The Post

This post holder will be responsible for managing the technical development of a web-based battery of measures of curiosity for children. The post holder will work with the project team to implement specified tasks and surveys into a unified web-based platform for data collection in schools, public spaces, and the lab and to develop the data architecture for the battery and produce the pipelines for wrangling and cleaning the data ready for analysis.

The finalised battery will be made available open source for other researchers and educators and resulting data should be shareable. A key part of the role will be documentation of the measures and the resulting data in line with Open Science practices, including preparation of preregistration documents. The post holder will develop training materials for the end users of the battery including researchers and educators. Additionally, the post holder may contribute to research activities such as data collection and data analysis.

The post holder will be an integral member of the dynamic research team at Stirling and Lancaster Universities and contribute to a line of studies assessing curiosity and its effects in primary school age children. The post holder will have opportunities to develop new skills, collaborations, and research ideas within the role.

The University of Stirling has an Agile Working Framework that will enable post holder to work flexibly to deliver the project objectives.

Description of Duties

• Lead the technical development of an open source, web-based battery of curiosity measures including the data architecture, and secure access and sharing, for the Curiosity Battery
• Develop data cleaning, wrangling, and preliminary analysis pipelines for the resulting data
• Collaborate with members of the research team to write methodological and protocol publications
• Harmonise measures and data with existing developmental research platforms
• Develop training materials and train research staff and students on use of the Curiosity Battery as a research tool
• Develop training materials for educators on the use of the Curiosity Battery for remote data collection in schools

Essential Criteria

• Educated to degree level or equivalent in relevant discipline (e.g., psychology, education, data science, or web programming)
• Proven experience developing web-based data collection tools
• Experience developing data cleaning and/or analysis pipelines
• General knowledge and understanding of Open Science practices

Desirable Criteria

• Postgraduate research qualification to Masters or PhD level
• Experience of working with children in research settings
• Experience harmonising data across projects
• Experience in training staff and students in use of data collection tools
• Experience developing documentation for research tools
• Knowledge of curiosity research

Additional Information

Part time (40% FTE)

Fixed term for 12 months

Grade 6: £31,236 - £37,694 p.a. pro-rata

The closing date for applications is midnight on Sunday 05 April 2026.

Interviews are expected to take place on the week commencing Monday 20 April 2026.

There is an expectation that work will be undertaken in the UK.

This role will require a membership of the PVG scheme. An offer of employment will be subject to a satisfactory outcome of this process.

This role is not eligible for sponsorship. Applicants require to have existing right to work in the UK.

The University of Stirling recognises that a diverse workforce benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers and welcome applications from those who would contribute to further diversification of our staff and ensure that equality, diversity and inclusion is woven into the substance of the role. We strongly encourage applications from people from diverse backgrounds including gender, identity, race, age, class, and ethnicity.

For a full description of duties and essential/desirable criteria please click the apply button, which will take you directly to the University Website.