UCL Interaction CentRE (UCLIC)
Faculty Position in Human-Computer Interaction
Vacancy Reference Number: 1687485
Further Information for applicants
We invite applications for a faculty position in Human-Computer Interaction to join the thriving UCL Interaction Centre (UCLIC). We seek world-class talent; candidates must have an outstanding research track record. UCLIC is a joint Centre across the Division of Psychology and Language Sciences (PALS) and Computer Science (CS). This lectureship will be based in PALS. Staff have fruitful interactions with both parent departments regardless of individual departmental affiliation. The post-holder will report to the Director of UCLIC. The appointment will be made at the rank of Lecturer (equivalent to Assistant Professor), commensurate with qualifications.
Candidates must hold a Ph.D. in Human-Computer Interaction or a related field by the time they begin their appointment. They will be evaluated chiefly on the significance and novelty of their research to date, and their promise for leading a group in a fruitful programme of research. They must also demonstrate a zest for innovative and challenging teaching at graduate and undergraduate levels. A proven record of ability to manage time and evidence of ability to teach and to supervise academic work by undergraduates, masters, and doctoral students are desirable. Our centre is a highly collaborative environment, and we seek future colleagues who enjoy working collaboratively. Candidates should further be committed to public communication, and to UCL's policy of equal opportunity, including working harmoniously with colleagues and students of all cultures and backgrounds.
UCLIC
UCLIC is a world leading Centre of Excellence in Human-Computer Interaction teaching and research, studying interactions between people and technology, drawing on the best scientific traditions in Computer Science, Human Sciences, Design and Engineering and working collaboratively with the research community and industry.It is directed by Professor Yvonne Rogers.It has grown to over 40 interdisciplinary researchers (11 faculty staff, 12 post docs, 29 PhD students), working in a diversity of areas including adaptive and future interfaces, affect and emotion, behavioural change, design practice, digital health and well being, human-centered data, in-the-wild studies, task performance and multi-tasking, internet of things and ubiquitous computing. UCLIC is co-located with the Department of Computer Science in Gower Street. The department houses experimental facilities including a prototyping/physical computing lab and a suite of usability laboratories, equipped for a variety of types of study, for use by both staff and post-graduate students.
Division of Psychology and Language Sciences (PALS)
The Division of Psychology and Language Sciences is part of UCL’s Faculty of Brain Sciences within the School of Life and Medical Sciences. The Division, comprising over 120 members of academic staff, is a major contributor to UCL's pre-eminence as an international leader in neuroscience and behaviour. It comprises the following research departments: Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology; the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience; Experimental Psychology; Language and Cognition; Linguistics; Speech, Hearing and Phonetic Science; and UCL Interaction Centre. Cutting-edge facilities include a centre for brain imaging and extensive laboratories for research in cognition, perception, development, social science and speech and language. Research is funded by the UK Research Councils, charities such as the Wellcome Trust, government departments, the EU, and the NHS.
The Division’s research strength was recognised by the 2014 REF, where staff were submitted to UoA4, Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience. The REF confirmed UCL as the strongest centre for research in brain sciences in the country, by both ‘power’ and intensity-weighted GPA. A recent independent report by RAND confirms this picture. UCL researchers contributed to 18.5% of the UK’s highly-cited publications (those falling into the top 20% for citations in their year and field) in Experimental Psychology, more than double that of the next UK institution (Oxford, 9.1%). In Neuroscience UCL’s share was 18.1%, again double that of the next UK institution (Cambridge, 9.2%). In Audiology/Speech-Language Pathology UCL’s share was again the highest amongst UK universities, at 14.7%. The wider context is that UCL is the world’s 2nd largest centre (after Harvard) for research in neuroscience and behaviour.
