in the department of Psychology. The majority of training workshops will take place in-person at various locations in the UK, and there will also be workshops delivered online. The successful applicant does not need to have prior experience with echolocation, but should be willing to acquire relevant practical skills and theoretical knowledge. The successful applicant must have experience of working with diverse groups of people, ideally including people with vision impairments. The successful applicant will be able to create and maintain an excellent rapport with people of various walks of life, and have the ability to contribute to the organization and delivery of events such as workshop s.

The successful applicant will carry out a range of duties, including communicating with stakeholders and relevant organizations, planning workshops and assisting with delivery of workshops, developing materials to gather feedback data (including online tools), gathering feedback data, summarizing and presenting feedback data. Applicants should have an excellent academic record, be reliable and well organised, and the ability to have an excellent rapport with people of various walks of life, ideally including people with vision impairments. An academic qualification (BSc / MSc or equivalent) in psychology or a discipline related to psychology or visual impairment (re) habilitation is essential (current students in the ir final academic year may apply – please provide grades attained so far). Previous experience of working with people and organizing events is also essential. Because the post-holder will work with people with visual impairments, the appointment also depends on a successful DBS (formerly CRB) check.