Postdoctoral Research Associate (PDRA) or Fellow (PDRF)

Faculty of Health and Life Sciences

This Medical Research Council funded post is available immediately to 31st July 2023 to participate in the Exploring Prenatal Influences on Childhood Health (EPoCH) study

This role can be undertaken on campus (in Exeter’s Streatham campus), remotely (working entirely from home in the UK), or a mixture (hybrid). An 80% (four days a week) or more part-time option is possible.

The post

This innovative study uses data from several European birth cohorts to combine observational evidence around maternal and paternal prenatal influences on childhood health, and to triangulate approaches to infer causal effects. The project is nearing completion and this exciting opportunity has arisen to lead and contribute to high quality scientific outputs in the final months. The successful applicant will conduct statistical analyses in R (including writing and running scripts), help create a webapp using RShiny, write and submit scientific papers, and deliver oral and poster presentations to international audiences.

About you

You will:

• possess a relevant PhD (or for PDRA, be nearing completion) or possess an equivalent qualification/experience in epidemiology/statistics (or a related field of study)
• be able to present information on research progress and outcomes, communicate complex information, orally, in writing and electronically and prepare proposals and applications to external bodies
• be able to demonstrate sufficient knowledge in the discipline and of research methods and techniques to work within established research programmes
• be able to work collaboratively, supervise the work of others and act as team leader as required
• be able to write and run statistical analyses in R, interpret results from population health studies, and write scientific papers, all to a high standard
• for PDRF, you will be able to develop research objectives, projects and proposals and identify sources of research funding and contribute to the process of securing funds
• For PDRF only, you will be a nationally recognised authority in epidemiology/statistics (or a related field) and possess sufficient specialist knowledge in the discipline to develop research programmes and methodologies

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

The University of Exeter

We are a member of the prestigious Russell Group of research-intensive universities and in the top 150 universities in the world (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2022 and QS World University Ranking 2022).  

Our research income in recent years means we’re the fastest growing UK Research University with some of the world’s most influential scientists, and we seek to answer some of the most fundamental issues facing humankind today through this. More than 99% of our research is of international quality and our world-leading research impact is growing faster than any other Russell Group university (2021 Research Excellence Framework). We encourage proactive engagement with industry, business and community partners to enhance the impact of research and education and improve the employability of our students. Read about our world leading research – Green Futures and how we are transforming education for a changing world. We are located in a beautiful part of the country and Exeter (a fast growing tech hub) is one of only a few UK cities to have been designated as a UNESCO Creative City .

Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Commitment

With over 27,000 students and 6,400 staff from 180 different countries we offer a diverse and engaging environment where our diversity is celebrated and valued as a major strength. We are committed to creating an inclusive culture where all members of our community are supported to thrive; where diverse voices are heard through our engagement with evidence-based charter frameworks for gender (Athena SWAN), race equality (Race Equality Charter Mark), LGBTQ+ inclusion (Stonewall Diversity Champion) and as a Disability Confident employer. Whilst all applicants will be judged on merit alone, we particularly welcome applications from groups currently underrepresented within our working community. Reasonable adjustments are available for interviews and workplaces.

Benefits

We offer some fantastic benefits including:

• 41 days leave per year
• options for flexible working
• numerous discounts at leading retailers
• onsite gyms on all of our campus’ and a cycle to work scheme
• sector leading policies around maternity, adoption and shared parental leave (up to 26 weeks full pay), paternity leave (up to six weeks full pay) and a new Fertility Treatment Policy
• stunning campus environments in Exeter and Cornwall, in the beautiful South West of England

Further information

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Dr Gemma Sharp [email protected] .

Interviews are expected to take place online during the week beginning 9th January.