Postdoctoral Research Associate - Strand, London, WC2R 2LS

Postdoctoral Research Associate - Strand, London, WC2R 2LS

About us:

The Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) has been a global leader in advancing our understanding, prevention, and treatment of neurodevelopmental conditions and mental health for decades. For over 60 years, the Department of Psychology has been at the forefront of research that directly informs clinical practice. Its research spans a broad spectrum of mental and physical health challenges, including anxiety disorders, trauma, somatoform disorders, chronic pain, psychosis, depression, antisocial personality disorders, childhood and adolescent disorders, emotional and personality disorders, and neurodegeneration. Through pioneering studies and innovative approaches, the department continues to shape the future of mental health care and psychological research.

About the role:

The post-holder will play a central role in the day-to-day management, coordination and delivery of CATAPULTS, an NIHR i4i-funded feasibility randomised controlled trial evaluating RECOGNeyes, an innovative eye-tracking cognitive training intervention designed to improve attention in children with ADHD. Delivered in partnership between Kings College London and the University of Nottingham, the study will take place across primary and secondary schools in London and the East Midlands and will inform the design of a future definitive trial.

Working closely with the Principal Investigator at Kings College London, the Chief Investigator at the University of Nottingham and the wider trial team, the successful candidate will coordinate trial activities across participating sites and help ensure that the study is delivered efficiently, consistently and in accordance with the approved protocol, Good Clinical Practice (GCP), relevant research governance requirements and agreed timelines.

Responsibilities will include coordinating study set-up, recruitment, participant assessments and intervention schedules; maintaining trial documentation and tracking study progress; supporting ethics, governance and study amendments; monitoring recruitment, retention and study milestones; and identifying and escalating operational issues and risks. The post-holder will act as a key point of contact for participating schools and will work closely with research staff, families, Regional Research Delivery Networks (RRDNs), the Kings Clinical Trials Unit and other project partners.

The role would suit a highly organised and proactive individual with experience supporting, coordinating or delivering clinical trials or complex intervention studies. Experience of working with children and young people, neurodevelopmental conditions, schools or digital health interventions would be advantageous.

This is a full time (35 hours per week) fixed-term position until 31st December 2027

About you:

To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:

Essential criteria

1. PhD qualified in relevant subject area (or pending results)
2. Experience supporting, coordinating or delivering clinical trials, including randomised controlled trials, feasibility studies or other complex intervention research.
3. Knowledge of Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and relevant clinical research governance principles, with current GCP training or willingness to complete this before undertaking trial duties.
4. Experience coordinating multiple study activities and stakeholders, with strong organisational and project-management skills and the ability to manage competing priorities, timelines and milestones.
5. Experience maintaining accurate research or trial documentation and managing study data in accordance with study protocols, data protection requirements and relevant governance requirements.
6. Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build effective working relationships with participants, families and stakeholders from diverse professional and organisational backgrounds.
7. Demonstrable ability to work proactively, identify and resolve operational problems, and appropriately escalate risks or issues within a study team.
8. Ability and willingness to work flexibly across a multi-site study, including travel to participating schools and coordination with teams and partners across different geographical regions.

Desirable criteria

1. Experience coordinating multi-site clinical trials or research studies.
2. Experience working with children and young people, particularly those with ADHD or other neurodevelopmental conditions, in research, clinical or educational settings.
3. Experience working with schools or familiarity with the UK education and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) context.
4. Experience working with Research Delivery Networks (RDNs/RRDNs), Clinical Trials Units or other organisations supporting trial set-up, recruitment and delivery.
5. Experience of study-specific training, participant assessment, research database management and/or supervising research staff.

Downloading a copy of our Job Description

Full details of the role and the skills, knowledge and experience required can be found in the Job Description document, provided at the bottom of the page. This document will provide information of what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process.

* Please note that this is a PhD level role but candidates who have submitted their thesis and are awaiting award of their PhDs will be considered. In these circumstances the appointment will be made at Grade 5, spine point 30 with the title of Research Assistant. Upon confirmation of the award of the PhD, the job title will become Research Associate and the salary will increase to Grade 6.