Research Associate

Research Assistant/Associate

COLLEGE OF MVLS

RI - HEALTH & WELLBEING

Research And Teaching

GRADE 7

Job Purpose

The postholder will support the work of the Suicidal Behaviour Research Laboratory and a range of research projects associated with the Lab working on data collection, management, literature reviews, analysis and training development. Specifically, the job requires expert knowledge in suicide and self-harm or related fields.

The post-holder will also be expected to contribute to the formulation and submission of research publications and research proposals as well as help manage and direct complex and challenging project(s), as opportunities allow.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Perform the following activities in conjunction with and under the guidance of the Principal Investigator (PI):

1. Take a leading role in the planning and conduct of assigned research individually or jointly in accordance with the project deliverables and in accordance with the project deliverables and IHW research strategy.

2. Document research output including analysis and interpretation of all data, maintaining records and databases, drafting technical/progress reports and papers as appropriate

3. Establish and maintain your research profile and reputation and that of The University of Glasgow/ School/ Research Group, including establishing and sustaining a track record of independent and joint publications of international quality in high profile/quality refereed journals, enhancing the research impact in terms of economic/societal benefit, and gathering indicators of esteem.

4. Survey the research literature and environment, understand the research challenges associated with the project & subject area, & develop/implement a suitable research strategy.

5. Presentation of work at international and national conferences, at internal and external seminars, colloquia and workshops to develop and enhance our research profile.

6. Take a leading role in the identification of potential funding sources and to assist in the development of proposals to secure funding from internal and external bodies to support future research.

7. Take a leading role in developing and maintaining collaborations with colleagues across the research group/School/College/University and wider community (e.g. Academic and Industrial Partners).

8. Take a leading role in team/group meetings/seminars/workshops and School research group activities to enhance the wider knowledge, outputs and culture of the School/College.

9. Take the lead in the organisation, supervision, mentoring and training of undergraduate and/or postgraduate students and less experienced members of the project team to ensure their effective development.

10. Perform administrative tasks related to the activities of the research group and School, including Budgets/Expenditure.

11. Make a leading contribution to Teaching activities (e.g. demonstrating etc) and associated admin as assigned by the Head of School and in consultation with Principal Investigator.

12. Contribute to outreach and recruitment activities of the University of Glasgow.

13. Keep up to date with current knowledge and recent advances in the field /discipline.

14. Engage in personal, professional and career development to enhance both specialist and transferable skills in accordance with desired career trajectory.

15. Undertake any other reasonable duties as assigned by the Director of the Institute of Health and Wellbeing

16. To contribute to the enhancement of the University’s international profile in line with the University’s Strategic Plan - Inspiring People – Changing the World.

http://www.gla.ac.uk/about/strategy/people/.

These key tasks are not intended to be exhaustive but simply highlight a number of major tasks which the staff member may reasonably be expected to perform.

Knowledge, Qualifications, Skills, and Experience

Knowledge/Qualifications

Essential:

A1. Normally Scottish Credit and Qualification Framework level 12 (PhD) or alternatively possess the equivalent in professional qualifications and experience, with experience of personal development in a similar or related role(s)

A2. A comprehensive and up-to-date knowledge of current issues and future directions within the wider subject area or subject specialism

A3. Knowledge of project-specific technical models, equipment, or techniques

A4. Knowledge of specialist IT software, as appropriate.

Desirable:

B1 Working towards or completed PhD (SCQF level 12) in the research related field.

Skills

Essential:

C1. Interpersonal skills, particularly in relation to working with the interdisciplinary groups.

C2. Research creativity and cross-discipline collaborative ability as appropriate.

C3. Excellent interpersonal skills including team working and a collegiate approach. C4. Excellent communication skills (oral and written), including public presentations and ability to communicate complex data/concepts clearly and concisely.

C5. Appropriate workload/time/project/budget/people management skills.

C6. Extensive IT and data analysis/interpretation skills, as appropriate.

C7. Self-motivation, initiative and independent thought/working.

C8. Initiative and judgement to resolve problems independently, including demonstrating a flexible and pragmatic approach

C9. Organisational/managerial skills.

Experience

Essential: E1. Proven ability to deliver quality outputs in a timely and efficient manner

E2. A track record of presentation and publication of research results in quality journals/conferences

E3. Experience of making a leading contribution in academic activities

E4. Ability to demonstrate a degree of independence as illustrated by identification of project objectives from assessment of the literature, design & analysis of experiments & drafting of papers.

