Graduate Research Assistant, Postdoctoral Research Associate or Fellow

This part time (0.6FTE) post is available immediately on a fixed term basis for 12 months.

Summary of the role

The College of Medicine and Health wishes to recruit a Graduate Research Assistant/Postdoctoral Research Associate/Postdoctoral Research Fellow to work on an exciting collaborative project in the area of residential care for older people. This fixed-term part-time (0.6 FTE) 12-month post, funded by Alzheimer's Society is available from November 2021 (with a possibility of continuation with further funding), and will be based in the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) South West Peninsula (informally known as PenARC).

The ExCHANGE (The University of Exeter and Care Homes Knowledge Collaboration) project is a collaboration between the University of Exeter, PenARC, the South West Academic Health Science Network (SW AHSN), and representatives from the Devon Care Homes Collaboration (DCHC), a membership organisation that provides support to care home providers, managers and staff in Devon, Plymouth and Torbay who are committed to improving the lives of those living in their care. The funding provided by Alzheimer's Society and the Dunhill Medical Trust has enabled us to establish a collaboration that focuses on the wellbeing and happiness of people living in care homes and to develop and test a creative model of engaging care home practitioners and other stakeholders in research.

The successful applicant will work with all partner organisations to promote research evidence-informed approaches to care home knowledge generation and use. They will help with the design and running of the central activities of the project such as:

• Workshops to provide people living and working in or visiting care homes with the knowledge, confidence, and skills to engage with research evidence and develop evidence-informed practice; workshops aimed at researchers wanting to understand how to engage people living and working in or visiting care homes in research evidence and practice;
• Arranging and supporting facilitation of meetings to generate research questions and share project work which will include with care staff and family members and other professionals with an interest in care homes research;
• Short projects between care-home organisations and the University of Exeter;
• Development of further research objectives, proposals and applications for research grants; and
• Qualitative evaluation of the model (data collection, analysis and reporting).
• Other activities may include writing reports, briefing notes/summaries, blogposts, maintaining a project website, supporting the creation of infographics/sketchnotes, and academic publications; and making presentations at conferences and other events.

About you

Applicants will possess a first degree level in a related field of study or equivalent experience (GRA) or a relevant PhD (or be nearing completion) or possess an equivalent qualification/experience in a related field of study (PDRA/PDRF) and possess sufficient knowledge and skills to work with others to support the running of knowledge exchange events and co-design/delivery of research and evaluation projects. You will be able to work collaboratively with others in a team environment.

Please ensure you read the Job Description and Person Specification for full details of this role.                  

Further information

Please contact Dr Iain Lang (e-mail [email protected]  or telephone 01392 726087) or Dr Jo Day (e-mail [email protected]  or telephone 01392 726089). 

This role may be subject to additional background screening.