Research Fellow (104604-1021)

Vacancy Type/Job category
Research Only
Department
Warwick Medical School, Health Sciences
Salary
£31,406 - £40,927 per annum
Location
University of Warwick, Coventry
Vacancy Overview
Full-time position but would consider part-time at 80% FTE
Fixed Term Contract for 2 Years
Warwick Medical School wishes to appoint a Research Fellow to work on an exciting MRC-funded project on the statistical design of adaptive platform clinical trials in emerging disease epidemics.
You will work with the project Principal Investigator and Professor of Medical Statistics, Nigel Stallard, but will also work closely with the Warwick Institute for Global Pandemic Planning and project collaborators at the MRC Biostatistics Unit at the University of Cambridge, Universities of Oxford and Lancaster and the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
You should possess a PhD or equivalent in statistics or a closely related subject and have expertise in the development of statistical methodology for clinical trial design and analysis and interest or experience in adaptive design methods. You should also have the excellent communication and team-working skills required for a successful collaborative project.
Based in the Statistics and Epidemiology Group in the Division of Health Sciences at the Gibbet Hill Campus of the University, you will be employed by Warwick Medical School, and have full access to the resources of the Medical School and University.
Salary will be within the range £31,406.00 - £40,927.00 per annum, depending on qualifications and experience.
Where you have not yet been awarded your PhD, any offer made to you will be an under-appointment to the post of Research Associate at a salary of £30,497 per annum. Once your PhD has been awarded and you have evidenced this, you will be appointed to the substantive post of Research Fellow at a salary within the range shown above.
Informal enquires should be directed to Professor Nigel Stallard ([email protected]).
Job Description
Job purpose
Applications are invited for a Research Fellow to work on an exciting project on the statistical design of adaptive platform clinical trials in emerging disease epidemics funded by the MRC-NIHR Better Methods for Better Research Programme.
You will be based within the Statistics and Epidemiology Group in the Division of Health Sciences, Warwick Medical School at the University of Warwick led by the project Principal Investigator and Professor of Medical Statistics, Professor Nigel Stallard, and will also work closely with collaborators Professor Thomas Jaki at the MRC Biostatistics Unit, University of Cambridge, Professor Peter Horby at the Universities of Oxford, Dr Lori Dodd at the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and Dr Chris Jewell at the University of Lancaster. You will also have the opportunity to work with the newly founded Warwick Institute for Global Pandemic Planning.
The proposed research programme will develop novel statistical methodology for adaptive platform designs to specifically addresses the challenges in emerging disease epidemics arising from uncertainty in duration of the epidemic and the number of patients likely to be affected, the number and timing of potential treatments that may become available and the best clinical endpoints to use to capture information on progression of a new disease. In addition, it will address practical issues associated with the use of the new statistical methods developed and raise awareness of platform trials in key stakeholder groups including patients, carers and the general public.
Under the direction of the project Principal Investigator, Professor Nigel Stallard, and in collaboration with the full project team you will undertake innovative research, using analytic and simulation approaches to develop and evaluate novel statistical methodology for adaptive platform clinical trials in the setting of an emerging disease epidemic. You will also contribute to the organisation, conduct and reporting of a stakeholder workshop and contribute to a bespoke webinar to raise awareness of platform trials.
The post is funded for 2 years. You will be encouraged, in collaboration with colleagues in WMS as appropriate, to lead or contribute to grant applications to generate further funding for your research programme.
Although this is primarily a research post, there may also be some opportunities for teaching and assisting in the supervision of postgraduate students.
Duties and responsibilities
Research
1. To conduct high-quality methodological research, contributing to the project and working collaboratively with the Principal Investigator and the project team as directed.
2. To lead and contribute to the dissemination activities of the project.
3. To contribute to the research environment of the Medical Statistics group in Warwick Medical School by developing and pursuing a programme of statistical research in adaptive design methodology for clinical trials.
4. To disseminate the results of research and scholarship, including by publishing in appropriate peer-reviewed journals.
5. To attend and present research findings and papers at academic and professional conferences and contribute to the external visibility and reputation of the project, research group and Medical School.
6. In collaboration with colleagues as appropriate, to seek external grant funding for methodological and applied research.
Administration and Other Activities
1. To undertake such specific departmental roles and management functions as may be reasonably required by the Professor of Medical Statistics.
2. To attend departmental meetings and to participate (where necessary) in other committees and working groups within the department, the faculty and the University.
3. To participate in relevant professional activities.
4. To engage in continuous professional development.
5. To undertake external commitments which reflect well and enhance the reputation of the University.
The duties and responsibilities outlined are not intended to be an exhaustive list but provide guidance on the main aspects of the job. You will be required to be flexible in your duties.

Person Specification

The Person Specification focuses on the knowledge, skills, experience and qualifications required to undertake the role effectively. This is measured by (a) Application Form, (b) Test/Exercise, (c) Interview, (d) Presentation.

Essential Criteria 1
PhD (or equivalent) degree in statistics or closely related subject (a)
Essential Criteria 2
Experience in development and evaluation of statistical methods in clinical trials (a) (c)
Essential Criteria 3
Evidence of high quality research outputs in medical statistics methodology (a) (a) (c)
Essential Criteria 4
Ability to write research reports and papers in styles accessible to both academic and other audiences (a) (c)
Essential Criteria 5
Good effective communication, presentation and interpersonal skills (a) (c)
Essential Criteria 6
Ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team on research programmes (a) (c)
Essential Criteria 7
Ability to disseminate research findings and concepts to a non-specialist audience (a) (c)
Desirable Criteria 1
Research experience in sequential or adaptive design methods for clinical trials (a) (c)
Desirable Criteria 2
Ability or potential to generate external funding (grants, contracts etc) to support future research projects (a) (c)
Further Particulars
Warwick Medical School
For further information about the department, please visit the departmental website
For further information about the University of Warwick, please read our University Further Particulars .
Where you have not yet been awarded your PhD, any offer made to you will be an under-appointment to the post of Research Associate at a salary of £30,497 per annum. Once your PhD has been awarded and you have evidenced this, you will be appointed to the substantive post of Research Fellow at a salary within the range shown above.
Right to work in the UK
If you do not yet have the right to work in the UK and/ or are seeking sponsorship under Tier 2 of the UK points-based immigration system please click on this link which contains further information about obtaining right to work in the UK and details about eligibility for sponsorship under Tier 2.
Diversity and Inclusion
The University of Warwick provides an inclusive working and learning environment, recognising and respecting every individual’s differences. We welcome applications from individuals who identify with any of the protected characteristics defined by the Equality Act 2010.

Recruitment of Ex-Offenders Policy

As an organisation using the (DBS) Disclosure and Barring Service to assess applicants’ suitability for positions of trust, the University of Warwick complies with the DBS Code of Practice and undertakes not to discriminate unfairly against any subject of a Disclosure on the basis of a conviction or other information revealed. More information is available on the University’s Vacancy pages and applicants may request a copy of the DBS Code of Practice.

Closing Date
17 Nov 2021