Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Faculty of Health and Life Sciences

This part-time (0.8 FTE) NIHR-funded post is available for 18 months from 1 October 2024 (or as soon as possible thereafter)., subject to final confirmation of funding.

The post

The Faculty wishes to recruit a postdoctoral Research Fellow to work on GREENGAGE, a pilot randomised control trial and process evaluation of a nature-based intervention for people with mental ill health. The overall aim of the project is to test and finalise the processes for undertaking a definitive, fully powered RCT of the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a group, nature-based intervention.

We are looking for an enthusiastic researcher with experience of mixed methods, stakeholder and public/patient engagement, and an interest in social prescribing, nature-based interventions, complex interventions, and trials.  The successful candidate will draw on stakeholder and public/patient engagement, pilot trial and qualitative methods to inform a future randomised controlled trial (RCT) to assess the effectiveness of a Nature-on-Prescription intervention for people with common mental health conditions.  They will also support quantitative and cost data collection.

About you

The successful applicant will be able to develop research objectives, projects and proposals; identify sources of research funding and contribute to the process of securing funds and make presentations at conferences and other events.

Applicants will possess a relevant PhD or equivalent qualification/experience in a related field of study. The successful applicant will be a nationally recognised authority in a relevant subject area, such as health services research/ social science, and possess sufficient specialist knowledge in the discipline to develop research programmes and methodologies. The successful applicant will also be able to work collaboratively, supervise the work of others and act as team leader as required. Key activities and deliverables will include: day to day tasks running the project including liaising with the nature-based providers, organising stakeholder and public/patient workshops and training, developing and managing the participant project website, developing and coordinating communications to participants, supporting online data collection, developing, recruiting, running and analyzing qualitative data collection, supporting the analysis of quantitative data, contributing to the ethics application, contributing to the development of the definitive RCT protocol; writing academic papers for publication and other dissemination materials for the project.

Please ensure you read the Job Description and Person Specification for full details of this role.

What we can offer you

• Freedom (and the support) to pursue your intellectual interests and to work creatively across disciplines to produce internationally exciting research;
• Support teams that understand the University wide research and teaching goals and partner with our academics accordingly
• An Innovation, Impact and Business directorate that works closely with our academics providing specialist support for external engagement and development
• Our Exeter Academic initiative supporting high performing academics to achieve their potential and develop their career
• A multitude of staff benefits including sector leading benefits around maternity, adoption and shared parental leave (up to 26 weeks full pay), Paternity leave (up to 6 weeks full pay), and a Fertility Treatment Policy
• A beautiful campus set in the heart of stunning Cornwall.

Further information

For further information please contact Ruth Garside, e-mail R.Garside@exeter.ac.uk. 

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