Research Associate - UEFA Programmes and Project Evaluation

Job reference REQ260174

Date posted 17/03/2026

Application closing date 12/04/2026

Location Loughborough

Package Specialist and Supporting Academic Research grade 6 from £35608

Job description

School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences

Full-time, Fixed-term until 31st March 2030 (subject to funding)

This research project will provide a process and outcome evaluation of UEFA’s Playmakers (PM) and Football in Schools (FIS) Programmes and the Equaliser Project (EP). The former are flagship interventions from UEFA, seeking to provide inclusive opportunities for boys and girls to participate in football, to develop their deeper connections to, and future engagement with, football, as well as to enhance their confidence, life skills, health, and well-being. The Equaliser project is to be launched shortly and will address the access and infrastructure challenges in girls' grassroots football clubs, seeking to make clubs more inclusive and diverse.

This collective evaluation aims to identify the impacts of the PM and FIS programmes and EQ project on participants, as well as highlighting what works well in terms of programme delivery across UEFA’s National Associations to further enhance their impact.

We are seeking a mixed-methods Research Associate to support the collection and collation, analysis and presentation of both large-scale survey data, as well as extensive qualitative data. The successful candidate will work closely with the lead researchers and UEFA. The role requires strong organisational skills; familiarity with quantitative and qualitative research methods; the ability to curate and analyse relevant data; and an interest in either sport, youth sport, women's and girl’s sport, coaching and/or education. Familiarity with working with sport organisations will be advantageous.

Informal enquiries should be directed by email to Professor Paul Downward P.Downward@lboro.ac.uk or Dr Rachel Sandford R.A.Sandford@lboro.ac.uk

For more information on the role please refer to the Job Description and Person Specification.

Closing date: 12 April 2026

Job details

Title Research Associate - UEFA Programmes and Project Evaluation

Employer Loughborough University

Location Loughborough University Loughborough, United Kingdom

Job type Research assistant

Field Sport Science, Social Research, Child and Youth Studies, Educational Technology, Pedagogic Theory