Research Fellow

Salary: Full time starting salary is normally in the range £36,636 to £46,049 with potential progression once in post to £48,822

Contract Type: Fixed Term Contract up to May 2028

Food allergy affects 6-8% of children worldwide. Avoiding allergens is a keyway to manage allergic disease but it places ongoing mental, social, and financial strain on families, affecting the wellbeing and quality of life of children, parents, and the wider household. Low-income families face additional challenges, but most research on food allergy and socioeconomic disadvantage is quantitative and adult-focused, leaving a lack of detailed understanding of how children, adolescents, and their families are affected. This project uses qualitative methodologies to explore the experiences of low‑income families in the West Midlands and co-design a practical toolkit to support them to live well with food allergy.

Summary of Role

• Work within specified research grant and contribute to writing bids
• Public involvement and engagement
• Qualitative data collection - photo elicitation methods, in-depth interviews, workshops.
• Analyse and interpret research findings and results
• Organisation and delivery of workshops, project events, and other research-related activity as required
• Contribute to generating funding
• Contribute to public understanding of the discipline 

Main Duties / Responsibilities

The responsibilities may include some but not all of the responsibilities outlined below.

• Develop research objectives and proposals for own or joint research
• Analyse and interpret data, in a way which develops new intellectual understanding
• Disseminate research findings for publication, research seminars etc
• Supervise students on research related work and provide guidance to PhD students where appropriate to the discipline
• Contribute to developing new models, techniques and methods
• Contribute to enterprise, business development, and/or public engagement activities of manifest benefit to the College and the University, often under supervision of a project leader
• Collect research data
• Present research outputs, including drafting academic publications or presentation at seminars
• Provide guidance, as required, to support staff and any students who may be assisting with the research

Person Specification

• A PhD relevant to the research area (or near completion), or equivalent PhD level qualifications. 
• High level analytical capability
• Ability to communicate complex information clearly
• Fluency in relevant models, techniques or methods and ability to contribute to developing new ones
• Ability to assess resource requirements and use resources effectively 
• Understanding of and ability to contribute to broader management/administration processes
• Contribute to the planning and organising of the research programme and/or specific research project
• Co-ordinate own work with others to avoid conflict or duplication of effort
• Knowledge of the protected characteristics and duties under the Equality Act 2010. Including fostering good relations and advancing the universities Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED).
• Other relevant criteria from our equality and diversity knowledge, skills and experience document.

Informal enquiries can be made to Kiya Hurley (k.hurley@bham.ac.uk) or Louise Overton (l.e.overton@bham.ac.uk).

To download the full job description and details of this position and submit an electronic application online please click on the 'Apply' button above.

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We value diversity and inclusion at the University of Birmingham and welcome applications from all sections of the community and are open to discussions around all forms of flexible working

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