Post-Doctoral Researcher, School Of Pharmacy, College Of Medicine & Health

12 Months (Possible extension), Fixed-Term, Whole-time/Part-time Post

Position Summary

Applications are invited from suitably qualified candidates for a full-time or part-time, fixed term contract as Postdoctoral Researcher at School of Pharmacy, University College Cork (UCC), Ireland. The candidate will be hosted in collaboration with the Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Directorate of the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) for the duration of this post. The position is available initially for 1-1.5 year. This position is funded by Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) in collaboration with CURAM, an SFI Research Centre for Medical Devices.

Job Description: This is a joint Post-Doctoral position between the School of Pharmacy, UCC and the HTA Directorate, HIQA. The candidate will be employed by UCC, but will be based between the School of Pharmacy and HIQA, and will be a key member of both the Pharmaceutics / Drug Delivery Team in the School of Pharmacy and the HTA Directorate in HIQA. In addition, the candidate will liaise closely with the Clinical Translational Research and Support Team in CÚRAM.

As part of the new Regulation on Health Technology Assessment (HTAR), Joint Clinical Assessments (JCAs) undertaken by experts from HTA bodies across the EU will provide assessments of selected high-risk medical devices and diagnostics. A JCA will comprise a description of the technology and the burden of disease, as well as an assessment of the relative clinical effectiveness and safety of the technology compared to existing technologies. HTAR aims to support Member States in making more evidence-based and timely decisions on patient access to selected new medical devices and in vitro diagnostics. HTAR aims to ensure that accurate high quality information informs investment in high-risk medical device and in vitro diagnostics across the EU. Some European countries have embedded HTA in investment decisions through the national health insurance-based reimbursement processes. Others provide HTA advice to local decision makers in hospitals and community health organisations at the request of decision makers.

The aims of this project are to:

•                    Describe the current decision-making pathways and oversight structures for investment decisions relating to high-risk medical devices and diagnostics in Ireland

•                    Conduct an international review of decision-making pathways and oversight structures for investment decisions relating to high-risk medical devices and diagnostics.

•                    Engage with stakeholders and suggest potential decision-making pathways and oversight structures for investment decisions relating to high-risk medical devices and diagnostics in Ireland, which leverages the outputs of the JCAs produced under the HTAR framework.

Training and peer-to-peer learning/mentoring will be provided by the experienced team at UCC and HIQA, to support the conduct of this research. The candidate will be encouraged and supported to apply for additional funding through EU and other granting agencies to further extend the scope of this and related projects.

Desirable criteria specific to the post are as follows:

•                    Candidates with a Ph.D. degree in Pharmacy, Medicine, Public Health, Health Services Research, Biomedical Science, Pharmacoeconomics or a related field are highly encouraged to apply

•                    Experience in one or more of the following areas will be desirable:  health technology assessment, clinical translation, medical device policy, regulatory science

•                    Practical experience of analysis of data using a variety of methodologies, including evidence synthesis, policy analysis and semi-structured interviews

•                    Experience of liaising with both internal and external stakeholders to present information and or gather data

•                    Knowledge of the healthcare system in Ireland and an understanding of the role of HTA and evidence synthesis to inform decision-making.

•                    Evidence of peer-reviewed publications in international scientific journals

•                    Prior research experience and the capability to work independently

•                    Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to contribute in a multidisciplinary team setting

•                    Excellent oral/written communication skills

•                    Availability to start by the end of May 2024 will be an advantage 

Project Title: Implications of the EU Regulation on Health Technology Assessment for medical devices in Ireland 

Post Duration: 12 Months (Possible extension)

Salary: €42,781 - €49,177 p.a. (IUA Salary Scale)

For an information package including further details of the post see https://ore.ucc.ie/.  

Informal enquiries can be made in confidence to Caitriona O’Driscoll, Professor and Chair of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Tel: + 353 (0) 21 4901396; Email: [email protected]

Applications must be submitted online via the University College Cork vacancy portal (https://ore.ucc.ie/). Queries relating to the online application process should be referred to [email protected], quoting the job-title and project name.

Candidates should apply, in confidence, before 12 noon (Irish Local Time) on Friday, 26th April 2024.

No late applications will be accepted.

Please note that an appointment to posts advertised will be dependent on University approval, together with the terms of the employment control framework for the higher education sector.

UCC is committed to creating and fully embracing an inclusive environment where diversity is celebrated.  As a University we strive to create a workplace that reflects the diversity of our student population where people from a wide variety of backgrounds learn from one another, share ideas, and work collaboratively. UCC is committed to being an employer that recognises the value of diversity amongst its staff.  We encourage applicants to consult our policies at https://www.ucc.ie/en/edi/policies/ and initiatives at https://www.ucc.ie/en/edi/implementation/ and we welcome applications from everyone, including those who are underrepresented in the protected characteristics set out in our Equal Opportunities & Diversity Policy. 

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE CORK IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES EMPLOYER