E5. Experience in undertaking independent research Commitment to open research, as appropriate to the discipline, through open data, open code, open educational resources and practices that support replication.

E6. Proven commitment to supporting the career development of colleagues and to other forms of collegiality appropriate to the career stage.

Desirable:

F1. Experience relevant to suicide research and prevention.

Job Features

Dimensions To carry out a range of research activities and functions within academic environments of the highest national or international quality.

Publish as appropriate to subject specialism within agreed timescales.

Informal supervision and support of less experienced members of the project team e.g. postgraduate and project students.

Undertake teaching or other duties in accordance with Institute/School policy.

Engage in personal, professional and career development to enhance both specialist and transferable skills in accordance with desired career trajectory.

Planning and Organising Management of time and prioritisation of research and administrative duties to achieve relevant project goals.

Planning, organisation and implementation of research project on a weekly/monthly basis.

Plan research directions that are within the available budget.

React to varying project needs and deadlines as assigned by PI.

Decision Making

Undertake decision making on all aspects of research project/activities.

Prioritise own workload.

Decide on research directions and goals within remit of original project proposal.

Adjust research approaches to meet project outcomes.

Identify best journals for publication and meetings/conferences to attend.

Purchase of equipment and materials.

Internal/External Relationships University colleagues: to exchange information to ensure efficient working, to ensure consistency in data gathering, and to facilitate cross disciplinary working.

External bodies/collaborators: proactively maintain co-operation and links at all levels to enhance profile and reputation.

Dissemination: Preparation and presentation of reports/results and participation in meetings and conference calls.

Problem Solving

Research including technical and theoretical aspects/problem solving and development of novel ideas.

Be aware of project and budgetary issues and equipment lead times.

Other

Representation of the University/College/IHW through presentation at national and international events.

Attendance at training events to learn and implement new research technologies.

Prepared to travel to meetings in the UK/Europe and elsewhere as required by the PI//University.

Additional School/RI/College  

The Athena SWAN Charter recognises commitment to advancing gender equality in science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine (STEMM) employment in academia.  The Institute of Health and Wellbeing has achieved a Gold Award. Further information at http://www.gla.ac.uk/researchinstitutes/healthwellbeing/athenaswan/

The Institute of Health & Wellbeing supports the principle of flexible working and undertakes that all requests will be considered seriously.

The University of Glasgow is committed to promoting equality in all its activities and aims to provide a work, learning, research and teaching environment free from discrimination and unfair treatment.

Terms and Conditions

Salary will be Grade 7, £39,347 - £44,263 per annum pro rata

This post is part time (28 hours per week) and to cover maternity leave for up to 12 months or until the substantive postholder returns, with proposed start date 2nd September 2024.

As part of Team UofG you will be a member of a world changing, inclusive community, which values ambition, excellence, integrity and curiosity.

The University of Glasgow has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.  If you require a Skilled Worker visa to work in the UK, you will be required to meet the eligibility requirements of the visa route to be assigned a Certificate of Sponsorship.

Please note that this post may be eligible to be sponsored under the Skilled Worker visa route if tradeable points can be used under the Skilled Worker visa rules. For more information please visit: https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa.

As a valued member of our team, you can expect:

1 A warm welcoming and engaging organisational culture, where your talents are developed and nurtured, and success is celebrated and shared.

2 An excellent employment package with generous terms and conditions including 41 days of leave for full time staff, pension - pensions handbook https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/payandpensions/pensions/, benefits and discount packages.

3 A flexible approach to working.

4 A commitment to support your health and wellbeing, including a free 6-month UofG Sport membership for all new staff joining the University  https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/staff/healthwellbeing/.

We believe that we can only reach our full potential through the talents of all. Equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of our values. Applications are particularly welcome from across our communities and in particular people from the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) community, and other protected characteristics who are under-represented within the University. Read more on how the University promotes and embeds all aspects of equality and diversity within our community https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/humanresources/equalitydiversity/.

We endorse the principles of Athena Swan https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/humanresources/equalitydiversity/athenaswan/ and hold bronze, silver and gold awards across the University.

We are investing in our organisation, and we will invest in you too. Please visit our website https://www.gla.ac.uk/explore/jobs/ for more information.