Assistant Professor (Behavioural Science) - Data Science

Department of Psychology

Grade 7/8: - Grade 7 £35,333 - £42,155 per annum / Grade 8 £43,414 - £51,805 per annum
Open-Ended/Permanent - Full Time
Contracted Hours per Week: 35
Closing Date: 21-Feb-2023, 7:59:00 AM
Disclosure and Barring Service Requirement: Not Applicable.

Working arrangements: The role is full-time, but we will consider requests for flexible working arrangements including potential job shares

Open date: 27th January 2023

Closing date: 20th February 2023

Preferred start date Successful candidates will ideally be in post by 1st September 2023

Assistant Professor in Behavioural Science

Applicants must demonstrate research excellence in the field of behavioural science, with a focus on data science and the ability to teach our students to an exceptional standard and to fully engage in the services, citizenship and values of the University.   We are particularly interested in candidates whose research and teaching applies to social science, behaviour change interventions, behavioural insights, or implementation science. Preference will be given to candidates with teaching experience in linking data, multi-level analyses, and/or big data in the application of behavioural science questions. The ideal candidate will have a background in psychology, decision sciences, behavioural economics, business, social sciences, public health, public policy, or related areas. They will join the active and expanding Quantitative Social Psychology research group in the Department.

The University aims to provides a working and teaching environment that is inclusive and welcoming and where everyone is treated fairly with dignity and respect. Candidates will be expected to demonstrate these key principles as part of the assessment process.

Key responsibilities:  

• To pursue research that is high quality in terms of originality, significance and rigour.  
• To develop clear plans for the pursuit of national and international funding opportunities to support research and end-user engagement;
• To play a role in relevant teaching and research supervision, and contribute to ongoing curriculum development;
• Contribute to enhancing the quality of the research environment in the Department, the wider University and beyond through collaborative research activity;  
• Demonstrate a willingness to contribute to the administrative work, citizenship and values of the Department;  
• To deliver lectures, seminars and tutorials at undergraduate and taught postgraduate levels, as well as engaging in related activity such as assessment;
• To fully engage in and enhance the values of the Department;
• To contribute to attracting and supervising research students, and to enhance the Department’s commitment to its vibrant and inclusive postgraduate culture.  
• Carry out such other duties as specified by the Head of Department.

Person Specification  

Candidates applying for a grade 7 post will have completed or be concluding their PhD and, while they may have limited direct experience of the requirements for the post, they should outline their experience, skills and achievements to date which demonstrate that they meet or that they have the potential to achieve the essential criteria.   

Candidates applying for a grade 8 post should meet all the essential criteria.

Research  

Candidates must have the capacity for and be progressing towards the independent development of internationally excellent research that produces high-quality outcomes, including some work that is recognised as world-class or that has world-class potential.  

Essential Research Criteria – Grade 7

• Qualifications - a good first degree and a PhD in Psychology or a related subject (which for grade 7 candidates must either have passed their PhD viva or submitted their PhD thesis for examination by the closing date for applications
• Outputs - experience, skills and/or achievements which demonstrate experience of or the potential to produce high quality outputs that are recognised as world class or that have world-class potential. Candidates are asked to submit two research papers with their application (as outlined in the How to Apply section below).  Candidates may additionally choose to submit evidence such as external peer review of their outputs
• Personal Research Plan - evidence of a personal research plan which supports and enhances the Department’s research strategy.

Essential Research Criteria – Grade 8

• Qualifications - a good first degree and a PhD in Psychology or a related subject.
• Outputs - evidence of high-quality outputs, some of which is recognised as world-class.  Candidates are asked to submit two research papers with their application (as outlined in the How to Apply section below).  Candidates may additionally choose to submit evidence such as external peer review of their outputs.     
• Personal Research Plan - evidence of a personal research plan which supports and enhances the Department’s research strategy. Research impact - Durham University

Education

Candidates must demonstrate the development and delivery of high-quality teaching that contributes to providing a supportive and enabling learning environment and curricula which encourage students to achieve their potential.

Essential Education Criteria – Grade 7

• Quality - Experience, skills and/or achievements that demonstrates the ability or the potential to deliver high quality effective and engaging teaching. (Candidates may choose to provide student evaluation scores and/or peer reviews of teaching).
• Innovation – experience, skills and/or achievements that demonstrate of the ability or the potential to contribute to new programme development and innovate in the design and delivery of high quality teaching or assessment of learning including lectures, small group learning and/or using technology or other techniques to enhance learning and/or assessment.   
• Strategic - experience, skills and/or achievements that demonstrate of the ability or the potential to engage in the design of excellent teaching programmes which are research informed and led.

Essential Education Criteria – Grade 8

• Quality - evidence of the development and delivery of effective and engaging teaching. (Candidates may choose to provide student evaluation scores and/or peer reviews of teaching).
• Innovation – evidence of contribution to new programme development and innovation in the design and delivery of high quality teaching or assessment of learning including lectures, small group learning and/or using technology or other techniques to enhance learning and/or assessment.
• Strategic - evidence of strategic teaching development - engagement in the design of excellent teaching programmes which are research informed and led.

Service, Citizenship and Values

Active engagement in the administrative and citizenship requirements of the Department. Positive contributions to University values and to fostering a respectful environment as well as demonstrating their commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.

