Research Fellow: IMPROVE DKD Intervention Development and Process Evaluation

Contract Type: Fixed Term Contract up to September 2025

To help develop the intervention for the NIHR-funded IMPROVE DKD trial, we require a research fellow to work with Prof Colin Greaves, Professor of Psychology Applied to Health (https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/schools/sport-exercise/staff/profile.aspx?ReferenceId=146199&Name=professor-colin-greaves) and colleagues in the Universities of Birmingham, Warwick, Leeds, Keele and Aston as well as several NHS Trusts.

This will involve working with a wide range of NHS healthcare professionals and researchers involved in behavioural medicine, diabetes, kidney disease, implementation science, as well as groups of patients and primary care health professionals. The IMPROVE DKD project aims to develop a multi-component digital intervention (including a flag-alert system for GPs and a digital healthy lifestyle component for patients) to improve the care of older people living with Diabetes and chronic Kidney Disease and conduct a type 2 hybrid effectiveness-implementation cluster randomised trial in primary care to evaluate the IMPROVE DKD intervention. The aim of the current post is to develop and refine the IMPROVE DKD intervention over the first year of the project to get the intervention ready for evaluation n the main IMPROVE DKD trial. 

To achieve this aim, the successful applicant will work with a wide range of NHS healthcare professionals and researchers, as well as groups of patients and caregivers. We will build on prior evidence and the experience of our collaborators to co-create the digital healthy lifestyle promotion component of the IMPROVE DKD intervention. This will include promotion of healthy eating, physical activity, reduced alcohol intake, medication management and possibly management of some of the psychological consequences of living with multiple long-term illnesses.

Role Summary

• Work within specified research grants and projects and contribute to writing publications 
• Operate within area of specialism (behavioural science). NB: This post requires some specialist prior experience in the development of complex health behaviour change interventions, using recognised frameworks such as Intervention Mapping.
• Collect, analyse and interpret research findings and results – specifically  qualitative feedback from patients, caregivers and NHS delivery staff
• Strat to develop a framework for wider scale implementation of the IMPROVE DKD intervention that will be further developed during the main IMPROVE DKD trial.

Main Duties

The responsibilities may include some but not all of the responsibilities outlined below.

• Intervention development using an established framework (e.g. intervention mapping or the Behaviour Change Wheel)
• Contribute to writing bids for further research funding
• Analyse and interpret data
• Apply knowledge in a way which develops new intellectual understanding
• Disseminate research findings for publication, research seminars etc

Person Specification

• A PhD relevant to the research area and roles described here. For example in Health Behavioural Change, Health Psychology, or Health Promotion.
• Track record in the development of health behaviour change interventions.

Informal enquiries to Prof Colin Greaves if you have any queries, or would like an informal discussion (c.j.greaves@bham.ac.uk;  0121 414 8061 or 0798 989 5165). 

To download the full job description and details of this position and submit an electronic application online please click on the 'Apply' button.

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We value diversity and inclusion at the University of Birmingham and welcome applications from all sections of the community and are open to discussions around all forms of flexible working

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