Research assistant – casual position

Start date: Will commence when a suitable candidate is found

Application deadline: Will remain until filled

Supervisor: Dr. Faria Sana

Faculty: Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Project Title: Mind Online: Building Experiments for Cognitive and Educational Research

Overview

We are seeking a Research Assistant to support the programming and development of online psychological experiments in a cognitive science lab at Athabasca University. The successful candidate will work closely with researchers to create engaging, accurate, and methodologically sound online studies that contribute to our ongoing projects on attention, learning, memory, and digital media use.

This is a remote or hybrid position with flexible hours and the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to cutting-edge research in online experimental psychology.

Specific activities include, but are not limited to

  1. Programming and troubleshooting online experiments using platforms such as LimeSurvey, Inquisit, Gorilla, and PsychoPy
  2. Embedding multimedia elements such as video lectures, audio clips, and visuals into study designs
  3. Implementing features such as mind-wandering probes, timed reaction tasks, counterbalancing, and adaptive survey logic
  4. Assisting with pilot testing, debugging, and quality assurance prior to data collection
  5. Collaborating with the research team to document experiment designs and prepare studies for ethics approval and launch

Qualifications

  • Strong experience with at least one experiment-building platform (e.g., LimeSurvey, Inquisit, Gorilla, PsychoPy)
  • Background in Psychology, Cognitive Science, Computer Science, Human-Computer Interaction, or a related field
  • Familiarity with experimental design and basic statistical concepts
  • Comfortable working with multimedia content and managing file formats (video, audio, images)
  • Detail-oriented, organized, and responsive to feedback
  • Ability to work independently and meet project timelines in a remote environment

How to apply

Please submit a brief cover letter outlining your interest and relevant experience, along with your CV and (if available) examples of any programmed experiments, GitHub pages, or demos. Send applications to fsana@athabascau.ca. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until a suitable candidate is found.

Equity Statement

Athabasca University and the researchers are committed and seek to support equity in employment and research opportunities. We strongly encourage applications from Indigenous people, people of colour, people with disabilities, 2SLGBTQ+ people, women, and other historically marginalized groups. Applicants are welcome, but not required, to self-identify in their letter of application.

Assistantship