Senior Research Associate in the School of Social Sciences, Lancaster University (fixed term contract for two years).

The School of Social Sciences seeks to appoint a post-doctoral researcher (fixed term contract for two years) to work in the Brain and Bilingual Experiences Lab (BaBEL). The successful candidate will join a vibrant and productive lab (BaBEL), which is one of two labs in the Multilingualism and Cognition (M&C) research group within the Linguistics and English Language (LAEL) discipline.  The successful candidate will work most directly under the supervision of Prof. Jason Rothman and Prof. Patrick Rebuschat, who co-lead the M&C research group.

The successful candidate will hold a PhD in Linguistics (specialization in Psycho- or Neurolinguistics), Psychology (specializing in language and/or bi-/multilingualism), Cognitive (Neuro)Science or a cognate area and will be able to demonstrate excellence in research commensurate with their experience. This should include an established or developing portfolio of research publications in high impact international journals, potentially also including experience in competitive grant submissions (or success), evidence of previous successful working (or leadership) in similar lab environments and providing academic support to colleagues. Candidates must have, and should detail, demonstrable experience with neuroimaging methods and analysis related to the neurobiology of language, linguistic processing, and/or neurocognitive adaptations associated with language experience. Ideally, the candidate will have applied this skill set in research related to bi-/multilingualism. Candidates must have, and should detail, demonstrable experience with neuroimaging methods and analysis related to the neurobiology of language, linguistic processing, and/or neurocognitive adaptations associated with language experience.

Linguistics and English Language at Lancaster University is globally renowned, consistently ranked among the top departments globally in Linguistics and nationally among league tables (e.g., currently ranked 2^nd in the world in the 2026 QS rankings). It offers world-class undergraduate, postgraduate, and research programs exploring human language comprehensively and from complementary methods and theoretical perspectives.  

The School of Social Sciences brings together Linguistics with Criminology, Educational Research, Social Work, and Sociology, forming an inclusive, dynamic, and diverse research and teaching community.

Lancaster University is a highly ranked, research-led institution located in the historic city of Lancaster. The North West of England offers an excellent quality of life, with access to outstanding countryside, including the Lake District, and strong national and international transport links. For more reasons to work at Lancaster University, see - Jobs - Lancaster University.

Informal enquiries may be made to Prof. Jason Rothman – j.rothman@lancaster.ac.uk 

Closing Date: 26 Jul 2026

Department: Research

Salary: £39,906 to £46,049 (Full time, indefinite with end date)