Description Position Details Department of Immunology and Immunotherapy, School of Infection, Inflammation and Immunology, College of Medicine and Health Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK Full time starting salary is normally in the range £43,455 to £73,506 Clinical Full Time, Fixed Term contract up to March 2026 Closing date: 25th February 2025 Background We are seeking an experienced Clinical Research Fellow at ST3 level or above to join an established multi-disciplinary team of clinicians, exercise physiologists, medical sociologists and clinical trialists in an 3-year study to explore whether lifestyle can delay the onset of type 1 diabetes (T1D). The fellow is expected to register for a 1 year MSc by research and will be trained in exercise physiology, research methodology and clinical trials. The way we manage Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is on the cusp of major change. We now have the tools to identify people at risk of future T1D and to put in place the measures to support, offer clinical trials and potentially offer therapies for prevention. The University of Birmingham leads a national screening programme, ELSA (elsadiabetes.nhs.uk), which offers general population screening for T1D. Families where children are identified at risk of T1D ask about the potential for lifestyle intervention to delay the development of T1D. Indeed, work we have undertaken previously as well as studies in animal models of T1D suggest that exercise can slow the development of this condition. Training in screening for and managing early pre-symptomatic T1D, research methodology, patient and public involvement, literature reviewing, exercise physiology and trial design would be provided. Expertise from exercise physiologists, clinicians (both adult and paediatrics) will be made available from collaborators around the UK and Europe. There is also the potential to participate in and recruit from a wider European screening program – EDENT1FI ( www.edent1fi.eu/ ), in which Birmingham is playing a leading role. This is a 1 year fully funded clinical MSc by research through the University of Birmingham, with a potential opportunity to upgrade to a 3 year PhD subject to funding. We would welcome applications from aspiring clinical academics who are willing to work collaboratively and enthusiastically on a very clinical and topical research project. Role Summary The purpose of this role is to: Obtain training and experience in clinical trials, exercise physiology, screening for and managing early presymptomatic type on Diabetes. Supporting a multidisciplinary team to undertake a feasibility study of the role of exercise in diabetes. Support a screening program for diabetes including supporting families identified at risk around clinical management of these early stages of diabetes. Supporting juniors and fellows in research and clinical training. Undertaking some clinical work. Undertaking unsupervised as well as supervised background reading of literature relating to this project. Contributing to research meetings. There will be some administrative tasks associated with this role. Main Duties To coordinate recruitment of patients to the ELSA trials, including patient identification and consent and performance of trial-related procedures where relevant To assist with trial set-up and obtaining necessary local and national approvals (ethics, MHRA) and contribute to site file and data management under guidance of the trials coordinators and lead investigators. To carry out a literature review of the topic area. To gain sufficient research data and experience that will enable progression to a higher degree (PhD or MD). To comply with the terms and conditions set out in the fellowship and in the University of Birmingham’s graduate Programme of study. To contribute to the enhancement of scientific understanding of diabetes. To undertake prescribed research tasks and collection of research data. To prioritise tasks within the agreed work schedule to ensure that projects are completed in a timely fashion according to the timelines in the Elsa study programme. To suggest and contribute to the development of research techniques and methods in collaboration with colleagues. To contribute to writing bids for research grants. To disseminate research findings using appropriate and effective media such as publication, research seminars, etc. To provide guidance to other staff and students. To contribute to the production of research reports and high impact publications. To plan and develop research contributions to subject area using methodologies, critical evaluations, interpretations, analyses and other appropriate techniques. To participate in departmental and Diabetes-specific public engagement activities and initiatives. Person Specification Essential: Possession of a National Training Number. Full General Medical Council Registration with a Licence to Practice. Understanding and experience of research methods and processes. Medical degree. Training in paediatric diabetes. Desirable: Demonstrable research experience. Understanding and experience of research methods and processes related to the study of chronic inflammatory diseases. Research publications. Planning and Organising Plan for the use of research resources as appropriate. Contribute to the planning of research projects. Co-ordinate own work with others to avoid conflict or duplication of effort. Prioritise responsibilities and various undertaken work-streams. Problem Solving and decision making Critical decision making on appropriate amendments to experimental design and progress to ensure optimal output. Plan for the use of research resources as appropriate. Contribute to the planning of research projects. OH and DBS required The University is committed to safeguarding and we promote safe recruitment practice, therefore all associated pre-employment checks will be undertaken before any appointment is confirmed. Due to the nature of the work undertaken in this role all successful applicants will be subject to a satisfactory Occupational Health and DBS clearance prior to appointment. Further particulars can be found here Informal enquiries to Lisa Powell, email: l.h.powellbham.ac.uk We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website .