Research Assistant - Criminology

Edinburgh Napier University is proud to be the #1 modern university in Scotland (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2025) and the leading university in Edinburgh for student satisfaction for five years in a row (National Student Survey 2020–2024). We are also recognised as the top Scottish modern university for research power and impact (Research Excellence Framework 2021).

Edinburgh Napier University’s School of Applied Sciences is committed to providing an environment that recognises and supports research excellence.

Currently, our Criminology subject group are working in collaboration with the Chief Scientist Office Scotland on the delivery of the Crime and Criminal Justice as Social Determinants of Health in Scotland project.

As such, we now have an opportunity for a Research Assistant to join the project to support a period of maternity cover, and play an important role in the collection/management of data, while assisting with analysis and interpretation of results.

The Role:

As Research Assistant you will have the opportunity to join a team of experienced researchers, who will be investigating digital healthcare provisions in prisons and undertaking studies to understand the different experiences of service users within those facilities.

You will be in an ideal position to use your skills and experience of gathering data for research to help set up and administer these studies, collect and manage data, and assist with interpreting results.

This process will involve interviews with senior policy makers, as well as focus groups with individuals currently serving residency, to talk about their experiences in healthcare and provide valuable insight into their effectiveness.

The role will also give you the chance to use your strong written and verbal communication skills to contribute to the production of research reports and publications and present information on research progress/outcomes to various stakeholders.

With this in mind, this post will be an excellent opportunity for you take the first step towards your research or career in Criminology, as it will equip you with useful knowledge and skills in research methods and techniques that will serve you well in the future.

What we will need from you:

- Master's degree in a relevant social science discipline

- Undergraduate degree in Criminology, Sociology, Social Policy, Public Health or a related social science discipline

- Recent experience of conducting health-related research

- Training or academic experience in qualitative research methods and data analysis

- Experience of participant recruitment

- Ability to organise, code and interpret qualitative research data and identify emerging themes

- Experience of using NVivo

- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including presentation and report writing skills

When applying, please upload a cover letter/supporting statement to outline your fit for this role.

Benefits we offer:

46 days annual leave (includes bank holidays), a generous pension scheme with an Employer contribution of 26%, flexible working and professional development opportunities. Further information can be viewed here.

Additional information:

Salary: £31,861 p/a (pro rata)

Contract: Fixed-Term – until 31 July 2027

Hours: Full Time - 35 hrs per week

Apply by: 8th November 2026

Interviews: Week commencing 16th November 2026

Please note, on this occasion the University will not consider applicants requiring sponsorship for this role. International workers will therefore only be able to take up this role if they can demonstrate an alternative right to work in the UK.

Edinburgh Napier is committed to creating an environment where everyone feels proud, confident, challenged and supported. Please see here for more information.

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