Research Associate, Tackling Antimicrobial Resistance Through Professional Learning Open Societal Challenge

Terms: Full Time post Fixed Term for 9 months

Closing Date: 05^th April 2023– noon

Flexible working patterns will be considered.

Change your career, change lives

The Open University is the UK’s largest university, a world leader in flexible part-time education combining a mission to widen access to higher education with research excellence, transforming lives through education.

The role

We are seeking highly motivated researcher to play a key role in the Tackling AMR through Professional Learning Open Societal Challenge.

AMR is a leading global health issue with 1.27M deaths globally in 2019 making it the 12th leading cause of death, above HIV and malaria with social and economic costs and several of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) dependent on antimicrobials continued effectiveness.

Addressing this threat is a global priority, particularly in low-and-middle income countries (LMICs) where the impact of infectious diseases is highest with limited ability to respond to AMR. Professionals involved in AMR-related roles across environmental, human, and animal health sectors are critical in tackling AMR using a One-Health approach. However, since AMR-related knowledge, skills and job roles evolve rapidly, these professionals need regular learning opportunities supporting them to work collaboratively, developing and applying new AMR-related knowledge and skills and changing their work practice to support improvements in AMR.

The Tackling AMR through Professional Learning Open Societal Challenge will expand on the Open University’s work in partnership with the Fleming Fund by developing a theory of change for AMR-related professional learning interventions and implementing a programme to evaluate the impact of professional learning on work practice.

You will be part of a multidisciplinary team of Open University researchers working with AMR stakeholders in Uganda and Nepal. In your role, you will be responsible for designing, implementing and reporting stakeholder needs analysis to develop an understanding of knowledge gaps related to AMR and how they could be supported through co-design, co-creation and adaptation of appropriate, contextually relevant, technology-supported professional learning.

Skills and experience

Essential:

• A completed PhD in Professional Learning, Technology-enhanced learning, Health, Psychology, other relevant Social Sciences or other relevant field. 
• Demonstrable experience of analysing data using qualitative methods.
• An ability to review published work and synthesise key findings in a systematic way.
• An ability to plan and prioritise own workload and work to agreed deadlines.
• Demonstrable experience of work in development contexts.
• Good oral and written communication in a variety of contexts, including the ability to offer and receive constructive criticism
• Experience of authoring or co-authoring academic outputs (e.g., journal articles, books, research reports). 
• A record of research and/or knowledge exchange that is commensurate to the position.

The full summary of duties and person specification can be found within the Job Description.

If you would like further details about the role before making an application, then please email your query through to Resourcing-Hub@open.ac.uk quoting the reference number and job title or contact (Rachel McMullan 01908 659 013)

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