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Research Assistant

Details


1114808


Canterbury Christ Church University


01/09/2026


Other - See Job


15 Hours per Week; 1 September 2026 - 30 November 2026


Smart Casual

Pay


£21.96


£2.65

Description

Role
Psychology at Canterbury Christ Church University (CCCU) is recruiting a Research Assistant to support our funded project, "The Virtual Couch: The Influence of Teleanalysis on Transference and Psychoanalytic Training". This is a collaborative project between CCCU and Edinburgh Napier University (ENU) and the project is partly funded by the International Psychoanalytic Association (IPA). This is a fixed-hours role for approximately 200 hours in total, with flexible working time to be arranged with the project team.

 
You will be working alongside Dr Amanda Diserholt (CCCU) and Professor Calum Neill (ENU) on a project that examines how the experience of receiving teleanalysis (remote psychoanalytic psychotherapy) is perceived to shape transference and psychoanalytic training. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with UK-based psychoanalytic candidates currently in training, we will use Lacanian Discourse Analysis to explore how the experience of transference in teleanalysis is articulated, and what this means for training standards and practice in the post-pandemic context. This is an excellent opportunity to contribute to timely, policy-relevant research with clear real-world significance.

Duties and responsibilities
The Research Assistant will support the project through a combination of research, analysis, and writing tasks, which are expected to include:

  •  Supporting potential qualitative interviews and transcription
  • Contributing to analysis using Lacanian Discourse Analysis (LDA)
  • Conducting and writing up a targeted literature review
  • Supporting academic writing, including drafting sections of a paper for publication (under supervision and with feedback from the team)

Skills and experience
Applicants must be able to demonstrate:

  • A strong grounding in Lacanian theory
  • At least an upper second-class undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline (e.g., psychology, psychosocial studies, sociology, education, linguistics, cultural studies, or a closely related field)
  • Strong academic writing skills and the ability to work towards publication-quality outputs
  • Ability to work independently, manage time effectively, and reliably liaise with the project team

Experience with conducting Lacanian Discourse Analysis is welcome but not required. We are happy to support someone with the right theoretical background to develop confidence with LDA as part of the role.

Location
Mainly remote but potentially also Canterbury Christ Church University or Edinburgh Napier University

Additional information
Proposed Interview Date: Monday 3 August 2026

 
Applicants must be living in the UK for the duration of the role and must be able to travel in person to Canterbury for a Right to Work check.
 
We would like candidates to submit the following when applying:
  1. A short cover letter explaining your suitability, including your Lacanian theoretical background and any relevant research/writing experience
  2. Your CV
  3. A short writing sample (e.g., an essay excerpt, dissertation section, or publication draft)

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