Research Assistant - Tactile Language Project

Are you passionate about language, communication, and inclusion? Do you want to help shape the future of British Sign Language (BSL) for the deafblind community? This is your chance to be part of a pioneering team at one of the world’s leading universities.

Job Title:

• Research Assistant – Tactile Language Project

Location:

• DCAL, UCL, London (near Euston/Kings Cross) (Hybrid working available)

About DCAL

The Deafness, Cognition and Language Research Centre (DCAL) at UCL is Europe’s largest and most influential centre dedicated to research on deafness, language, and cognition. DCAL is a bilingual hub where deaf and hearing researchers collaborate across linguistics, psychology, and neuroscience to explore how language develops and functions – especially through the unique lens of deafness.

Salary:

• £39,148 per annum (Grade 6)

Contract:

• Full-time (36.5 hours/week), 18 months fixed-term
• Start date: 1 January 2026
• Possible extension

About the Role

You’ll be part of an exciting European Research Council (ERC)-funded project exploring protactile and tactile forms of BSL. The role involves working closely with deafblind adults across the UK to understand how these forms of communication are used and may evolve.

You will be working with Dr Kate Rowley, project manager, and other team members – a PhD student and a post-doctoral researcher.

Key tasks include:

• Setting up and supporting an advisory board
• Organising focus groups and interviews
• Recruiting and working with deafblind participants
• Travelling for data collection (some overnight stays)
• Administering tasks in visual/tactile BSL
• Analysing data and contributing to publications
• Sharing updates via social media and public engagement

About You

Essential:

• Degree in a relevant field. Other degrees will be considered if have experience working with deaf/deafblind people
• Fluency or near-fluency in visual/tactile BSL
• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively

Desirable:

• Lived experience of deafness/deafblindness
• Experience conducting research and analysing data

Application Details

• Deadline: 17 November 2025
• Interview Date: 1 December 2025 (face-to-face but can online for accessibility reasons)
• Contact: [email protected] for role queries
• Accessibility Support: [email protected]

If you want more information or have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us. We look forward to receiving your applications!