Research Assistant/ Associate

The Role 

Newcastle University’s Politics department invites applications for a Postdoctoral Research Associate to join an ambitious project that will evaluate the quality, integration, and impact of a range of public engagement processes that are part of the Casey Commission (Independent Commission into Adult Social Care) which seeks to create a National Conversation on social care in the UK. Ipsos Mori have been contracted by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) by to provide the public engagement element of this commission. This will include a digital platform, community engagement, marginalised communities, a citizens’ assembly, and those employed in social care. The evaluation of these engagement processes is being led by Professor Stephen Elstub at Newcastle University.

We are looking for a researcher with an interest in public engagement and democratic innovation, with experience of conducting mixed methods research generally and surveys, interviews, focus groups, document analysis, and non-participant observation. You will concurrently collect data through these methods. You will deliver high-quality analyses of the data, and share your findings, in collaboration with the project team, presentations to a range of audiences, an evaluation report, and peer reviewed academic journals. You will work with a high degree of independence, as appropriate seeking input from the project team.

If you would like to have an informal conversation about this role, please contact Professor Stephen Elstub (stephen.elstub@ncl.ac.uk)

Find out more about the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences here

Find out more about the School of Geography, Politics and Sociology here   

Find out more about the Department of Politics

Contact for the post is stephen.elstub@ncl.ac.uk

Duration of post is 15 months (to start approx. 01/09/2026 and until project ends on 30/11/2027)  

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