Post Doctoral Research Fellow

Start Date: 01 September 2026

Fixed Term for 33 Months

Applications are sought for a committed Post-doctoral Research Fellow to work with a research team led by Professor Colin McCowan, Dr Veronica O’Carroll, and Dr Sarah Mills conducting research for a Chief Scientist Office funded project entitled ‘Supportive Health Interventions and Escalation for Life Decisions (SHIELD)’. This is a collaborative mixed methods study with colleagues from the School of Medicine in St Andrews, NHS Fife, NHS Highland/Highland Hospice, University of Edinburgh and University of Western Virginia. The study aims to understand how people use unscheduled care in the last year of their life and to design and implement a bespoke care coordination system that improves care pathways and experiences of care. Further information can be found via the study web page https://medicine.st-andrews.ac.uk/shield/

The successful applicant will have (or be near to completion of) a PhD with expertise in qualitative or mixed methods research relevant to healthcare.  Experience in conducting qualitive research involving health professionals, people who use health care services and their caregivers would be particularly relevant to this project. Although not essential, experience in research related to palliative and/or end-of-life care or life limiting conditions, and working with patient and public representatives, would be beneficial. The researcher should be able to demonstrate excellent communication, organisation and research skills and the ability to work effectively as part of a team and with external collaborators. The candidate will be expected to provide significant intellectual input into the project at all stages from co-designing the qualitative research study; applying for Research Ethical approval; undertaking interviews and managing qualitative analysis, and working with the wider study team and external collaborators on a range of dissemination activities.

The post is available for 33 months starting 1^st September 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter. Informal enquiries can be made to Dr Veronica O’Carroll vo1@st-andrews.ac.uk or Professor Colin McCowan cm434@st-andrews.ac.uk

St Andrews offers more than just a place to work it is a place to belong. We value collegiality, inclusion, and wellbeing, and we are committed to creating a workplace where staff can thrive and perform at their best.

In addition to the salary on offer for this position, there are a wide range of benefits for staff working at the University of St Andrews. The package for the Research Fellow includes:

• Financial contribution to relocation (subject to eligibility)
• Membership of the USS Pension Scheme with a generous employer contribution of 14.5%
• A hybrid working environment, including partial homeworking where appropriate and a range of family friendly policies, supporting work-life balance
• Staff discount scheme for local and national goods and services
• Free staff parking, employee Carshare and Cycle to Work Schemes and subsidised local bus travel
• Subsidised sports membership, reduced tuition fees on degree programmes for staff, access to training and development opportunities including LinkedIn Learning, access to library facilities, salary sacrifice scheme
• 34 Days Annual Leave plus 5 Public Holidays.

At St Andrews, equality, diversity, and inclusion are central to who we are and form a core pillar of our University Strategy. We are committed to creating a fair, inclusive and supportive workplace, reflected in our participation in national diversity charters and awards, including Athena Swan, Carer Positive and the Race Equality Charter.  

Closing Date: 30 April 202

Interview Date: 22 May 2026

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