Research Associate

Find out more about our Research labs: iLab:learn and Open Lab 

Contact for the post is muge.satar@newcastle.ac.uk 

Duration of post is Fixed term to 31 August 2030 

Key Accountabilities

Support the PI with day-to-day project coordination and administrative support for the consortium. (approximately 40% of the role):  

• Support scientific, technical, contractual and financial monitoring

• Support for the design, piloting and maintenance of harmonised longitudinal mixed-method and multimodal data-collection instruments and procedures

• help coordinate UNEW fieldwork; and support quality assurance activities to ensure consistent, ethical and comparable data collection across Living Cultural Labs

• Lead participant-facing impact activity in UK Living Cultural Labs

• Support for the management, analysis and communication of interdisciplinary research and impact data in accordance with ethics approvals, GDPR and the project Data Management Plan

Research Associate 

• Collect, analyse and interpret research data and draw conclusions on the outcomes

• Co-ordinate own work with that of others, use problem solving to affect the achievement of research objectives and contribute to the planning of the project(s)

• Present information on research progress and outcomes to a Principal Investigator or groups overseeing the research project

• Write up results from own research activity and provide input into the research project’s dissemination, in whatever form (report, papers, chapters, books)

• Use research resources (including, where required, laboratories, workshops and specialist equipment) as appropriate

• Contribute ideas, including enhancements to the technical or methodological aspects of the project

• Determine appropriate methodologies for research

• Assess research findings for the need/scope for further investigations

• Contribute to the writing up of the research and its dissemination, either through seminar and conference presentations or through publications

• Present research findings, either at conferences or through publications in reputable outlets appropriate to the discipline

• Contribute to grant applications submitted by others and develop own research objectives and proposals for funding

The Person

Knowledge, Skills and Experience  

• Knowledge of advanced research expertise in at least one of applied linguistics, computing/Human-Computer Interaction or heritage studies, together with sufficient subject-level knowledge to collaborate effectively across the other two areas

• Methodological agility and experience of interdisciplinary data collection: This should include experience of several of the following: observation (including on digital platforms), interviews, focus groups, questionnaires and validated scales, digital diaries, (multimodal) interaction analysis, audiovisual data and participant-generated materials

• Ability to support complex project coordination and administration including to monitor multiple deadlines and competing priorities, identify emerging risks and escalate issues appropriately

• Attention to detail and ability to work at high levels of accuracy  

• Ability to present complex information effectively to a range of audiences 

• Proven ability to analyse data and write-up results 

• Experience of working collaboratively with colleagues 

• The ability to use personal initiative and creativity to solve research problems

• Awareness of the research environment 

• High level of analytical and problem solving capacity 

• Ability to communicate complex information with clarity  

• Experience of presentations at conferences and/or in high quality publications 

Desirable criteria 

• Experience of participatory research and impact work in XR/VR, human–AI dialogue, online intercultural exchange, co-design or usability testing, ideally with cultural or heritage organisations, migrants, older populations or groups facing barriers to cultural or digital participation 

• Experience of Horizon Europe, other European Commission programmes, or similarly complex multi-partner funded projects 

 Attributes and Behaviour 

• Commitment to working positively as a member of a multi-skilled research team  

• Ability to negotiate and prioritise multiple, competing responsibilities and to work to deadlines 

• Commitment to continued professional development 

• Understanding of good practice in equality, inclusion and diversity 

Qualifications

• A PhD in applied linguistics, intercultural communication, Human-Computer Interaction, computing, digital humanities, heritage or museum studies, or another closely related interdisciplinary field