Research Associate (Fixed Term)

University of Cambridge

Department of Psychology, Central Cambridge

Location: Cambridge

Salary: 37,694 to 46,049 per annum

Hours: Full Time

Contract Type: Fixed-Term/Contract

Placed On: 25th September 2026

Closes: 15th October 2026

Job Ref: PJ51174

About the Role

The Centre for Child, Family and Adolescent Research within the Department of Psychology is seeking to appoint an enthusiastic and motivated post-doctoral Research Associate to a new project seeking to better understand the needs of children born prematurely and to develop new pathways of care.

We will be conducting a national survey of parents whose child spent time in neonatal intensive care to understand their experiences and support needs. We will then be working with colleagues in the health service to develop and evaluate improved pathways of support for these families using a mixed methods approach (service metrics, parent and practitioner feedback, qualitative interviewing).

Key Responsibilities

We are looking for someone with a desire to influence practice for children and families through research. The postholder will lead on project set-up and management, recruiting families to take part in the research, and contributing to in-person data collection with families and service providers.

Qualifications and Experience

You will need to have a PhD in a relevant discipline (e.g. developmental psychology, clinical psychology, public health, paediatrics, applied psychology, education), excellent analytical and programming skills (e.g. R, MATLAB, Python), and excellent communication and organisational skills. Previous experience of working with families and/or children with SEN would be an advantage, as is experience in service evaluation, ideally within the NHS.

Working Conditions

This is a full-time position (37 hours per week) and is based at the Centre for Child, Family and Adolescent Research, on the New Museum Site in central Cambridge. Some remote working may be possible.

Application Process

Please ensure that you upload a covering letter and CV in the Upload section of the online application. The covering letter should outline how you match the criteria for the post and why you are applying for this role. If you upload any additional documents which have not been requested, we will not be able to consider these as part of your application.

Please include details of two referees in your covering letter, including email address and phone number, one of which should be your most recent line manager.

Contract Details

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 2 years in the first instance.

To apply online for this vacancy and to view further information about the role, please click the 'Apply' button below.

Contact Information

Informal enquiries are welcomed and should be directed to: Professor Pasco Fearon (email: pf380@cam.ac.uk)

Please quote reference PJ51174 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.