Research Assistant / Associate in Mental Health Research (Walking Interviews)

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.

Salary
Research Assistant: £33,951 to £35,608 per annum.
Research Associate: £36,636 to £38,784 per annum.

The Role
Newcastle University’s Geography department invites applications for a Postdoctoral Research Associate to join an ambitious project within The Social Health Hub, which sits within the UKRI Mental Health Platform. Mental Health Platform | Mental health platform.

The Social Health Hub is a five-year research programme exploring how social determinants - the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live, and age influence the course of severe mental illness (SMI) — and shape how people respond to their conditions over time. This interdisciplinary project explores how neighbourhoods, social environments, and everyday mobilities shape the experiences, recovery pathways, and resilience of people living with severe mental illness. The project is funded through the UK Research and Innovation Medical Research Council (UKRI MRC). The overall lead is Professor Jennifer Lau, Wolfson Institute of Population Health, Queen Mary University of London. The Co-Investigator for the Newcastle University hub is Dr Ali Copeland.

We are seeking a skilled and thoughtful qualitative researcher to lead an innovative programme of walking interviews via neighbourhood tours with participants living with severe mental illness. The neighbourhood tours will form a core component of the project's empirical work in Workstream 2, generating rich, place based‑ insights into how social and spatial determinants influence wellbeing, recovery, and support needs.

This is a developmental post, and the successful candidate will be supported to develop legacy research plans from this research programme if desired. The post provides an excellent opportunity for a motivated candidate to work with leading researchers in social geography and to gain valuable experience in contributing to collaborative research, whilst developing an independent research profile. The post-holder will be based in the Department of Geography at Newcastle University but will also work closely with colleagues at the Research and Development Department, Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne & Wear (CNTW) NHS Foundation Trust; Coventry & Warwickshire Partnership Trust, and other NHS trusts as required.

The post-holder will be expected to contribute to the delivery of high-quality research at Newcastle University, specifically within the Department of Geography, Politics and Sociology, focusing on the needs of the population with mental health illness in Newcastle and beyond, and contributing to the research field of health geography and mental health. They will have the opportunity to contribute to, and benefit from, the life of the department and wider institution, including research events and training.

Application Process
To apply, please submit your CV and a cover letter addressing how you meet the essential and desirable criteria (available on the university's website, accessed by the 'Apply' button). If you would like to have an informal conversation about the role, please contact Dr Ali Copeland at alison.copeland@newcastle.ac.uk.

Newcastle University is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates.

This post is fixed-term for 18 months.

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