Postdoctoral Research Assistant

Are you passionate about transforming scientific practice and advancing open research? Join us at Birkbeck, University of London, for a 14-month, full-time, Postdoctoral Research Assistant role.

In this role you will tackle barriers to replication uptake and develop tools to embed replication studies into the research ecosystem - as part of the UKRI-funded project 'Making Replications Count: Identifying Barriers and Enhancing Impact with Innovative Dissemination Tools'.

This role offers an exciting opportunity to shape innovative research and develop software tools to embed replication studies into scientific practice. The project is co-led by Dr Lukas Wallrich at Birkbeck Business School, and Dr Lukas Röseler at the Münster Center for Open Science.

As Postdoctoral Researcher, your responsibilities will include:

• Conducting bibliometric analyses to identify the conditions under which replications influence original research.
• Leading the design and implementation of a survey to explore researchers’ engagement with replication studies, alongside supporting a complementary qualitative interview study.
• Coordinating the development of open-source tools, such as a browser plugin and PubPeer bot, through international hackathons.
• Drafting high-impact journal articles, including Registered Reports, in collaboration with the project leads.

The ideal Postdoctoral Researcher will have:

• Demonstrable experience in quantitative research methods (eg bibliometric or regression analyses) and a proven ability to independently develop specialised skills required for innovative research projects.
• Experience with (or a keen interest in learning) open-source tool development, ideally including coding in Python or R.
• Excellent organisational and teamwork skills, with the ability to thrive in an interdisciplinary and international research environment.
• A strong commitment to advancing rigorous and open research practices.

If you're ready to contribute to ground-breaking research at Birkbeck, University of London, we encourage you to apply for this role.

Salary and benefits: £43,636 to £49,683 per annum. Grade 7 on the College's London Pay Scale which includes a consolidated London Weighting Allowance. Benefits of working at Birkbeck: a competitive salary and pension scheme, 31 days paid leave, flexible working arrangements, generous benefits in the HE sector, and being located in the heart of Bloomsbury, Euston, London.

Contract: Fixed-term, 14 month-contract, full-time, (35 hours a week). Please submit a CV and statement for consideration. Visa sponsorship accepted.

Flexibility/remote work offered, except for in-person meetings and travel for the project, particularly to research partner, the Münster Center for Open Science (MüCOS) in Germany.

Closing date: Wednesday 12 March 2025, interview date: 24-26 March 2025.

Enquiries: If you would like to know more about the role, please click on apply or contact Dr Lukas Wallrich, the Principal Investigator on the UKRI Metascience grant funding this project, at l.wallrich@bbk.ac.uk.

If you have difficulty using the recruitment portal, please contact jobs@bbk.ac.uk providing your name and the job reference number of the position. While we are happy to respond to all informal enquiries, only formal applications through the online system will be considered.

We welcome applicants from all sections of the community. The College is committed to improving the gender and cultural diversity of its workforce, holding an Athena SWAN award and operating Disability Confident & Mindful Employer schemes.

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