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SAPBio: Stakeholder Attitudes and Perceptions of Biostimulants and Biopesticides

Research Assistant - position summary

UCD Earth Institute and the School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin seeks applicants for a part-time (2 days per week) six-month research assistant to be a part of a project entitled: SAPBio: Stakeholder Attitudes and Perceptions of Biostimulants and Biopesticides. The project aims to engage with stakeholders through a mix of qualitative and quantitative research methods assessing their attitudes and perceptions of biostimulants and biopesticides and the environmental impacts across stakeholder groups. The knowledge gained will be a valuable basis for further research in perceptions of sustainable agriculture and form the basis of an infographic, paper, and policy document.

The ideal candidate will be interested in understanding human behaviour and the social adoption of technology, especially agrotechnology. The successful candidate will work under the supervision of Dr. Angela Feechan and Dr. Aparajita Banerjee but be a part of a larger interdisciplinary team of natural and social scientists. 

Salary

Research assistant, 6 months 0.4FTE, €26,609-38,632 per annum pro rata (depending on experience).

Detailed Job Description

The successful candidate will take on the role of:

• Planning, conducting, and analysis of data collection using workshops, focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews.
• Contribute to the design of survey instruments to be used to understand public perceptions.
• Preparing, cleaning, and analysing data
• Contributing to the preparation and publication of high-quality journal articles and other publications 
• Presenting the findings of the research both at stakeholder events and academic conferences 

Requirements 

Candidates are required to have a degree in a relevant discipline (including but not limited to sociology, psychology, anthropology, human geography, behavioural economics, management studies, rural development) with previous experience in community-based research. Candidates with experience in working closely with farming organisations and government agricultural agencies are highly encouraged to apply. 

Plus

• academic-level English writing skills (verbal and written);
• good organizational and time management skills; and
• the ability to work collaboratively with a team of interdisciplinary researchers. 

Additional desired qualifications include

• experience conducting focus group discussions (both online and offline), semi-structured interviews, and survey research.
• proficiency in using statistical and word processing software for data analysis (for example, R, SPSS, NVivo);
• familiarity conducting randomized survey experiments, programming Qualtrics surveys, creating compelling data visualizations of information and results. 

How to apply

Please send a PDF with i) 1-page cover letter (outlining why you think you are suitable for the role), ii) CV iii) contact information of one academic referee, to aparajita.banerjee@ucd.ie. Applicants will be reviewed until the position is filled.