Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Early Childhood Development/Brain Health Full-time

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

This is an exciting opportunity for a Postdoctoral Research Fellow to join the Thriving Kids, Active Brains project within the Brain Builders Initiative. Based in the Brain Health and Early Development Research Group at the Child Health Research Centre, you will contribute to work that strengthens outcomes for children, families, and communities across Queensland.

The Brain Builders Initiative is a partnership between The University of Queensland, the Queensland Kids Partnership, and the Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY). Working closely with government, non-government, community, and philanthropic partners, BBI aims to translate contemporary evidence on brain development into practical tools, training, and resources that support the diverse workforces engaging with children and families.

In this role, you will collaborate with community, not-for-profit, and industry partners to co-design, develop, implement, and evaluate programs that build workforce capability and embed neuro-informed practice. This position offers the opportunity to grow your research expertise, strengthen your academic profile, and contribute to meaningful, large-scale systems change that supports children to thrive.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Co-design, implement, and evaluate research, training materials, and translational resources in partnership with community, government, and industry stakeholders.
• Produce high-quality research outputs (traditional and non-traditional) and contribute to collaborative research projects, funding applications, and knowledge-translation activities.
• Build and maintain strong partnerships across academic, community, and professional networks to support sustainable practice change and positive outcomes for children and families.

This is a research focused position. Further information can be found by viewing UQ's Criteria for Academic Performance.

About UQ

As part of the UQ community, you will have the opportunity to work alongside the brightest minds, who have joined us from all over the world, and within an environment where interdisciplinary collaborations are encouraged.

At the core of our teaching remains our students, and their experience with us sets a foundation for success far beyond graduation. UQ has made a commitment to making education opportunities available for all Queenslanders, regardless of personal, financial, or geographical barriers.

As part of our commitment to excellence in research and professional practice in academic contexts, we are proud to provide our staff with access to world-class facilities and equipment, grant writing support, greater research funding opportunities, and other forms of staff support and development.

The greater benefits of joining the UQ community are broad: from being part of a Group of Eight university, to recognition of prior service with other Australian universities, up to 26 weeks of paid parental leave, 17.5% annual leave loading, flexible working arrangements including hybrid on site/WFH options and flexible start/finish times, access to exclusive internal-only vacancies, and genuine career progression opportunities via the academic promotions process.

About You

• Completion, or near completion, of a PhD in early childhood development, psychology, allied health, early education, applied neuroscience, or a related discipline with a focus on early childhood (birth to five years).
• Demonstrated experience engaging with early childhood development workforces through professional and/or research-focused roles.
• Experience in, or the demonstrated capacity to undertake, co-design, implementation, and evaluation of professional training materials, programs, or resources.
• A track record of research productivity, including publications in reputable peer-reviewed journals, conference presentations, and contributions to securing external research funding.

Appointment to this role is subject to the successful completion of relevant pre-employment checks, which may include verification of the right to work in Australia, qualifications and Blue Card, This may also include checks relating to gender-based violence matters or other integrity and conduct requirements.

You must maintain unrestricted work rights in Australia for the duration of this appointment to apply. Employer sponsored work rights are not available for this appointment.

For more information about this opportunity, please contact Associate Professor Sally Staton.

For application inquiries, please reach out to the Talent Acquisition team at talent@uq.edu.au, stating the job reference number (below) in the subject line.

Our strength as an institution lies in our diverse colleagues. We're dedicated to equity, diversity, and inclusion, fostering an environment that mirrors our wider community. We're committed to attracting, retaining, and promoting diverse talent, particularly from Australia's First Nations Peoples. If you require an alternative method to submit your application due to accessibility needs or personal circumstances, please contact talent@uq.edu.au.

Applications close Wednesday 4th March 2026 at 11.00pm AEST (R-61495).