Science jobs in Wales

Research Associate

School of Psychology

Help Shape the UK's Response to Future Pandemics

Join the School of Psychology at Cardiff University as a Research Associate and play a leading role in an ambitious UKRI-funded programme investigating how behaviour, trust, and the places where people interact influence the spread of infectious diseases. The findings will help improve the UK's preparedness for future epidemics and pandemics, providing evidence that directly informs public health policy and disease modelling.

Working within a highly collaborative, multidisciplinary team of behavioural scientists, epidemiologists, infectious disease modellers, and policy experts, you will lead innovative research studies including national surveys, Delphi studies, large-scale field research, and mixed-methods investigations of public perceptions, risk, trust, and behaviour. You will also support knowledge mobilisation activities, ensuring that research findings have real-world impact.

This is an outstanding opportunity for an ambitious postdoctoral researcher with expertise in relevant areas of health psychology, public health, or behavioural science. The role will develop your academic profile, enable you to lead on substantial research activities, supervise junior colleagues, publish high-quality outputs, and contribute to securing future research funding.

If you are excited by interdisciplinary research, passionate about improving population health, and motivated by the opportunity to influence future public health responses, we would love to hear from you.

Travel requirements will be limited to occasional meetings and training, with most travel associated with site set up and the 6 to 8-week observational study periods taking place during the winter months over 2 calendar years. While overnight stays are not expected, they may be required where this represents the most cost-effective option and is acceptable to staff.

For informal enquiries, please contact vedharak@cardiff.ac.uk.

This post is full-time (35 hours per week) fixed term until 12th November 2030 and is available from 1st December 2026.

The majority of roles at Cardiff University are currently operating under “blended working” arrangements, with staff having the flexibility to work partly from home and partly from the University campus depending on specific business requirements. Discussions around these arrangements can take place after the successful candidate has been appointed.

Salary: £41,885 - £46,970 per annum (Grade 6)

Appointments to roles at Cardiff University are usually made at bottom of scale unless in exceptional circumstances.

Cardiff University offers many excellent benefits, including 45 days annual leave (incl. bank holidays), local pension scheme, a cycle to work scheme and other travel initiatives, annual increments within the pay scale, and more. It's an exciting and vibrant place to work with many different challenges and is a proud Living Wage supporter. Business needs will require some degree of office-based working but the balance of time can be spent in the office or remotely (subject to agreement with the line manager).

Date advert posted: Thursday, 12 November 2026

Closing date: Sunday, 29 November 2026

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. We therefore welcome applicants from all sections of the community regardless of sex, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, trans identity, relationship status, religion or belief, caring responsibilities, or age. 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: Responsible research assessment - Research - Cardiff University

Os oes gennych ymholiadau anffurfiol, cysylltwch â vedharak@caerdydd.ac.uk.

Swydd amser llawn (35 awr yr wythnos) yw hon, am gyfnod penodedig hyd at 12 Tachwedd 2030, gan ddechrau o 1 Rhagfyr 2026.

Mae'r mwyafrif o swyddi ym Mhrifysgol Caerdydd yn gweithredu o dan drefniadau "gweithio cyfunol" ar hyn o bryd, gyda’r hyblygrwydd i staff weithio yn rhannol o adref ac yn rhannol o gampws y Brifysgol yn dibynnu ar ofynion busnes penodol. Mae modd trafod y trefniadau hyn ar ôl penodi'r ymgeisydd llwyddiannus.

Cyflog: £41,885 - £46,970 y flwyddyn, (Gradd 6)

Ym Mhrifysgol Caerdydd, bydd unigolion fel arfer yn dechrau ar waelod y raddfa gyflog, ac eithrio o dan amgylchiadau eithriadol.

Mae Prifysgol Caerdydd yn cynnig pecyn buddion gwych, sy’n cynnwys 45 diwrnod o wyliau blynyddol (gan gynnwys gwyliau banc), cynllun pensiwn lleol, cynllun beicio i'r gwaith a mentrau teithio eraill, cynyddrannau blynyddol ar hyd y raddfa gyflog, a mwy. Mae’n lle cyffrous a bywiog i weithio, gyda llawer o heriau gwahanol. Rydym hefyd yn falch o gefnogi’r Cyflog Byw. Bydd anghenion busnes yn gofyn am rywfaint o weithio yn y swyddfa ond gellir treulio gweddill yr amser yn y swyddfa neu’n gweithio o bell (yn amodol ar gytundeb gyda'r rheolwr llinell).

Dyddiad hysbysebu: Dydd Iau, 12 Tachwedd 2026

Dyddiad cau: Dydd Sul, 29 Tachwedd 2026

Mae Prifysgol Caerdydd wedi ymrwymo i gefnogi a hyrwyddo cydraddoldeb ac amrywiaeth yn ogystal â chreu gweithle cynhwysol. Rydym o’r farn bod modd gwneud hyn drwy ddenu, datblygu a chadw ystod amrywiol o bobl o lawer o gefndiroedd gwahanol. Felly, rydym yn croesawu ymgeiswyr o bob rhan o’r gymuned, beth bynnag fo’u rhyw, eu hethnigrwydd, eu hanabledd, eu cyfeiriadedd rhywiol, eu hunaniaeth draws, statws eu perthynas, eu crefydd neu eu cred, eu cyfrifoldebau gofalu neu eu hoedran. Er mwyn helpu ein cyflogeion i sicrhau cydbwysedd rhwng eu gwaith a’u bywydau personol, byddwn hefyd yn ystyried cynigion i weithio’n hyblyg neu rannu’r swydd.

Caniateir i geisiadau gael eu cyflwyno yn Gymraeg, ac ni fydd cais a gyflwynir yn y Gymraeg yn cael ei drin yn llai ffafriol na chais a gyflwynir yn Saesneg.

Mae Prifysgol Caerdydd wedi llofnodi Datganiad ar Asesu Ymchwil (DORA) San Francisco, sy'n golygu y byddwn, wrth wneud penderfyniadau cyflogi a dyrchafu, yn gwerthuso ymgeiswyr ar sail safon eu hymchwil, nid ar sail metrigau cyhoeddi na'r cyfnodolyn y mae'r ymchwil wedi’i chyhoeddi ynddo. Ceir rhagor o wybodaeth yma: Asesu ymchwil yn gyfrifol - Ymchwil - Prifysgol Caerdydd