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Behavioural Science Research Assistant: Keeping Cool in a Warming UK

Details


1119076


UCL


12/10/2026


Other - See Job


29.2


Smart Casual

Pay


£20.92


£3.92

Description

Role

Unitemps are recruiting for a Behavioural Science Research Assistant: Keeping Cool in a Warming UK within the Bartlett School Environment, Energy & Resources department. The role is to work the date of 12th October 2026 and will run until 4th June 2027 part time at 29.2 hours per week . Payment is set at £20.92+ holiday pay per hour and the role will be HYBRID based.

Set within The Bartlett Faculty and The Bartlett School of Environment, Energy and Resources (BSEER), UCL Energy Institute’s aim is to help to build a globally sustainable energy system, by bringing to bear multiple disciplinary perspectives to observe, analyse, model and interpret energy use and energy systems. 
 
From data analytics to environmental economics, we equip graduates with the tools needed to succeed in a career in energy industry, academia or policy. Our research combines different approaches to develop tools, models and methods that address global energy challenges. We work in partnership with industry, government and other academic bodies, ensuring that what we do has a real-world impact.
 
This project brings together researchers from UCL's Energy Institute and Centre for Behaviour Change. We have been awarded a UCL Grand Challenges Climate Crisis Strategic Award for a one year programme of research aiming to conduct a rapid evidence review on barriers and enablers of occupant cooling behaviours, followed by qualitative interviews with diverse groups of occupants (including owners and renters, urban and rural residents, and people in both social and private housing). The findings will be analysed using behavioural science frameworks (e.g. Behaviour Change Wheel), and an evidence base and logic model will be created to identify potential pathways for future behavioural interventions.
 

Duties and responsibilities
We are currently recruiting for a 0.8 FTE fixed-term Research Assistant role to support these activities until 04 June 2027. You will be based at the UCL Energy Institute, and work under the supervision of Dr Elif Naz Coker (Research Fellow, UCL Energy Institute) and in close collaboration with Dr Sadie Boniface (Principal Research Fellow and Research Lead at the Centre for Behaviour Change). 

 
Specifically, the role will involve: 
  • Delivering a rapid evidence review on barriers and enablers to occupant cooling behaviours, searching both peer-reviewed articles and grey literature, synthesising and writing up findings
  • Conducting a novel qualitative study exploring the experiences of a diverse group of occupants with cooling behaviours in residential settings. This will involve research governance, participant recruitment, conducting interviews, analysing data using behavioural science frameworks, and writing up findings. 

There will be opportunities to co-author peer-reviewed journal articles, and disseminate research findings through international conferences and other relevant channels.

Skills and experience
Qualifications, experience and knowledge: 

  • Degree (2:1 or higher) in behavioural science or a closely related field (e.g. psychology, economics, sociology, human geography)
  • Good knowledge of behavioural science theories, methods, and frameworks
  • Experience of conducting theory-based qualitative research (e.g. interviews, focus groups)
  • Understanding and experience of methods for conducting systematic literature reviews including use of relevant databases and software for screening and synthesis
  • Good qualitative data analysis skills 

Skills and abilities:

  • Ability to engage confidently and sensitively with members of the public from diverse backgrounds (e.g. differing ages, cultures and socioeconomic circumstances)
  • Ability to work collaboratively in an interdisciplinary setting with academic colleagues
  • Ability to organise own time and activities to a high standard to ensure the efficient and timely completion of projects
  • Attention to detail in following procedures and day-to-day coordination of projects
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, particularly in academic contexts 

Desirable:

  • Postgraduate degree (MA or MSc) in behavioural science or a closely related field
  • Experience of presenting and communicating research to various audiences
  • Experience of building rapport with people outside academic settings (e.g. through community or voluntary work or customer-facing roles

Location
Hybrid (2 days on campus)

Additional information

Please note to be eligible to work within this role, you must have the right to work in the UK, be physically based in the UK and be able to travel to our London based office for a RTW check (if required). This job will close for applications at 11.59pm on 1st October 2026. Interviews will be held shortly after.

Unitemps reserves the right to close this advert for applications prior to the date specified above, if a high volume of suitable applications are received.

If you have a full-time contract of employment with UCL, you are not able to work through UCL Unitemps at the same time.

Unitemps payroll is monthly, one month in arrears, please see the payroll dates here.

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