Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Faculty of Health and Life Sciences

The post

The Faculty wishes to recruit a part-time (0.6 FTE) Postdoctoral Research Fellow to work on a funded programme of research capacity building to benefit older people living in care homes and supported living. This NIHR funded post based in the NHIR Applied Research Collaboration South West Peninsula (PenARC) is available on a fixed term basis from 01 April 2024 to 31 March 2026.

The successful applicant will manage 4 strands of activity (1) supporting practitioners from adults social care organisations to take on the role of research champion and develop skills in using and generating research evidence that is relevant to their setting; (2) delivery of an internship programme for adults social care professionals to undertake one year of research development focused training; (3) lead an online community of practice to support adult social care professionals to engage with, understand and share research evidence relevant to their practice; (4) work in partnership with other academics and practitioner researchers to support the development of research funding and fellowship applications that will benefit older adults and staff living and or working in care homes and supported living settings.

In this post you will build on existing PenARC links to practitioner communities and seek to  widen this further including close collaboration with academics based at the University of Plymouth. This is an exciting opportunity to deliver a programme of work that builds on existing relationships with the care home sector in the region and contribute to wider learning/community of practice with similar capacity building initiatives funded in the other Applied Research Collaborations in England.

About you

The successful applicant will be based in PenARC and able to work independently and will be an enthusiast of engaging and communicating with both academic and practice professionals. They will have experience of teaching and/or developing others research skills; experience of managing projects or programmes of activity; knowledge of applied health and social care research and an active research interest in adult social care. There will be opportunities to develop research ideas, objectives, projects/proposals; identify sources of research funding and contribute to the process of securing funds and make presentations at conferences and other events.

Applicants will possess a relevant PhD or equivalent qualification/experience in a related field of study. The successful applicant will be a nationally recognised authority in applied research and/or building research capacity and possess sufficient specialist knowledge in the discipline to develop applied research programmes, methodologies and activities. The successful applicant will also be able to work collaboratively, supervise the work of others and manage and lead others as required.

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

What we can offer you

• Freedom (and the support) to pursue your intellectual interests and to work creatively across disciplines to produce internationally exciting research;
• Support teams that understand the University wide research and teaching goals and partner with our academics accordingly
• An Innovation, Impact and Business directorate that works closely with our academics providing specialist support for external engagement and development
• Our Exeter Academic initiative supporting high performing academics to achieve their potential and develop their career

• A beautiful campus set in the heart of stunning Devon

The University of Exeter

We are a member of the prestigious Russell Group of research-intensive universities and in the top 200 universities in the world (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024 and QS World University Ranking 2024).  We combine world-class teaching with world-class research, achieving a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework Award 2023, underpinned by Gold ratings for Student Experience and Student Outcomes.

Our world-leading research impact has grown more than any other Russell Group university in recent years, and we are home to some of the world’s most influential researchers, seeking to answer some of the most fundamental issues facing humankind today.  More than 99% of our research is of international quality and 47% is world-leading (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

We are committed to ensuring reasonable adjustments are available for interviews and workplaces.

Whilst all applicants will be judged on merit alone, we particularly welcome applications from groups currently underrepresented within our working community. 

With over 30,000 students and 7,000 staff from 150 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 and Project Juno for Physics), race equality (Race Equality Charter Mark), LGBTQ+ inclusion (Stonewall Diversity Champion) and as a Disability Confident employer.

For further information please contact Professor Vicki Goodwin telephone 01392 722745 or email [email protected] or Dr Jo Day 01392 726089 or email [email protected]

The closing date for completed applications is midnight 21 Jan 2024.  Interviews are expected to take place week on the 5th and 8th February.