Applications are invited for a Temporary post of a Research Assistant within UCD School of English, Drama and Film.

Applications are invited for the post of Research Assistant (0.5 FTE) in the UCD School of English, Drama and Film. The position will support a new European Research Council (ERC) starting project under the direction of Dr Ailise Bulfin (Principal Investigator). The project is entitled `Investigating Fictional Representations of Child Sexual Abuse in Contemporary Culture: Myths and Understanding (CSAReps)' (2024-2028). CSAReps examines how the critical issue of child sexual abuse (CSA) is represented in fictional works (e.g. novels, films, television series), and it investigates the ways in which these works affect their audiences. The project involves interdisciplinary research drawing on techniques from literary criticism, film and television studies, cognitive and empirical literary and cultural studies, medical humanities, media and cognitive psychology and media studies. It also entails close collaborations with CSA survivors, support professionals who work with survivors and academics across a range of relevant disciplines internationally. The School of English, Drama and Film is in the top 50 English departments in the QS World Rankings 2023, and hosts a number of state-of-the-art externally funded interdisciplinary research projects and a thriving community of early career researchers.

Job Details

We seek to recruit an excellent Research Assistant to work closely with the PI and other team members to contribute to the efficient and effective running of the project. The successful candidate will have a relevant undergraduate qualification in psychology, media studies, social work, empirical literary and cultural studies, or another relevant discipline (e.g. sociology, public health); and will ideally have or be pursuing a postgraduate qualification in one of these areas. The appointed Research Assistant will provide critical research and administrative support to the project, co-ordinating the complex suite of four multi-part, multi-participant audience response studies that run across the project lifespan. This will include assisting with: project set up and data management; recruiting and engaging with research participants and stakeholders; scheduling and supporting qualitative data collection; inputting and cleaning data; supporting the analysis of qualitative and quantitative data (with guidance); and contributing to writing reports and papers. The successful candidate will also assist with maintaining the project website and social media, and organising academic and public engagement events. And furthermore, they will join a vibrant interdisciplinary research community and will be supported to use this project to further their career development.

In addition to the mandatory CV/Resume listed on the online application system, candidates must include:

• 600 words in the cover letter clearly outlining why you want to take on the Research Assistant role; detailing relevant previous research experience and/or relevant research interests; and detailing your current stage of research and any other work commitments.


• The names of two academic references.

Furthermore: Applicants are asked to note it is envisaged interviews will take place on Thurs. 26th Oct. 2023 and that employment will (ideally) commence on Wednesday 3rd January 2024.

Salary Range: €29,275 - €32,229 per annum pro-rata

Appointment on the above range will be dependent upon qualifications and experience.

Closing date: 17:00hrs (local Irish time) on 22nd September 2023.

Applications must be submitted by the closing date and time specified. Any applications which are still in progress at the closing time of 17:00hrs (Local Irish Time) on the specified closing date will be cancelled automatically by the system. UCD are unable to accept late applications.

UCD do not require assistance from Recruitment Agencies. Any CV's submitted by Recruitment Agencies will be returned.

Prior to application, further information (including application procedure) should be obtained from the Work at UCD website: https://www.ucd.ie/workatucd/jobs/