Applications are invited for an 18-month post of Post-doctoral Research Fellow Level 1, working with Dr Cliodhna O'Connor in the School of Psychology, University College Dublin.

Project: Despite growing recognition of the public health and humanitarian harms of weight stigma, the extent and manifestations of stigma remain insufficiently understood. This research project addresses this gap through a study of representations of obesity/overweight across diverse contexts. A multi-method approach combines structured reviews of academic and policy literature, traditional and social media analysis, qualitative interviews, and general public survey.

Role: The primary purpose of the role is to further develop one's research skills and competences, including the processes of publication in peer-reviewed academic publications, the development of funding proposals, the mentorship of graduate students along with the opportunity to develop skills in research led teaching. The successful candidate will carry out the following duties specific to this project: synthesise published academic research on the topic of weight stigma; source and analyse policy documents referencing obesity/overweight on the island of Ireland; conduct and analyse qualitative interviews; collect and analyse media data, to include newspaper, radio, television and social media; assist with the design and analysis of a cross-sectional survey.

For full details on selection criteria, salary and application process, please see the UCD jobs portal: https://www.ucd.ie/workatucd/jobs/

Applications must be submitted via the UCD portal before 12pm (local Irish time) on 19/01/2026. Interviews will be held in late January with the successful candidate taking up the position as soon as possible thereafter.

For any further information, feel free to contact Dr Cliodhna O'Connor at cliodhna.oconnor1@ucd.ie.