Salary: £46,485 - £49,250 per annum (pro rata)
Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.
Closing Date: 11 December 2024
The Role
This is an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic and highly motivated Post-Doctoral Research Associate in Qualitative Research to work in the Informatics and Precision Care for an Ageing Population theme in the NIHR Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre.
You will join an interdisciplinary team focused on joining up bioinformatics with health informatics to develop new ways of delivering precision care in diseases that affect older individuals. Information from individual diseases is being used to understand interactions between diseases in people with multiple long-term conditions, with the aim of then using precision care to improve the treatment of individual patients. The Informatics and Precision Care for Ageing Population theme is co-led by Chris Plummer, the Newcastle BRC Informatics Lead and Chief Clinical Information Officer at the Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and Alastair Burt, Professor of Precision & Molecular Pathology.
The principal aim of this role is to undertake qualitative research that improves our understanding of human behaviours in the context of clinical decision support. This recognises the key role of qualitative data in informing the development of learning health systems that identify the specific sets of characteristics of different groups of patients with multiple long-term conditions that make them most likely to benefit from specific treatment strategies. It also recognises the value of qualitative data in the iterative co-design process of quality improvement in the delivery of healthcare.
This role will also provide excellent opportunities for cross-theme working with members of the Ageing, Sarcopenia and Multimorbidity theme on other relevant projects on multiple long-term conditions.
You will be located within the Faculty of Medical Sciences at Newcastle University. As part of our commitment to career development for research colleagues, the University has developed 3 levels of research role profiles. These profiles set out firstly the generic competences and responsibilities expected of role holders at each level and secondly the general qualifications and experiences needed for entry at a particular level.
This post is being advertised at 0.8 FTE (29.6 hours per week) and is fixed term until 31st March 2028.
For informal enquiries please contact: Chris.Plummer@newcastle.ac.uk
Find out more about the Faculty of Medical Sciences here
Find out more about our Research Institutes here
Find out more about the NIHR Newcastle BRC here
Key Accountabilities
• Determine appropriate methodologies for qualitative research, with advice and support where required
• Assess research findings, the opportunities for further investigation and support the development of these investigations
• Contribute ideas, including enhancements to the technical or methodological aspects of the Informatics and Precision Care for an Ageing Population BRC theme
• Develop and carry out specified projects using appropriate methods
• Lead on the preparation and submission of any necessary applications for ethical approvals
• Lead on the preparation and writing of research papers and make significant contributions to group research papers
• Present research findings at conferences and other meetings, workshops, and events as appropriate
• Contribute to grant applications and develop own research objectives and proposals for funding
• Contribute to the supervision of undergraduate and postgraduate projects and dissertations and support other teaching activities (e.g., leading seminars)
• Contribute to the supervision of Research Assistants, where appropriate
• Contribute to public and patient involvement and engagement (PPIE) activities within the theme
• Take a role in developing capacity across the theme by planning and delivering training and support for researchers
• Participate in the activities of the Translational and Clinical Research Institute and other University research groupings when appropriate
• Develop an awareness of University structures, policies and procedures and relevant issues in the higher education, research, social and political environment
• Actively contribute to data collection and data curation in qualitative studies being led by the BRC and support others in their work on these studies
• Play an active part in research networks and actively seek out and develop opportunities for interdisciplinary research
The Person (Essential)
Knowledge, Skills and Experience
• Substantial professional experience of research with clear transferable skills and awareness of the research environment
• High level of analytical and problem-solving capability and ability to rapidly acquire new skills
• Ability to communicate complex information with clarity
• Excellent verbal communication skills evidenced by delivery of oral presentations at national and international conferences and other forms of dissemination
• Excellent written communication skills evidenced by lead writing of peer-reviewed scientific articles and a track record of publications appropriate for career stage
• A significant publication record, showing evidence of work of at least national quality
• Involvement in drafting manuscripts
• Good coordination, time management, analysis, and presentation skills
• Experience of project management, including contribution to the preparation of proposals for research funding, and monitoring research budgets
• Willingness to work with study participants, including clinicians and people living with multiple long-term conditions, and collect primary data
• Knowledge of key literature on multiple long-term conditions and issues specific to the study of multiple long-term conditions in the hospital setting
• Substantial theoretical and practical proficiency with appropriate data analysis tools
Attributes and Behaviour
• Ability to work to deadlines and manage conflicting priorities
• Demonstrates development of intellectual independence and academic discipline
• Ability to provide leadership to small research teams and to work with multi-professional teams
• Ability to evaluate concepts and theories in order to develop original solutions
• Commitment to personal development as a future research leader
Qualifications
• A PhD in a relevant subject such as health, psychology, sociology, gerontology, or public health sciences
Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.
We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society. We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent. We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.
At Newcastle University we hold a silver Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality. We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC. We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.
In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe.
Requisition ID: 27793