Research Assistant

Durham University is one of the world's top universities with strengths across the Arts and Humanities, Sciences and Social Sciences. We are home to some of the most talented scholars and researchers from around the world who are tackling global issues and making a difference to people's lives.

The University sits in a beautiful historic city where it shares ownership of a UNESCO World Heritage Site with Durham Cathedral, the greatest Romanesque building in Western Europe. A collegiate University, Durham recruits outstanding students from across the world and offers an unmatched wider student experience.

Less than 3 hours north of London, and an hour and a half south of Edinburgh, County Durham is a region steeped in history and natural beauty. The Durham Dales, including the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, are home to breathtaking scenery and attractions. Durham offers an excellent choice of city, suburban and rural residential locations. The University provides a range of benefits including pension and childcare benefits and the University’s Relocation Manager can assist with potential schooling requirements.

Durham University seeks to promote and maintain an inclusive and supportive environment for work and study that assists all members of our University community to reach their full potential. Diversity brings strength and we welcome applications from across the international, national and regional communities that we work with and serve.

Durham Anthropology is one of the very best in the UK with an outstanding reputation for excellence in teaching, research and employability of our students being 24th in the QS World Rankings, tenth in the Complete University Guide, and one of the UK’s top five anthropology departments for graduate prospects. The Department of Anthropology has a vibrant research culture with many visitors, seminars, global conferences and workshops, and is set to grow significantly over the next ten years. We were the top-ranked integrated Anthropology department in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework, being fifth in the UK for overall GPA (Times Higher Education), first equal for world leading and internationally excellent Impact and Research Environment, and second equal for world leading publications. Our undergraduate and graduate degree programmes have very high-quality students. Each year, we welcome over 100 undergraduate students onto our single honours programmes and ~30 students onto our joint honours degrees with the Department of Archaeology and the Department of Sociology. Our postgraduate taught degrees attract ~50 students from around the world each year, and we have a postgraduate research student community of ~75, again with substantial international representation. We aim to provide a supportive and friendly environment with a strong sense of community. Currently there are more than 30 permanent members of academic staff, conducting world class excellent research in Evolutionary Anthropology, Social Anthropology and the Anthropology of Health.

The Department of Anthropology is located in the Dawson building and houses the Bilsborough Lab for palaeoanthropological and morphometric research, the Physical Activity Lab, and Sleep Lab, and the Biological, Ecology and Physiology Lab. The Department also supports the Anthropology Field Station based in the Soutpansberg Mountains of South Africa. 

Durham Infancy & Sleep Centre

The Durham Infancy & Sleep Centre (DISC) is a research centre of the Department of Anthropology & Faculty of Social Sciences. It is the home for a group of researchers examining various aspects of infant and child sleep and parenting behaviour. Our work with more than 5,000 parents and babies during the last 20+ years has substantially increased parents’ understanding of babies’ sleep, how best to care for babies during the night, and how best to keep them safe when asleep. DISC houses the Baby Sleep Information Source (Basis) which provides research-based information for parents and practitioners.

Applications are invited for a 0.4FTE Project Manager in SUDI Prevention with a particular emphasis on multi-agency working and co-production in the sphere of public health. The research project involves piloting a co-produced multi-agency approach to reducing Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy (SUDI) among the most vulnerable families in County Durham. Working with managers and frontline workers providing local authority services the post-holder will help to design approaches to facilitate delivery of SUDI prevention interventions. The project is co-led by Professor Helen Ball (Anthropology, Durham University), Dr Amanda Healey (Public Health, Durham) and Dr Nicola Cleghorn (Durham & Darlington Child Death Overview Panel) with funding from the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration. This position holder will work alongside the existing team at the Durham Infancy & Sleep Centre.

The successful applicant will be expected to undertake project management, research and partner liaison activities under the supervision of Professor Ball.

Responsibilities  :

• To manage the conduct of the collaborative project and coordinate project management.

• To understand and convey information which needs careful explanation to the team partners and stakeholders through presentations, discussions and meetings which contribute to the production of research reports and publications.
• To write up results of research work, present information on research progress and outcomes to bodies supervising research in a clear and accurate manner.
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• To deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines by discussing with the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder and offering creative or innovative solutions.
• To liaise with research colleagues and make internal and external contacts to develop knowledge and understanding to benefit the project
• To assist in contributing to support student projects
• To contribute to fostering a collegial and respectful working environment which is inclusive and welcoming and where everyone is treated fairly with dignity and respect.
• To engage in wider citizenship to support the department and wider discipline.
• To engage in continuing professional development by attending relevant training and development courses.   
• To travel to local authority and frontline service offices around County Durham as needed to meet with staff and managers.
• To travel to family hubs and other community venues within County Durham as needed to set up and meet with parent panels.

This post is 0.4 FTE and fixed term – the project is time limited and will end on 14 June 2023.

The post-holder is employed to work on research/a research project which will be led by another colleague. Whilst this means that the post-holder will not be carrying out independent research in his/her own right, the expectation is that they will contribute to the advancement of the project, through the development of their own research ideas/adaptation and development of research protocols.

Successful applicants will, ideally, be in post by 1 September 2022. 

For informal enquiries please contact Professor Helen Ball ([email protected].  All enquiries will be treated in the strictest confidence. 

We prefer to receive applications online via the Durham University Vacancies Site. https://www.dur.ac.uk/jobs/ . As part of the application process, you should provide details of 3 (preferably academic/research) referees and the details of your current line manager so that we may seek an employment reference.

Applications are particularly welcome from women and black and minority ethnic candidates, who are under-represented in academic posts in the University .

• A CV and covering letter which details your experience, strengths and potential in the requirements set out above;
• [Anything else to submit?]

The assessment for the post will include an interview and 10 minute presentation. Shortlisted candidates will be invited for interview and assessment advised of after shortlisting.

• A good first degree in Anthropology, Sociology, Health, or a related discipline.
• A Masters in Anthropology, Sociology, Health, or a related discipline.
• Experience in conducting basic academic research or providing research assistance, including the use of standard research methods.
• Demonstrable ability to produce concise and well-written reports for a range of stakeholders.
• Experience in co-production, multi-agency working, or preventing infant mortality.
• Experience of managing research projects
• Experience of collaborative working
• Experience of providing specialist training to external workers
• Demonstrable ability to work cooperatively as part of a team, including participating in research meetings.
• Ability to work independently on own initiative.
• Ability to manage time effectively and work to strict deadlines.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to liaise with a range of stakeholders.
• Expertise with JISC Online Surveys and online training platforms used by DISC

• A PhD (or be close to submission) in Anthropology, Sociology, Health, or a related discipline.
• Experience of preparing academic papers.
• Experience in co-production in local authority or front-line service settings
• Ability to contribute to the planning and management of independent research. 
• Ability to plan and manage workshops and dissemination events