Research Assistant, WISERD Education Data Lab

12936BR

Cardiff School of Social Sciences

Research

Advert

Research Assistant, WISERD Education Data Lab

The Wales Institute for Economic Research & Data (WISERD)  has been awarded £8m of funding from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and a further £4.6m of funding from its partner Universities to undertake a five year programme of policy relevant research addressing Civil Society, Civic Stratification and Civil repair in Wales, the UK and Internationally.

The WISERD research centre, that is based within Cardiff University School of Social Sciences, is looking to recruit a Research Assistant. The successful candidate will contribute to the activities of the WISERD Education Data Lab, including the analysis of administrative education data, carrying out supporting work leading to the publication of high-quality research. In particular the successful candidate will undertake analysis of the International Survey of Children’s Wellbeing (Children’s Worlds https://isciweb.org/ ) including recent data collected during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This is a full time post of 35 hours a week, fixed term to 30th September 2022

Salary: £27,924 - £32,344 per annum (Grade 5)

Responsible to Dr Jennifer May Hampton

For further enquiries contact Dr Hampton [email protected]

Date advert posted: Wednesday, 1 December 2021

Closing date: Wednesday, 29 December 2021

This post has previously been advertised to employees of Cardiff University only.  We now invite external applications.

Cardiff University is committed to supporting and promoting equality and diversity and to creating an inclusive working environment. We believe this can be achieved through attracting, developing, and retaining a diverse range of staff from many different backgrounds who have the ambition to create a University which seeks to fulfil our social, cultural and economic obligation to Cardiff, Wales, and the world.  In supporting our employees to achieve a balance between their work and their personal lives, we will also consider proposals for flexible working or job share arrangements.

“Cardiff University is a signatory to the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), which means that in hiring and promotion decisions we will evaluate applicants on the quality of their research, not publication metrics or the identity of the journal in which the research is published. More information is available at: https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/research/our-research-environment/integrity-and-ethics/responsible-research-assessment”

Job Description

• To undertake research, e.g., by planning, preparing, setting up, conducting, and recording the outcome of experiments /field work/desktop research/questionnaires 
• Actively participate within the ESRC and Welsh Government funded WISERD Education Data Lab, including communicating and presenting research at meetings, through publications and other recognised avenues as appropriate, ensuring information is communicated to internal and external partners.
• To support and contribute to research publications and presentations as required.
• To support and contribute to research funding bids as required.
• To analyse and communicate complex ideas, concepts and data using appropriate methods and packages.
• To provide support in research activities for research programmes and provide guidance to other members of staff within the research team
• To generate research output and contribute to the development of independent and original ideas as appropriate.
• To maintain and update area of specialist knowledge, researching and critically appraising relevant literature within the area.

• To participate in the administration of the WISERD Education Data Lab and activities to promote the Lab across the education sector in Wales.
• To undergo personal and professional development that is appropriate to and which will enhance performance.
• To ensure that an understanding of the importance of confidentiality and data security is applied when undertaking all duties.
• To abide by the University policies on Health and Safety and Equality and Diversity.
• Any other duties not included above, but consistent with the role.

Person Specification

Essential Criteria

• Postgraduate degree at PhD level (or nearing completion/submission) in quantitative social science or relevant industrial experience.
• Experience of undertaking research in the field of education.
• Understanding of educational issues in Wales.
• Proven ability to work without close supervision.
• Proven ability to adapt to the changing requirements of the Higher Education community.

The Person Specification is split into 2 sections: essential and desirable.  Please demonstrate clearly how you meet all of the essential criteria.  Where possible you should give examples of how, when and where you have used your experience, knowledge, specific skills and abilities to match those required for this particular job role.

Please ensure that you communicate this fully by creating a supporting statement document, listing all of the criteria and commenting against each one as to how you meet them.  This will need to be completed before you begin making your application on line as you will be required to upload it. 

When attaching the supporting statement to your application profile, please ensure that you put your name and the  vacancy reference number, e.g. Supporting Statement for NAME XXXXXBR.’

The desirable section contains a list of skills, qualifications and experience that it would be beneficial for the jobholder to have.

All short-listing decisions will be based initially on essential criteria, with desirable being used to further select or deselect candidates as appropriate. 

We interview those candidates who are the closest match to the identified criteria.

Additional Information

The Wales Institute for Economic Research and Data (WISERD)

The Wales Institute for Economic Research and Data (WISERD) is a national, interdisciplinary, social science research institute. We have been designated by the Welsh Government as a national research centre. Using innovative approaches, our research spans the fields of economics, sociology, geography and political science.
We are a collaborative venture between the universities of Aberystwyth, Bangor, Cardiff, South Wales and Swansea – working together to improve the quality and quantity of social science research in Wales and beyond. Our research effects change by influencing the development of policy and practice across a range of sectors.
WISERD hosts the UK-wide WISERD Civil Society Research Centre, a major investment by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the Administrative Data Research Centre Wales (ADRC-W) at Cardiff University, part of a project led by Swansea University. Other funded projects include IDEAL, WISERD Education, Global-Rural and Horizon 2020 IMAJINE.

Cardiff University School of Social Sciences

The School of Social Sciences is an internationally recognised centre of excellence in research and teaching across a range of subject areas, including social policy, sociology, criminology, education, social psychology, and social work.

Over 220 staff (including over 30 professors and 60 researchers) are involved in a substantial programme of research - both fundamental and strategic - funded by ESRC, AHRC, MRC, charitable foundations, the European Union, Central Government departments and agencies and voluntary associations. Since its creation in 1999, the School has received over 25 million pounds for funded research.  In the 2014 Research Excellence Framework the School was ranked third for research quality in Sociology and joint fifth for research quality in Education. Cardiff University was ranked second for research impact and fifth overall for research quality.

The School has a large student population, with almost 1000 undergraduates, and 300 postgraduates (including 100 doctoral students).  The School has ESRC recognition for doctoral training in the fields of Criminology, Social Policy, Sociology, Education, and Science, Technology and Innovation. Our taught and postgraduate research programmes welcome students from around the world.

The School hosts a number of research centres and institutes, including the Universities’  Police Studies Institute (UPSI), now part of the University’s Crime & Security Research Institute; Wales Institute for Economic Research & Data (WISERD); Children's Social Care Research and Development Centre (CASCADE); the Centre for the Development and Evaluation of Complex Interventions for Public Health Improvement (DECIPHer); Cardiff Unit for Research and Evaluation in Medical and Dental Education (CUREMeDE); and the Seafarers’ International Research Centre (SIRC). Many of the School’s research centres will soon be housed in the Social Science Research Park (SPARK), which is currently being developed as part of Cardiff University’s new Innovation Campus.

Further details of the School’s activities can be found on our home page: http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/social-sciences
Cardiff University School of Social Sciences holds an Athena SWAN Bronze Award that recognises good employment practice and a commitment to develop the careers of women working in academia. Cardiff University is an equal opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, or pregnancy and maternity. We actively encourage women to apply. We will also consider proposals for flexible working or job share opportunities.

Job Category

Academic - Research