Research Associate: Engaging Communities in Urban Farming

Job reference: BMH-025515

Salary: £36,024 to £37,099 pro rata per annum, depending on relevant experience

Faculty/Organisational Unit: Biology, Medicine Health

Location: Manchester

Employment type: Fixed Term

Division/Team: Division of Psychology and Mental Health

Hours Per Week: Part Time 22.5 hours per week (0.6fte)

Closing date (DD/MM/YYYY): 27/05/2024

Contract Duration: for 36 months

School/Directorate: School of Health Sciences

The Division seeks to appoint a Research Associate to work in the Manchester Centre for Health Psychology at the University of Manchester. This is a part time post (60% fte) working on a research project funded by the BBSRC called Farm Urban Manchester.

The project involves both agriculture and social science to create a high profile, UK of a “Protected and Controlled Environment (PACE) urban farm.

The agricultural side of the project will aim to: 

1. Produce sufficient, good quality and consistent crops to meet commercial demand and be financially viable.
2. Successfully grow less usual crops, that can offer better flavour and nutrition than those produced through more conventional farming methods, and which have social and cultural significance to a multi-cultural community.

The social science side of the project will aim to:

1. Help to make the idea of farming in this way more acceptable to communities - both local people / individual consumers, and also to the food and hospitality industry (restaurants, wholesalers, retailers). Demystifying the world of ‘urban farming’, myth bust, and encourage people to engage and adopt.
2. Help to address issues of inequality around access to healthy food across urban communities, creating a source of healthy food, and then engaging people in a meaningful way, so that they feel inspired, and able, to include it in their lives.

We are looking for a person with experience with qualitative and quantitative methods and/or experience of community engagement preferably in relation to urban farming or healthy eating.

Research Associate (60%)

The research is focused on engaging as many different people and communities for whom the PACE farms might have relevance, as possible. At a local community level, it’s bringing them along with the planning of the whole project; asking questions about what they want their PACE farm to produce, how it should work to meet their needs, and what they would like to see done, to help them feel that this is something that is very much a resource for their own communities. At a wider Manchester residents level (from marginalised to affluent groups), it’s about awareness raising, demystifying the concept of growing in a protected and controlled environment, and exploring the potential for the food grown in the PACE farms to be marketed and retailed (with attention to the cost of living crisis and other barriers for marginalised groups). For the food and hospitality sector, it is able ensuring that their expectations and needs are met; planning the project to reflect the realities of being a wholesale supplier, retailer or chef right now in the city, and working closely to encourage those who are most inclined to explore new supply chains or sources to work with the PACE farms, and join the project as a showcase. 

This is an ideal opportunity for people seeking post-doc experience with a direct practical application.

The School of Health Sciences is strongly committed to promoting equality and diversity, including the Athena SWAN charter for gender equality in higher education. The School holds a Silver Award which recognises their good practice in relation to gender; including flexible working arrangements, family-friendly policies, and support to allow staff achieve a good work-life balance. We particularly welcome applications from women for this post. Appointment will always be made on merit. For further information, please visit: https://www.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/about/equality/

Our University is positive about flexible working – you can find out more here

Blended working arrangements may be considered          

Please note that we are unable to respond to enquiries, accept CVs or applications from Recruitment Agencies.

Enquiries about the vacancy, shortlisting and interviews:

Name: Dr Tracy Epton

Email: tracy.epton@manchester.ac.uk

General enquiries:

Email: People.Recruitment@manchester.ac.uk

Technical support:

Jobtrain: 0161 850 2004 jobseekersupport.jobtrain.co.uk/support/home

This vacancy will close for applications at midnight on the closing date.