Research Fellow - Human Centred Digital Health AI

Fixed term for up to 21 months

Full time – 37 hours per week

Closing date 19/07/2026 at 23:30

Sheffield Hallam University is seeking to appoint a Research Fellow in Human-Centred Digital Health AI for Equitable Maternity Pathways to join the Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (CEAIR) and contribute to innovative, responsible and impactful research at the intersection of AI, digital health, healthcare innovation and human-centred design. The role is based in the Smart Interactive Technologies (SIT) Lab, a multidisciplinary environment for applied AI and robotics research focused on technologies that empower people and improve lives.

This is an opportunity to join a growing and ambitious research environment to play a central role in the NIHR Maternity Disparity Challenge, a 50 million investment by the NIHR to address major challenges in maternal health, including fragmented care pathways, missed opportunities for early intervention, and persistent inequalities affecting women and families facing disadvantage.

As research Fellow you will lead and contribute to research and innovation activities including co-design with women, families and clinicians, prototype development, usability and feasibility testing, mixed-methods evaluation, and translation of evidence into practical tools suitable for real-world NHS settings. The post offers an exciting opportunity to contribute to high-impact research that aims to reduce inequalities and improve maternal health outcomes through responsible, human-centred digital innovation.

A key focus of the role will be the development and evaluation of digital solutions to support equitable care in areas such as cardiometabolic risk assessment, remote or digitally supported monitoring, pathway orchestration, communication between services, and postnatal care pathways.

The successful candidate will help shape technologies that are trustworthy, accessible, inclusive and responsive to underserved communities, while contributing to publications, dissemination, external partnerships and future funding development.

The Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (CEAIR) is Sheffield Hallam University’s strategic hub for research, innovation, knowledge exchange and skills development in AI and robotics. It builds on internationally recognised strengths in embodied AI, socially assistive robotics, responsible innovation and applied AI for health and wellbeing, with a strong emphasis on ethical, human-centred and socially impactful innovation.

The role is based in the Smart Interactive Technologies (SIT) Lab, which provides access to a substantial research infrastructure including Care-O-bot 4, Fetch manipulator, ARI social robot, Furhat, Pepper, NAO, 21 TurtleBot 4 robots, Temi, Unitree Go2, SpiNNaker neuromorphic computing boards, and a high-performance server with NVIDIA AI accelerators, all within a secure specialist research environment.

We offer a diverse range of benefits and opportunities to pursue a rewarding and fulfilling career in a supportive environment.

The University currently enrols eligible academic staff into the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS), a defined-benefit pension scheme.

Find out more about the TPS

The University may be able to sponsor the employment of international applicants in this role; this will depend on a number of factors specific to the individual applicant.

To find out more, take a look at our guide to applying

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