Postdoctoral Fellowship in Adult Social Care Research

Location: Leeds - Main Campus

Contract type: Fixed term (20 months - to complete a specific task or time limited work)

Interview date: Thursday 17^th December 2026

Build the next stage of your research career at Leeds

Are you an outstanding postdoctoral researcher with ambitions to become an independent adult social care researcher? Do you have important research questions you want to lead and develop?

If so, we want to hear from you.

This fellowship provides the opportunity to develop and deliver your own programme of adult social care research within the School of Healthcare at the University of Leeds. You will be hosted within Nurturing Innovation in Care Home Excellence in Leeds (NICHE-Leeds) and connected to the wider research community across the University of Leeds, Leeds Beckett University and the NIHR School for Social Care Research (SSCR).

The fellowship offers protected research time, mentorship and career development support. Up to £30,000 is available to support research activity, training and career development.

Research that matters

Our research addresses major challenges facing adult social care and seeks to improve the lives of people who draw on care and support, their families and carers, and the social care workforce. Our strengths include research on the workforce, technology and digital innovation, dementia, older people, care homes, quality and safety, implementation science, and knowledge mobilisation.

We particularly welcome researchers who will extend, challenge or complement our existing strengths, bringing new questions, theoretical perspectives, methodologies or disciplines to adult social care.

Work where research and social care meet

You will work within NICHE-Leeds, a partnership between social care and academia. NICHE-Leeds brings together researchers, people drawing on social care, families, care staff, providers and other partners to identify priorities, generate evidence and support its use in practice.You will benefit from our membership of NIHR SSCR, providing access to training, networking and career development opportunities. Successful Fellows also become NIHR Academy Members.

Who we are looking for

You will have a PhD in a discipline relevant to adult social care research and a developing track record demonstrating the potential to become an independent social care researcher.

We are particularly interested in applicants who can demonstrate:

• Intellectual ambition and originality;
• A strong commitment to adult social care research;
• Excellent research and methodological capability;
• Potential to develop a distinctive programme of research;
• Ability to collaborate across disciplinary and organisational boundaries; and
• Commitment to research that matters for people, services, policy and practice.

As part of the application, you will need to outline the research you want to develop, describe your methodological, substantive and career development plans, and how Leeds will support your progression.

What we offer in return

• 26 days' holiday plus approx.16 Bank Holidays/days that the University is closed – pro-rated for part time.
• Generous pension scheme plus life assurance
• Discounted staff membership options at The Edge
• Access to courses run by our Organisational Development & Professional Learning team, and self-development courses including languages, Creative Writing, Wellbeing Therapies
• All FHLS staff are entitled to 10 days' staff development per year (pro-rata) 
• Access to on-site childcare, shopping discounts and travel schemes.

If you are looking for more than your next postdoctoral position and want to build the research career that comes after it, we encourage you to apply.

To explore the post further, please contact:

Professor Karen Spilsbury: k.spilsbury@leeds.ac.uk

Further details: Candidate brief

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