Research Fellow United Kingdom
Job description
Part time (18.25 hours per week) Fixed-term contract from 1st August 2023 to 31 December 2026 with the possibility of extension to 30 April 2027.
This is an exciting opportunity to join a dynamic and supportive team of researchers, patients, health and social care professionals to help deliver the ‘Healthy Eating & Active Lifestyles for Diabetes’ (HEAL-D) clinical trial. HEAL-D is a culturally tailored diabetes self-management education and support programme for people of African and Caribbean heritage who have type 2 diabetes. HEAL-D is a group-based programme, delivered in person or online, by trained dietitians, lay educators and exercise trainers. In this multicentre clinical trial, we will recruit patients in London, the West Midlands and Greater Manchester and assess the clinical and cost effectiveness of HEAL-D compared with existing diabetes structured education programmes, which are not culturally tailored. This research is led by Professor Louise Goff (University of Leicester) and is funded by the National Institute of Health Research. For more information about HEAL-D, visit www.heal-d.co.uk.
We are looking for a motivated health services researcher, with sound clinical trials methodological training and skills in clinical trials management, including recruitment, retention, and data collection. You will work as part of a research team that is based at University of Leicester, King’s College London, University of Manchester and University of Warwick. You will have a good (2:1 or 1st Class) degree and a PhD in health and/or social care (or have equivalent research experience). Ideally, you will have experience of undertaking research in primary care and community settings, and of working closely with people of African and Caribbean heritage.
If you are near submission or have recently submitted your PhD but have not yet had it conferred, any offers of employment will be made as Research Assistant at the top of level 5 of the University grade structure (£32,411). Upon receipt of evidence of the successful award of your PhD, you will be promoted to Research Fellow on the first point of level 6 of the University grade structure (£33,348).
To find out more or arrange an informal conversation about the role, please contact: [email protected]
This role will require a standard DBS check.
Interview date: 7 June 2023.
Job Description
JOB PURPOSE
To support the delivery of a National Institute for Health Research funded study, ‘HEAL-D’ (Healthy Eating & Active Lifestyles for Diabetes): a multicentre, pragmatic randomised controlled trial comparing effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of culturally tailored versus standard diabetes self-management programmes in Black-African and Black-Caribbean adults with type 2 diabetes. This will include supporting participant recruitment and data collection in the West Midlands, and working with HEAL-D study partners, assisting with analysis and writing up, report writing and peer review journal publication, preparing study documents, preparing for ethics committee submission, other research tasks and contributing to Team meetings.
DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
1) Carry out research tasks for the study (including recruitment, checking study eligibility, and data collection).
2) Contribute to the development of the documentation required to obtain research governance and ethics committee approvals required for this study.
3) Coordinate data collection visits, including collection of variety of clinical, biomedical and patient reported outcome measures, ensuring appropriate standards are followed.
4) Aim to maximise trial retention via communication with research participants.
5) Undertake study document review as appropriate.
6) Assist and support the research team to deliver all stages of the research
7) Contribute to analysis of data and draft publications and reports.
8) Assist and support research team communication and collaboration.
9) Involvement in the conduct of dissemination activities.
10) Undertake Professional Development as required to maintain a broad knowledge of up-to-date research and scholarship in relevant fields and to develop research skills relevant to the trial; this may include attendance of internal and external training courses if the opportunity arises.
11) Engage in continuous professional development, for example through participation in relevant staff development programmes.
12) Undertake other research duties that support the delivery of the project to a high standard and on time, and any other research duties as required by the project or department.
13) Undertake teaching, collegial, and administrative duties as agreed with line manager that contribute to the department and wider university and to the development of your career.
For further information about the University of Warwick, please read our University Further Particulars.
For further information about the department, please visit the departmental website.
This post will be line managed by Professor Jeremy Dale. Professor Dale leads the Unit of Academic Primary Care in the Division of Health Sciences at Warwick Medical School, where he leads a portfolio of research studies in primary care using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Prof Dale’s research interests include self-management in diabetes. In the HEAL-D trial, Professor Dale is principal investigator for the West Midlands centre, leading recruitment and trial delivery. For further information on the post please contact Helen McGowan in the first instance [email protected]
You will join a research team who enjoy working together in a collegiate, supportive, and developmental environment. We are proud of a group culture based on a developmental, inclusive, supportive and positive approach, and one that values feedback, teamwork, transparency, and discussion. Our goal is to provide an excellent environment for positive, talented, and enthusiastic researchers to achieve career and personal goals. You will have the opportunity to present at meetings and conferences, and to contribute to journal articles and other research outputs.
Warwick Medical School (WMS) aims to train the best talent, develop research capacity, and foster national and international collaborations, to seek to solve some of the world’s most pressing health problems. We provide a great range of benefits which include an attractive pension scheme, 26 days holiday plus bank holidays and Christmas closure, some fantastic savings on a wide range of products and services, and excellent learning and development opportunities. WMS holds an Athena SWAN Silver award; a national initiative to promote gender equality for all staff and students.
We are proud to offer a range of initiatives and projects at Warwick Medical School which encourage gender equality in the workplace, from mentoring and shadowing schemes to dedicated events, flexible working schemes and family spaces. Equal opportunity and support for all is a priority at Warwick Medical School. We're committed to developing our work in line with the Athena SWAN charter, which you can find out more about here.
Warwick is committed to building an organisation of mutual respect and dignity, promoting a welcoming, diverse and inclusive working and learning environment. We recognise that everyone is different in a variety of visible and non-visible ways, and that those differences are to be recognised, respected, and valued. Where possible, we go beyond legislation to provide a place where everyone can thrive, supporting all staff to achieve their full potential. We aspire to remove economic, social and cultural barriers that may otherwise prevent people from succeeding.
We therefore welcome and encourage applications from all communities regardless of culture, background, age, disability, sex/gender, gender identity or expression, ethnicity, religion/belief, or sexual or romantic orientation. To find out more about our social inclusion work at Warwick visit our webpages here.
The University of Warwick holds an Athena SWAN Silver award; a national initiative to promote gender equality for all staff and students. Further information about the work of the University in relation to Athena SWAN can be found at the following link: Athena Swan (warwick.ac.uk)
The University of Warwick is one of the six founder institutions of the EUTOPIA European University alliance, whose aim is to become by 2025 an open, multicultural, confederated operation of connected campuses.
Right to work in the UK
If you do not yet have the right to work in the UK and/or are seeking sponsorship for a Skilled Worker visa in 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 for a Skilled Worker Visa.
Please refer to this link for a full list of the benefits here.