Department of Computer Science (CS)
The Department of Computer Science is a global leader in research in the area of experimental computer science, with an emphasis on measurement, methodological rigour and ultimately reproducibility. The Department has 11 groups and 8 centres and is also an active partner in the pan-UCL Institute of Digital Health. Research groups focus on a specific sub-discipline within CS, while centres are intellectually cross-cutting, inter-disciplinary homes for coordinated programmes of research involving staff in the CS department and other departments or institutions. Groups provide the focus needed for coherent intellectual investigation of a sub discipline, while centres ensure that groups remain outwardly active, responding to opportunities for applications and crosspollination of ideas. Centres act as bridges, forming the connections to other sub-disciplines that make Computer Science such an exciting, rewarding and vibrant field of intellectual endeavour.
In the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF) evaluation UCL wasranked in first place for Computer Science,out of 89 Universities assessed, andconsiderably ahead of otherInstitutions. 61% of its research work is rated as world-leading (thehighest possible category) and 96% of its research work israted asinternationally excellent. UCL researchers in Computer Science andInformatics received a ‘grade point average’ of 3.57 (out of 4) andsubmitted over 70 staff to be assessed inREF2014. UCL Computer Sciencehas made seminal contributions across the full range of its corestrengths and associated 11 research groups and 8centres, including theCentre for Health Informatics & Multiprofessional Education(CHIME), Biomedical Physics & Biochemical Engineering, and theCentrefor Medical Image Computing (CMIC).
UCL
UCL is one of the UK’s premier universities and is regularly ranked in the world’s top 10. It is a world-class research and teaching institution based in London whose staff and former students have included 20 Nobel Prize winners. Founded in 1826, it was the only university in England at that time which admitted students regardless of race or religion. UCL was also the first to admit women on equal terms with men. Today, UCL is an inspiring university in which to work and study and it continues to thrive on the diversity and creativity of its community and its interdisciplinary approach to research.
The UCL community
UCL currently employs approximately 8,000 staff and includes academic units as diverse as the Slade School of Fine Art, the Mullard Space Science Laboratory and the Institute of Child Health, which is associated with Great Ormond Street Hospital. In total, there are 54 Academic Departments and Institutes whose activities span the arts and humanities, social and historical sciences, law, architecture and the built environment, engineering sciences, mathematical and physical sciences, life and clinical sciences, and medicine. UCL’s academic and research staff are a truly international community, with more than a quarter coming from 84 countries outside the UK.
Location and working environment
Based in Bloomsbury, UCL is a welcoming, inclusive university situated at the heart of one of the world’s greatest cities. Its libraries boast extensive collections, both physical and digital, and the University hosts such facilities as the Petrie Museum of Egyptology and the Bloomsbury Theatre. UCL’s central campus is within easy reach of Euston, Kings Cross and Marylebone mainline stations, the new Eurostar terminal at St. Pancras and the following Underground stations: Euston Square, Warren Street, Goodge Street and Russell Square. Road connections to the M1 and M40 motorways give easy access to the north and west road networks. There are also good public transport links to Heathrow airport.
The Work
The standard wording in an academic contract is:
"You will perform such duties as the Head of Department may from time to time require. The work will be so arranged as to leave time to pursue studies and make original investigations; this will be regarded as part of the duties."
Thus, there are teaching (and associated administrative) duties, and research "duties". Considerable freedom is left to individuals in their working practices; staff are expected to be in UCL during term-time, and are also responsible for the supervision of postgraduate students during the summer vacation. It is departmental policy to provide each lecturer with their own room and access to computing equipment and lab space to assist in the performance of these duties.
A mentor - an experienced member of academic staff - is assigned to each new lecturer. There is an appraisal, review and development scheme. As a part of this, staff are expected to attend training courses run by UCL for activities such as lecturing, tutoring, interviewing, writing papers, making grant applications, and project management. Probationary lecturers may supervise research students with an experienced member of staff acting as co-supervisor.
Research
It is difficult to generalise about research activities. However, academics are expected to extend the knowledge base in their area and to aim to become an accepted authority. This is important for career progression of the individual, but also to maintain the international research reputation of the department. We would expect to see growing evidence of an academic’s research stature through publications in the best conferences and journals, research grants, and graduated research students during the academic's career. We also look to staff to be actively engaged with the scholarly and professional community.
