The Nuffield Foundation and the Nuffield Council on Bioethics are seeking a Visiting Senior Researcher to undertake a research project to examine the implications of advances in neuroscience, genetics and genomics for understanding learning in young people, and for education policy and practice, with a particular focus on ethical questions raised.   

The role

The Nuffield Council on Bioethics is a leading, independent research and policy centre and the UK’s foremost bioethics body. The Council has published a number of reports, briefing notes and other materials on issues relating to genetics, genomics and neurotechnologies, and is committed to addressing novel and complex ethical issues that may arise in relation to developments in these areas. This role will be based within the Nuffield Council on Bioethics but will also work with Education colleagues in the Nuffield Foundation. Education is the largest of the Nuffield Foundation’s three domains (the others being welfare and justice). A priority for the Foundation in this area is understanding how the findings of biological and social research might improve teaching and learning, parental engagement, and child development. 

A range of scientific disciplines offer insight into how children and young people learn, how individual differences in learning might be understood, and how practices and interventions might be developed in the light of this. These include cognitive and developmental psychology, cognitive and developmental neuroscience and behavioural genetics. These have been advanced by recent developments in the field of genome-wide association studies, and the use of MRI and other techniques in research into cognitive development.  

Many uncertainties remain about the practical relevance of this research and there have been only limited attempts to integrate the findings from different areas. Collectively, however, these developments have potentially significant implications for educational practice and policy. Both educationalists and education policy makers have shown interest in using findings from genomics and neuroscience research but considering how they should be used broaches profound ethical as well as interpretive questions. Meanwhile, strong claims are made for the relevance of certain forms of evidence by an emerging commercial testing sector.    

The successful candidate will initially produce a background paper informed by literature reviews and engagements with stakeholders, supporting a roundtable event and leading to recommendations for action. There is also scope for the Visiting Senior Researcher to define further project activities and outputs.  Among the ethical and social issues to be considered in relation to neuroscience, genetics and education are:  

• the implications of using genetic and neuroscience data and research findings in education research, for example in designing, evaluating and targeting educational interventions;  

• diversity and inclusion in research and implications for the applicability of the research for different groups;  

• inequalities in access to interventions that enhance learning;   

• inappropriate use or misuse of research, e.g. for selection or grouping of students that may lead to discrimination, stigma or other harms;  

• factors bearing on the freedom of choice of parents and individuals to take tests or to accept interventions, and the implications of this for a child’s right to an open future;  

• the framing of educational challenges and the ‘medicalisation’ of education; the implications of selecting technological v. social measures to address educational challenges and the forces influencing these choices;  

• the fitness for purpose of current regulation and oversight in relation to the use of genetic and neuroscience research in the field of education;   

• the interaction with other issues in education, such as equity and equality of opportunity, timing of specialisation, and the respective roles of home and educational providers in the early years. 

This is an excellent opportunity for an established researcher to define and deliver a research programme in a dynamic, ideas-driven and policy-facing organisation. 

About you

You have a strong academic background and relevant research experience gained in an academic setting, policy department or regulator, a commercial company, research institute or charity. You are curious and passionate about the issues that arise at the intersection of science and society, and committed to taking an interdisciplinary and intersectional approach to address them. You’ll be comfortable taking initiative and working independently, but also contributing to our organisational mission, and working with colleagues and senior leaders. 

You’ll be keen to explore areas of research, policy and practice that may be unfamiliar; you’ll appreciate the importance of high standards of rigour in research and be motivated to ensure that research has a real-world impact that improves people’s lives.   

For further information about the role, please click here to download the full job description. 

About us

The Nuffield Council on Bioethics is a leading independent policy and research centre, and the foremost bioethics body in the UK. For over thirty years we have tackled some of the most complex and controversial bioethical issues facing society. We are funded jointly by the Nuffield Foundation, Wellcome and the Medical Research Council. 

We aim to inform policy and public debate through timely consideration of the ethical questions raised by biological and medical research so that the benefits to society are realised in a way that is consistent with public values. Our work has led to shifts in public understanding and policy change on topics ranging from public health to assisted reproduction and genome editing.  

Central to our reputation and standing is our independence – we do not represent any  particular group or view and we select our own topics, methodologies and outputs.  

We select topics to examine through our horizon scanning programme and use a variety of approaches to identify, consider and resolve the ethical issues they raise. Our approach is multidisciplinary and deliberative. We draw on a wide range of expertise and experience and use the best available evidence. We collaborate where our expertise complements those of other organisations (e.g. see our current collaboration on Genomics and AI Futures with the Ada Lovelace Institute).  

We engage with a wide range of different voices and views and are committed to increasing the diversity of the people we work with. As part of the Nuffield Foundation, we are a small team with the practical support of an established organisation that cares for its employees.

Find out more at: www.nuffieldbioethics.org 

More information and how to apply

The closing date for applications is 09:30am (BST) on Tuesday 25th April 2023 with interviews scheduled to take place on Thursday 11th May 2023. 

You will be required to complete some questions as part of this application process, and you are also required to upload an up-to-date copy of your CV as well as a sample of some research you have authored. The Applied platform lets you save an application and resume it ahead of submitting before the application deadline. 

We are committed to inclusive working practices and during the application process we commit to: 

• paying for travel costs (and any childcare or care costs) for interviews where in-person attendance is required 

• making any reasonable adjustments – for example providing documents in different formats, arranging for a sign language interpreter for interviews etc 

• As a Disability Confident employer, we will offer a guaranteed first stage interview for disabled candidates who meet the essential criteria for the role. 

• Should you need to make an application in a different format or require any adjustments as part of the application process, please get in touch with us: recruitment@nuffieldfoundation.org  

 Our benefits package includes:  

• 28 days holiday per annum and all public holidays (with the option to buy or sell up to 5 days).  

• A salary exchange pension scheme that offers employer contributions of up to 11%.  

• Life assurance scheme.  

• Family leave policies that provide an enhanced level of pay  

• Cycle to work scheme and loans towards season tickets.  

• Opportunities for learning and development 

• Wellbeing support including an employee assistance provider.