- One of Australia’s leading research & teaching universities
- Vibrant campus life with a strong sense of community & inclusion
- Enjoy a career that makes a difference by collaborating & learning from the best
At UNSW, we pride ourselves on being a workplace where the best people come to do their best work.
The School of Psychology at UNSW is the leading Psychology school in Australia. It is located in the Faculty of Science and is recognised nationally and internationally for its excellence in research and teaching. It offers world class undergraduate psychology degrees, as well as postgraduate professional Masters training in Clinical and Forensic Psychology, an online Graduate Diploma program, and a PhD research program with over 120 students. 40 academic staff conduct experimental research in many areas of Psychology, including behavioural and cognitive neuroscience, perception, learning, memory and cognition, as well as health, social, developmental, clinical and forensic psychology. UNSW Psychology is the only School in the southern hemisphere ranked in the top 30 by discipline in the THES, QS and ARWU rankings. The School has well equipped research and teaching facilities and attracts outstanding staff and students from Australia and overseas. UNSW is located 5 km from the centre of Sydney and is close to other research centres, teaching hospitals, transport, shopping, and beaches.
For further information about the school please visit www.psychology.unsw.edu.au
The Senior Research Fellow (Level B) is expected to carry out independent and/or team research within the field in which they are appointed and to carry out activities to develop their research expertise relevant to their particular field of research.
This position focuses on comparative and translational systems neuroscience, linking rodent electrophysiology with human neuroimaging using optically pumped magnetoencephalography (OP-MEG). The Senior Research Fellow will conduct independent research and work closely with collaborators across human and animal psychology, neuroscience and clinical disciplines while developing translational tasks, analyses and models that bridge animal and human data.
A key component of this role is to support the planning and preparation of a new OP-MEG facility in the new Psychology building scheduled for completion in 2028. This includes contributing to experimental preparation, data and analysis pipelines, data governance and storage solutions, and equipment specification and procurement. The role also involves developing ethics documentation and standard operating procedures for human research.
THIS ROLE IS LOCATED IN SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA.
About the role
- LEVEL B - $127k - $150k plus 17% Superannuation and annual leave loading
- Fixed Term – 2 years
- Full time (35 hours)
Specific responsibilities for this role include:
- Engage in individual and/or collaborative research in a manner consistent with disciplinary practice.
- Create scholarly impact in the discipline which is recognised by peers in the advancement of disciplinary knowledge.
- Conduct research/scholarly activities under limited supervision, either independently or as a member of a team (as per the norms of the discipline).
- Establish a personal research portfolio and start developing independent research proposals.
- Contribute to the development of applications for competitive funding under the guidance of senior colleagues.
- Participate as co-investigator or chief investigator in competitive grant applications, or show evidence of active participation in research collaborations funded by competitive grants.
- Design research projects.
- Lead and collaborate on research projects that integrate rodent single-unit and local field potential recordings with human OP-MEG and behavioural data. Design and advise on cross-species experiments and analysis pipelines to facilitate quantitative comparisons of neural representations across rodents and humans.
- Help develop data-processing workflows for large-scale neural recording and OP-MEG datasets.
- Contribute to the scientific and operational planning for the new OP-MEG facility, including: o Visiting other OP-MEG research facilities to gain an understanding of best practice;
- Engaging with research groups to understand their specific requirements for the facility, identify shared needs, and advise on how to balance these to maximise benefit for all users;
- Reviewing and advising on data storage and sharing solutions;
- Helping to procure OP-MEG specific equipment; and
- Establishing standard operating procedures for the facility, including processes for scientific project reviews and approvals.
- Lead the preparation, submission and ongoing management of ethics applications and regulatory approvals for animal and human research, ensuring compliance with relevant legislation and institutional guidelines.
- Build and sustain productive collaborations with researchers working in rodent electrophysiology, human neuroimaging, computational modelling and clinical/translational neuroscience, including co-designing projects that take advantage of the new OP-MEG capability.
- Contribute to the development of competitive grant applications as co-investigator or chief investigator, including generation of pilot data, methods descriptions and impact statements.
- Provide day-to-day guidance, mentoring and technical support to students and junior researchers working on related projects in line with School/Faculty norms for supervision.
- Actively contribute to a positive, inclusive and safe lab culture by supporting good research practice, reproducibility and adherence to health and safety procedures in both animal and human research environments.
- Align with and actively demonstrate the Code of Conduct and Values.
- Cooperate with all health and safety policies and procedures of the university and take all reasonable care to ensure that your actions or omissions do not impact on the health and safety of yourself or others.
About the successful applicant
(Selection Criteria)
- A PhD in neuroscience, cognitive science, or a closely related discipline, with a strong focus on systems neuroscience.
- Demonstrated expertise in either chronic in vivo rodent electrophysiology and/or human MEG/OP-MEG.
- Demonstrated ability and interest in designing and/or analysing comparative studies that bridge human and rodent neuroscience.
- Strong quantitative and programming skills and experience developing reproducible analysis pipelines and/or open-source tools for large neural datasets.
- Evidence of high-quality research outputs commensurate with opportunity, including first-author publications or preprints in recognised neuroscience or related journals, and contributions to collaborative work.
- Proven ability to attract research funding, including competitive fellowships and grant schemes, appropriate to opportunity and career stage.
- Experience working with human and/or animal research ethics and a clear understanding of regulatory and data-governance requirements in neuroscience research.
- Prior involvement in establishing new experimental setups or facilities
- Experience mentoring junior researchers or students and contributing to a positive, inclusive lab and departmental culture.
- Evidence of engagement with open-science practices, including code and/or data sharing and the use of open, reproducible workflows.
- High level communication skills and ability to network effectively and interact with a diverse range of students and staff.
- Demonstrated ability to work in a team, collaborate across disciplines and build effective relationships.
- Evidence of highly developed interpersonal and organisational skills.
- An understanding of and commitment to UNSW’s aims, objectives and values in action, together with relevant policies and guidelines.
- Knowledge of health and safety responsibilities and commitment to attending relevant health and safety training.
You should systematically address the selection criteria listed within the position description in your application.
Please apply online - applications will not be accepted if sent to the contact listed.
Contact:
Simon Killcross
E: s.killcross@unsw.edu.au
Applications close: June 18th, 2026
Find out more about working at UNSW at www.unsw.edu.au
UNSW is committed to equity diversity and inclusion. Applications from women, people of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, those living with disabilities, members of the LGBTIQ+ community; and people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent, are encouraged. UNSW provides workplace adjustments for people with disability, and access to flexible work options for eligible staff. The University reserves the right not to proceed with any appointment.
