Research Assistant/Associate (RESPOND study)

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 Northeast of England. Attracting and retaining high-calibre people is fundamental to our continued success.

Salary
Research Assistant: £33,951 - £35,608 per annum (pro rata).
Research Associate: £36,636 per annum (pro rata).

The Role
We are excited to launch a new opportunity for a Research Assistant/Associate to join us at the Population Health Sciences Institute, Newcastle University. You will become part of a vibrant multidisciplinary academic community, working alongside researchers from a diverse range of disciplines and specialisms across public health, social care and health services research.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a multidisciplinary research team working on the NIHR funded RESPOND study: ‘Developing reproductive health support to prevent early and unplanned pregnancy among care experienced young people'. The study aims to improve the reproductive health outcomes of care experienced young people. (CEYP) by co-developing an evidence-based intervention that prevents early and unplanned pregnancy within this population.

The RESPOND study consists of three interconnected work packages:

1. A systematic review to synthesise the body of evidence on effective interventions for preventing early and unplanned pregnancy among vulnerable young people.
2. A qualitative study to explore the experiences and perspectives of both delivering and receiving reproductive health support for care experienced young people.
3. Participatory co-production workshops involving care experienced young people and key stakeholders to develop a reproductive health intervention for CEYP that is feasible to implement within Children’s Social Care and relevant and responsive to the needs and experiences of CEYP.

This post offers an excellent opportunity for candidates to develop skills and experience across a range of research methods, including evidence synthesis, qualitative research and participatory approaches. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to contribute to innovative, policy-relevant and evidence-based research aimed at reducing health inequalities and improving outcomes for care experienced young people.

We are particularly keen to hear from candidates who have experience in applied health and social care research, including undertaking complex qualitative work and engaging with participants in sensitive contexts. The successful candidate will be able to manage research activities both independently and collaboratively, organise competing priorities, deliver high-quality outputs within deadlines, and work effectively across diverse academic and practice environments. Strong communication, relationship-building, academic writing, publication, and dissemination skills are essential to this role, including the ability to share research findings through peer-reviewed outlets.

As part of our commitment to career development for research colleagues, the University has developed 3 levels of Research Innovation Role Profiles.pdf. These profiles set out firstly the generic competencies and responsibilities expected of role holders at each level and, secondly, the general qualifications and experiences needed for entry at a particular level.

We want you to feel confident when applying for a position with Newcastle University. If you'd like an informal discussion to clarify any points, please contact abisola.balogun@newcastle.ac.uk.

We are committed to making the process accessible to everyone and can provide additional support to adjustments to meet your needs.

This post is part time at 0.50 FTE, fixed-term for a period for 19 months until 31.03.2028.

To apply for this role, we require a cover letter and CV. In the cover letter, you should outline how you meet the essential criteria listed in the job description.

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