Research Associate

We are a world class research-intensive university. We deliver teaching and learning of the highest quality. We play a leading role in economic, social and cultural development of the North East of England. Attracting and retaining high-calibre people is fundamental to our continued success.

The Role
We are seeking a talented research associate with a strong background in realist review and realist evaluation to explore the utilisation of dental hygienist/therapist/nurse clinical skills in NHS primary dental care in England. The research is funded through an NIHR Health and Social Care Delivery Research grant. You will work as part of a collegiate and ambitious research team. You will have opportunities to travel to dental practices and explore different models of care to understand what works, for whom, and in what circumstances (as well as barriers and challenges). You will undertake data collection from the practice team, patients and commissioners. The findings of this work will inform a discrete choice experiment to determine incentives to utilise skill mix reforms; and economic modelling to consider cost effectiveness, improved access to NHS dental services and reduction of dental inequalities.

The Project
In 2022, NHS dental reforms were introduced to improve access to NHS dentistry. The reforms included the removal of administrative barriers to allow dental hygienists and dental therapists to see patients directly (i.e. to conduct a ‘check-up', a model of care called ‘direct access'), and rewarding dentists more fairly for providing more complex care. Research previously funded by NIHR has demonstrated efficiency and effectiveness at ‘role substitution' in dentistry, a term used to describe the potential for hygienists and therapists to work in front-line dental service provision. The study aim is to examine and understand how role substitution works. to create a blueprint for practices to adopt this model of care; and to evaluate for cost effectiveness and improved access to NHS dental services.

The research is composed of 3 work packages (WP). WP1 is a realist review and evaluation to explore and evaluate practices that have implemented skill mix reforms to explain why, how and for whom role substitution works before testing theories in working practices. WP2 is a discrete choice experiment (DCE) with attributes informed from realist analysis in WP1, to determine incentives to utilise skill mix reforms. WP3 is economic modelling to consider cost effectiveness, improved access to NHS dental services and reduction of dental inequalities.

This post is full-time for a fixed-term from 1st October 2025 until 31st September 2027 (24 months).

For informal enquiries contact: Dr Susan Bissett (s.m.bissett@newcastle.ac.uk)

Find out more about the Faculty of Medical Sciences here: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/medical-sciences/.

Find out more about our Research Institutes here: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/medical-sciences/research/institutes/.

Qualifications

• Educated to PhD level with experience of realist review and realist evaluation methodology.

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