Job Description

Ref Number

B16-01993

Professional Expertise

Research and Research Support

Department

School of Education (B16)

Location

London

Working Pattern

Part time

Salary

43,981-52,586

Contract Type

Fixed-term

Working Type

Hybrid

Available for Secondment

No

Closing Date

04-Jan-2026

About us

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Founded in 1902, UCL Institute of Education has been shaping policy and helping government, organisations and individuals navigate a changing society for the last 120 years. We embrace collaboration and excellence to create a future that is inclusive and just and have been ranked number one for education every year since 2014 in the QS World University Rankings by Subject.



The Department of Education, Practice and Society (EPS) have specialists from a wide variety of disciplines including history, sociology and philosophy who undertake research to support education throughout the life course by contributing to economic, social and political debate as well as development in societies, nationally and internationally. The department pioneers research collaborations with external partners to diversify the contribution that educational research can make academically, professionally and practically for individuals and communities. The work of the department strives to provide solutions to current and emerging pressure points in societies, such as economic change and social injustice, by creating networks and partnerships to support knowledge transfer between education, work and communities.



The Department of EPS has an exciting research portfolio of projects.

About the role

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We are looking for a highly organised Research Assistant who is committed to social justice and has experience of working with issues of equity, computing and higher education to join our friendly project team. You will have an understanding of issues pertaining to equitable STEM participation and strong quantitative skills, specifically with experience in survey design, delivery and analysis (Stata, R, and SPSS).



Improving Women's Retention in Computing Degrees is a 20-month project, led by UCL in partnership with BCS - The Chartered Institute for IT, funded by the Hg Foundation and philanthropist Tony Hill. The project will involve working with university computing departments, staff and students to research the factors shaping students' retention/ non-completion in computing degrees.



The research will use mixed methods research (e.g. surveys to university students, and interviews/discussion groups with staff and students) to identify factors supporting or constraining retention within UK computing degrees. The project will also use participatory methods to translate findings into a co-designed model for implementation within departments to support more equitable and inclusive cultures to support retention. The impact of the model will be assessed through surveys, interviews, and observations.



This post is funded 01 February 2026 to 31 May 2027. If you require further information, contact Louise Archer at l.archer@ucl.ac.uk.

About you

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You'll have a PhD qualification (obtained or close to completion) in a relevant social science and education area using quantitative analysis; an understanding and experience of equity and inclusion issues in relation to STEM/ computing and higher education; and experience of successfully conducting interdisciplinary research including the production of good quality academic outputs



Your application form should address all Person Specification points and clearly demonstrate how your skills and experience meet each of the criteria. It is important that the criteria are clearly numbered and that you provide a response to each one.

What we offer

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As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, we also offer some great benefits some of which are below:

41 Days holiday: 27 days annual leave 8 bank holiday and 6 closure days (pro rata for part time staff) Additional 5 days' annual leave purchase scheme (pro-rata for part-time staff) Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE) Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan Immigration loan Relocation scheme for certain posts On-site nursery On-site gym Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay Employee assistance programme: Staff Support Service Discounted medical insurance

Visit https://www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/reward-and-benefits to find out more.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

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As London's Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world's talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong.

We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL's workforce.



These include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; LGBTQI+ people; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women.



Our faculty holds an Athena SWAN Silver award, in recognition of our commitment to advancing gender equality.