Fixed Term Research Fellow- School of Health (12 Months)

Job Summary

The School of Health at Robert Gordon University is seeking to recruit a Research Fellow to support the Chief Scientist Office-funded project “Prevention of Hip Fractures in Scotland: Evidence Synthesis to Inform a National Strategy.”

Hip fractures are a major cause of morbidity, loss of independence, health and social care utilisation, and mortality among older adults. A wide range of interventions may contribute to reducing hip-fracture risk, including approaches targeting falls, bone health and osteoporosis, physical activity and exercise, medication, environmental risk, service delivery, and wider system-level prevention. However, the evidence is distributed across different clinical and public-health disciplines and must be considered alongside cost-effectiveness, feasibility, equity and the specific organisation of health and social care in Scotland.

This project will bring together and evaluate this evidence to support the development of a coherent, evidence-informed approach to hip-fracture prevention in Scotland. The programme is being undertaken collaboratively by researchers from Robert Gordon University, Public Health Scotland and the University of Aberdeen, with input from national organisations, healthcare professionals, policy stakeholders and people with lived experience.

The project will produce an accessible evidence map of interventions relevant to hip-fracture prevention; focused syntheses of clinical effectiveness and economic evidence; and an integrated assessment of the implications of the evidence for Scotland. Quantitative synthesis, including meta-analysis and Bayesian approaches where appropriate, will be used to estimate intervention effects and associated uncertainty. Evidence will also be considered within the Scottish context, including population characteristics, health inequalities, rurality, service configuration, workforce and resource implications.

The project will subsequently bring the evidence together using an Evidence-to-Decision framework, considering effectiveness, certainty of evidence, cost-effectiveness, equity, feasibility, acceptability and implementation considerations. The overall aim is to provide a rigorous evidence base to inform national policy, future service development and research priorities for the prevention of hip fractures in Scotland.

We are seeking a Research Fellow with strong skills in systematic review and evidence synthesis, alongside quantitative research expertise. The postholder will work closely with the Principal Investigator and wider multidisciplinary project team and will contribute across the evidence-review process, from protocol development and literature searching through to quantitative synthesis, interpretation, stakeholder engagement and dissemination.

This position provides an opportunity to contribute to a nationally relevant programme of applied health research with a direct pathway to policy and practice. The postholder will work within a multidisciplinary team spanning evidence synthesis, statistics, epidemiology, public health, health economics and implementation and policy research.

Informal enquiries are welcomed, please contact Professor Paul Swinton, Principal Investigator at p.swinton@rgu.ac.uk 

In keeping with RGU's commitment to work/life balance you will have the opportunity to work from home for a portion of the working week and also benefit from a generous pension scheme, 46 days annual leave (including statutory days) an onsite nursery and sports centre, as well as a range of voluntary health and travel benefits. 

To apply please submit your CV along with a covering letter outlining your suitability for the role and how you meet the person specification (max. 3-pages).

Interviews will take place during November 2026.

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