UCL has a strong reputation for interdisciplinary research. Engagement with other UCL research centres is an important component of the way in which research is conducted. Contact with industry, public institutions, and commerce through collaboration is encouraged, and similarly, we encourage consultancy work. There is a generous provision of time for this work. We are particularly keen on entrepreneurial activities such as start-up companies, and our staff have a strong reputation for work in this area.
Teaching
Academic staff in UCLIC contribute to teaching on the MSc in Human–Computer Interaction, related programmes from other departments, and also undergraduate teaching in both Psychology and Computer Science.
An academic will typically (after some period of ‘tapering-in’):
· prepare and deliver two courses, nominally of 30 lecture hours each
· organize and attend any associated practicals and mark coursework, possibly with help from paid demonstrators
· set and mark examinations for the courses taught, and second examine others' courses
· have one or two tutorial groups of 4-8 students, meeting them once per week
· act as Seminar Leader for a Psychology undergraduate seminar group.
· supervise a few undergraduate final year projects
· supervise a few MSc projects during July-September
· be available for consultation by students on course-related problems, setting up student projects, and any other problems.
All staff help in the recruitment of students.
Every member of staff has one or more administrative academic tasks, such as assisting with examinations liaison, publicity, library, admissions, etc. Both parent departments and UCLIC have strong administrative staff to assist with most of these tasks. There are Teaching Committee meetings which lecturers with commitments to specific programmes attend, and some of the duties involve sitting on other departmental committees. From time to time all staff are involved in preparations for teaching and research assessments and for accreditation by professional bodies.
Staff should be willing to serve on UCL committees if the need arises; this is rarely onerous. Senior staff will usually act as external examiners at other universities.
Application Procedure
Applications for the position should be made online at: https://atsv7.wcn.co.uk/search_engine/jobs.cgi?owner=5041178&ownertype=fair&jcode=1687485
Applicants should submit the following materials, such that all materials arrive on or before the closing date:
· Complete curriculum vitae, which must include:
- education history
- details of previous employment
- details of current or most recent employer (name and address of current organization, job title and duties)
- list of publications
- details of membership of any professional organizations
· Three letters of reference including contact details, each sent *directly* by the reference writer to Louise Gaynor () at the time of your application.
· Brief (no longer than two sides of A4 paper including any references) statement of research interests and plans
· Brief (no longer than two sides of A4) statement of teaching interests.
Please note that UCL will not request your reference letters; it is your responsibility to ensure that your referees send the letters to Louise Gaynor () in time to arrive by the deadline below. This letter submission requirement supersedes content on UCL's HR department's web site, which suggests letters are requested by UCL later.
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Help and Assistance
If you have any difficulty with the application process, please take a look at the Frequently Asked Questions at http://bit.ly/1SH42b
CVs e-mailed to this address will not be accepted unless a prior agreement has been made.
Questions about this post may be directed to Professor Yvonne Rogers (Director of UCLIC, ).
Submitting your application
UCL’s online recruitment system only allows applicants to upload two files with their application. As we are requesting you send us three documents (your CV, research statement and teaching statement), please be aware that you will either need to collate everything into one PDF file or upload your research and teaching statements as one file. A covering letter is not required but you may include one if you wish.
Please do not upload copies of: research papers you have written, your PhD thesis, your qualification certificates, data on teaching feedback scores, etc. Supplementary documents such as these will not be considered by the selection committee.
Submission of your application is final and you will not be able to amend your application or add additional documents once you have pressed ‘Submit’, so please only submit when you are happy that your application is complete. But please don’t forget to submit! Once all elements of your application are checked as completed, make sure you log back in and click on the Submit button before the closing date/time.
The latest time for submission will be 23:59 hours Greenwich Mean Time. Once you have submitted your application you will only be able to amend your personal details, i.e., address, telephone number etc.
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JOB DESCRIPTION
Title: Lecturer
Department: UCLIC PALS
Reports to: Director of UCLIC and Head of Department
Grade: 8