Graduate Research Assistant or Postdoctoral Research Associate

This NIHR funded full-time post is available immediately for 18 months.

The post
The College of Medicine and Health wishes to recruit a Graduate Research Assistant/Postdoctoral Research Associate to participate in supporting and researching Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) within the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration South West Peninsula (PenARC).

The successful applicant will work in a highly collaborative environment, working closely with other members of the PPIE team, with researchers in the ARC network, and community members. Communities include patients, carers, family members, regional, local and interest communities, and health and social care professionals.

The successful candidate will need to use a variety of approaches depending on local circumstances and existing PPI activities. S/he will be responsible for assisting in the wide and accessible dissemination of research outputs to local communities of service users and carers. The post holder will also support research on involvement, to further theory-building, involvement knowledge and understanding of how involvement of members of the public can best be facilitated, and what impact it has on research and those involved.

The post will include

• Working proactively with stakeholders to help ensure meaningful PPIE in all PenARC activities and delivering the PenARC PPIE strategy https://arc-swp.nihr.ac.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/PenARC-Public-Engagement-Strategy-2019-24-002.pdf . Day-to-day working activities include:
  • Liaising with researchers, setting up meetings with patients and members of the public, facilitating meeting discussions, reporting back to attendees after the meetings and dealing with the relevant administrative tasks.
  • Supporting members of the public in an ethical way, including children and care home residents when relevant, to be involved in PenARC research activities.

Please ensure you read the Job Description and Person Specification (available on the university's website, accessed by the apply button) for the full details of this role at both levels.

About you
At Graduate Research Assistant level (Grade E) the successful applicant will be able to engage members of the public in research, communicate complex research information to a range of audiences orally, in writing and electronically, in a public-friendly and accessible way.

Additional skills at Postdoctoral Research Associate level (Grade E) are preparing proposals and applications to external bodies.

The successful applicant at Graduate Research Assistant level (Grade E) will have a degree in a relevant subject and practical experience of working with people in a caring capacity. Postdoctoral Research Associate level (Grade E) will either possess a relevant PhD (or be nearing completion) or possess an equivalent qualification/experience in a related field of study and be able to demonstrate sufficient knowledge in the discipline and of research methods and techniques to work within established research programmes.

For further information please contact Dr Kristin Liabo ([email protected] ).

The closing date for completed applications is 14th  February 2022. Interviews are expected to take place on 1st  of March.