I-REACCH Empathy Research Associate

About the role

The Wellcome Trust has funded a team of researchers to find new ways to innovate, influence policy, and make a difference to staff and student participation in how we work together and empathise with each other.

You will pro-actively help to shape the future direction of research culture at the University of Leicester. Our shared aim is to be inclusive, promote equity and extend diversity. Five workstreams are going to test new ideas and ways of enhancing the progression of people who often feel excluded from a university career structure.

Funded by the Wellcome Trust as part of its Institutional Funding for Research Culture scheme, you will join a dedicated team to deliver the I-REACCH (Inclusive Research Culture Achieved through Culture Change) project. As Empathy Research Associate for I-REACCH, you will bring your research skills to support the delivery of a new and exciting piece of work for the University of Leicester.

This role will engage with research leaders to create empathic models of inclusive leadership that lead to sustained change. You will lead the development, implementation and evaluation of the I-REACCH empathic research culture toolkit (liaising with an EDI consultant) and the Stoneygate Centre for Empathic Healthcare using a range of methods.

About the I-REACCH programme

I-REACCH is a range of complementary pilot projects, focused on under-represented groups, which will combine data collection/analysis, bespoke intervention development, engagement and evaluation through five objectives (O).

• Trial active inclusive recruitment practices for increased diversity
• Develop bespoke inclusive tools for career progression
• Boost citizenship engagement and advocacy to enhance an inclusive culture
• Engage with research leaders to create empathic models of inclusive leadership for sustained change.
• Robustly evaluate each of the pilot projects

About the Empathy Centre

The Stoneygate Centre for Empathic Healthcare is a centre whose mission is to improve patient outcomes through enhanced empathy. Further information can be found here.

About you

With a PhD and relevant research experience, you will play a vital role in the co-design, co-development and co-delivery of the I-REACCH work package focused on empathic leadership, as well as conduct research into the cultural and ethnic facilitators and barriers to empathy in an increasingly diverse world. Your leadership skills will ensure that the provision meets (and where possible exceeds) Wellcome Trust requirements and expectations including reporting milestones. The daily tasks will involve you liaising with colleagues to develop a robust empathic leadership toolkit, reviewing literature and undertaking focus groups as well as developing process evaluation measures. You will need to be highly pro-active and energized to develop your research skills to deliver our vision for a more inclusive research culture.

Supervised by experienced Project investigators, Prof Kate Williams Dr Anveesha Singh, and Professor Jeremy Howick and you will work closely with our newly formed, innovative ‘Mirror Co-Investigator’ team comprising researchers, technicians and staff with lived experience of research culture challenges who are uniquely placed to shape our research activity and developments.

Additional information

Informal enquiries are welcome and should be made to Kate Williams: kate.williams@le.ac.uk 

The University of Leicester has been changing the world, and changing people’s lives, for 100 years. When you join us, you’ll become part of a community of Citizens of Change, which includes not only our staff and our current students but also thousands of Leicester graduates around the world.

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