Research Associate (Biodiversity & Evolution)
Base pay range: £38,784 per annum (fixed‑term, 4 years from 21 October 2025). Full‑time, Grade G7, funded by the Leverhulme Trust.
Overview
We are seeking a motivated and enthusiastic individual to join a Leverhulme Trust funded project called Perceptual bias and the evolution of organismal communication signals as a Research Associate. The project integrates recent advances in computational neuroscience, machine learning and image analysis to investigate how animal visual signal diversity relates to biases in visual perception. You will lead the investigation of research questions, manage data collection, perform analysis and interpret results, and prepare manuscripts for publication. This role sits within the world‑class Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Research Cluster in the School of Biosciences at the University of Sheffield.
Main Duties And Responsibilities
* Lead the execution of research projects investigating links between animal communication signal diversity and biases in visual perception.
* Analyse and interpret data, preparing and writing up results for publication.
* Supervise research students associated with the project.
* Keep abreast of developments by reading academic papers, journals and textbooks.
* Manage data collection and storage on a day‑to‑day basis.
* Liaise closely with other academics, advisers and administrators relevant to the study.
* Collect and analyse a variety of primary and secondary quantitative and qualitative data from multiple sources.
* Assist in writing the project website/blog, newsletters, reports and scholarly publications.
* Contribute to conference presentations, practitioner workshops and research advisory group meetings.
* Attend and contribute to project meetings and research advisory group meetings.
* Support project reporting requirements, including research progress and finance.
* Carry out other duties commensurate with the grade and remit of the post.
Person Specification
Applicants must hold a PhD (or equivalent experience) in a relevant subject area and possess an interest in biodiversity, evolution, neuroscience and/or machine learning.
Essential Requirements
* PhD (or equivalent experience) in a relevant subject area.
* Strong analytical and quantitative skillset.
* Experience of image analysis.
* Experience of programming languages (e.g. R, Python).
* Experience of machine learning libraries (e.g. TensorFlow, PyTorch).
* Ability to plan and conduct complex analyses, managing workload month‑to‑month and using time effectively.
* Ability to assist in the supervision of technical staff and research students.
* Ability to present results orally and prepare papers for publication at a high standard and in a timely fashion.
Desirable Requirements
* Interest in biodiversity, evolution, neuroscience and/or machine learning.
* Experience of animal colouration research.
* Ability to work as part of a team and maintain effective communication with collaborating groups.
Application Process
Applicants are invited to submit an application through the University’s online portal. The selection process will consist of a presentation and interview (either online or in person). Candidates will be informed of progress within two weeks of the closing date.
If you need any support, equipment or adjustments to enable you to participate in any element of the recruitment process please contact bioscienceshradmin@sheffield.ac.uk.
Contact
For informal enquiries about this job contact Dr Chris Cooney, Research Fellow (Project PI): c.cooney@sheffield.ac.uk.
Benefits
* Minimum of 41 days annual leave including bank holidays, with the option to purchase additional days.
* Flexible working opportunities, including hybrid working for some roles.
* Generous pension scheme.
* Wide range of retail discounts and rewards.
* Staff networks and peer support programmes.
* Recognition awards and learning & mentoring schemes.
* Family‑friendly policies (paid time off for parenting, menopause support, fertility treatment support).
We are a Disability Confident Employer. If you have a disability and meet the essential criteria for this job you will be invited to take part in the next stage of the selection process.
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