Essential Service, Citizenship and Values criteria – Grade 7

• Citizenship contribution – experience, skills and/or achievements that demonstrate experience of or the potential to participate in the Citizenship /administrative activities of an academic Department, Faculty or University.  (Candidates may choose to evidence departmental or University roles, mentoring activity, pastoral and academic support of students, Carrying out departmental and interdepartmental activities effectively: Being involved in departmental activities, such as open days, employability events, departmental meetings and committees)
• Leadership - experience, skills and/or achievements that demonstrate experience of or the potential to engage in activities that contribute to the administrative functioning of an academic Department, Faculty, University and/or discipline including leadership or responsibilities in an academic context.  (Candidates may choose to detail any leadership roles which they have undertaken, preferably in an academic context).  
• Communication - candidates must have excellent oral and written communication skills with the ability to engage with a range of students and colleagues across a variety of forums. (Effective pastoral support of students the beginnings of an external engagement and knowledge exchange profile)

Essential Services, Citizenship and Values criteria – Grade 8

• Citizenship contribution – evidence of participation in the citizenship/administrative activities of an academic Department, Faculty or University.  (Candidates may choose to evidence departmental or University roles, mentoring activity, pastoral and academic support of students, engagement with widening participation, involvement in equality and diversity initiatives and membership or engagement with external bodies).
• Leadership - engagement in activities that contribute to the administrative functioning of an academic Department, Faculty, University and/or discipline including leadership or responsibilities in an academic context.  (Candidates may choose to detail any leadership roles which they have undertaken, preferably in an academic context).  
• Communication - candidates must have excellent oral and written communication skills with the ability to engage with a range of students and colleagues across a variety of forums.  

Desirable Criteria – Grade 7

The desirable criteria for this post (for which candidates should provide evidence of some if not all criteria) are:

• Qualification - candidates to hold or have the ability to attain the rank of Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/individuals/fellowship/fellow), which is the national body that champions teaching excellence (or Equivalent).  
• Research Leadership - experience, skills and/or achievements that demonstrate experience of or the potential to contribute to the leadership of research groups and the mentoring of early career researchers.  (Candidates may choose to include information about research group leadership, mentoring of research colleagues, invitations to external events, engagement with international networks or projects).
• PhD Supervision – experience, skills and/or achievements that demonstrate experience of or the potential to provide excellent supervision for PhD students.   
• Research Impact - experience, skills and/or achievements that demonstrate experience of or the potential to evidence research impact beyond their institution.    
• Income Generation - experience, skills and/or achievements that demonstrate experience of or the potential to develop successful research projects and quality research grant proposals.  

Desirable Criteria – Grade 8

The desirable criteria for this post (for which candidates should provide evidence of some if not all criteria) are:

• Qualification - candidates to hold or have the ability to attain the rank of Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/individuals/fellowship/fellow), which is the national body that champions teaching excellence (or Equivalent).  
• Research Leadership - contribution to the leadership of research groups and the mentoring of early career researchers.  (Candidates may choose to include information about research group leadership, mentoring of research colleagues, invitations to external events, engagement with international networks or projects).
• PhD Supervision – involvement in the provision of excellent supervision for PhD students.   
• Research Impact - demonstrable evidence of the impact of the Candidate’s research beyond their institution.    
• Income Generation - evidence of engagement in the development of successful research projects and quality research grant proposals.  

Contact Information

Department contact for academic-related enquiries

Professor Lynda Boothroyd l.g.boothroyd@durham.ac.uk

Contact information for technical difficulties when submitting your application

If you encounter technical difficulties when using the online application form, we prefer you send enquiries by email.  Please send your name along with a brief description of the problem you’re experiencing to e.recruitment@durham.ac.uk

Alternatively, you may call 0191 334 6801 from the UK, or +44 191 334 6801 from outside the UK. This number operates during the hours of 09.00 and 17.00 Monday to Friday, UK time.  We will normally respond within one working day (Monday to Friday, excluding UK public holidays). 

How to Apply  

We prefer to receive applications online.

Please note that in submitting your application, we will be processing your data. We would ask you to consider the relevant University Privacy Statement https://www.dur.ac.uk/ig/dp/privacy/pnjobapplicants/ which provides information on the collation, storing and use of data.

If you are unable to complete your application via our recruitment system, please get in touch with us on e.recruitment@durham.ac.uk.  

What to Submit

All applicants are asked to submit:

• A CV  
• A covering letter which details your experience, strengths and potential in the requirements set out above;
• Personal research plan.
• Two  of your most significant pieces of written work.  Where possible your written work should have been published or submitted since 2018, however work prior to 2018 may be submitted where candidates have had career breaks.
• An EDI & values statement – (of no more than 500 words) which outlines work which you have been involved in which demonstrates your commitment to EDI and our values. I.e. Involvement in quality, diversity, and inclusion activities such as mentoring, volunteering, or attending conferences

Where possible we request that you provide accessible web links to your publications, which the hiring Department will use to access your work.  The application form contains fields in which to enter each of the web links. Please note we are unable to access publications behind a paywall.  

In the event you are unable to provide accessible links to online hosting of your work, your work should be uploaded as PDFs as part of your application in our recruitment system. Please ensure that your PDFs are not larger than 5mb. Please note that your work may be read by colleagues from across the Department and evaluated against the current REF criteria;  

Please save all application documents with your name and document type as PDF files.

We will notify you on the status of your application at various points throughout the selection process, via automated emails from our e-recruitment system.  Please check your spam/junk folder periodically to ensure you receive all emails.