Disability Adviser/PDRA in Neurodivergent Student Support

The Role and Department

The Disability Support Service and Department of Computer Science seek to appoint a qualified and passionate individual to join our community as a Disability Adviser/Postdoctoral Research Assistant in Neurodivergent Student Support.

The post is a three-year fixed term position, funded by philanthropic support from Qube Research Technologies. The successful applicant will be expected to offer specialist advice to neurodivergent students within the Computer Science department, addressing their unique challenges and facilitating their academic and professional growth in partnership with the Department Student Support Team. The postholder will collaborate with the Science Faculty to implement inclusive teaching practices, advocate for neurodiversity awareness, and conduct research in the intersection of neurodiversity and Computer Science education, aiming to develop evidence-based strategies for ongoing support.

The postholder will dedicate half of their time to providing support within the Disability Support Service for neurodivergent students, primarily in Computer Science and half of their time engaging in postdoctoral research aimed at developing a research-informed approach for ongoing support for neurodivergent students in Computer Science. We are particularly eager to hear from applicants with a focus on public engagement and outreach, diversity and inclusion.

The Department of Computer Science is one of the UK’s leading Computer Science departments, with an outstanding reputation in research, teaching, and student employability. Our internationally recognised research covers Algorithms and Complexity, Artificial Intelligence and Human Systems, Networks, Scientific Computing and Vision, Imaging and Visualisation. There is a lively research culture with many visitors and events, and active and rewarding collaborations with other departments in Durham and with other scientists in the UK and internationally. In the recent assessment exercise REF2021 we improved by six places in the ranking. We aim to provide an encouraging and friendly environment with a strong sense of community. The Department has recently grown rapidly, and now has more than 50 permanent members of academic staff. In 2021, we moved to a newly constructed building, which we share with Mathematics.

Specific Role Requirements

• The post is fixed term for three years, and full-time,
• Normal working hours will be Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm. Occasional evening and weekend working will be required to meet commitments in the university year e.g., Open Days and University wide events.
• Hours will be split between the Disability Support Adviser role and research activities. Most research activity will take place outside of University term time.
• It is expected most of the annual leave will be taken out of University term time.
• The Adviser role will be line managed by the Head of Disability Support and research activities will be overseen by a colleague in the Department of Computer Science as required in the working week.

What you need to submit

• A CV;
• A supporting statement or covering letter which details your experience, skills, and achievements in meeting (or the potential to meet) the criteria set out below.

Contact details

For a chat about the role or any further information:

Department contact for disability support related enquiries: Mr Sam Dale, Director of Student Support & Wellbeing Directorate,

Department contact for academic-related enquiries: Dr Eleni Akrida, Department of Computer Science,

To apply, please click on the ‘Apply’ button above

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