Research Assistant: Physical Activity

Salary: £31,396 per annum, pro rata

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Closing Date: 04 June 2024

The Role

Do you have an interest in the role of physical activity and nutrition for dementia risk reduction?

We are seeking to recruit an enthusiastic and highly motivated research assistant to contribute to a mixed-methods study exploring physical activity among minoritised ethnic communities. We are looking for someone with exceptional interpersonal skills and a flair for communicating with a diverse range of stakeholders, including those whose first language is not English.

You will be responsible for helping to conduct the research, including recruitment (through community groups) and data collection. You will be expected to analyse and interpret findings and develop and disseminate accessible outputs to give back to the target population.

Experience of working with minoritised ethnic communities would be useful but not essential. This role is particularly suited to individuals with an interest in physical activity and addressing inequalities.

We are committed to the professional career development of all our colleagues. You will benefit from a range of excellent development opportunities including internal and external training, active institutional membership of specialist networking groups and opportunities to gain experience of other areas of advancement and University professional services.

This project is funded by the ATTAIN Network and is part of a wider scheme of research conducted by Dr. Rebecca Townsend alongside a multi-disciplinary team of researchers at Newcastle University, which explores the role of physical activity, exercise, and nutrition in dementia risk reduction.

This post is fixed term [0.3 FTE] for a period of 3 months.

We would welcome requests for flexible working and depending on the needs of the role, blended working opportunities to work remotely as well as on campus may be considered. The hiring manager will discuss the requirements of the role, should you be invited to interview.

For informal enquiries, please contact:

Please provide evidence of how you meet the essential criteria required for the role outlined in 'The Person' by uploading a letter of application along with your Curriculum Vitae (CV)

Find out more about the Faculty of Medical Sciences here:

Find out more about our Research Institutes here:

As part of our commitment to career development for research colleagues, the University has developed 3 levels of research role profiles. These profiles set out firstly the generic competences and responsibilities expected of role holders at each level and secondly the general qualifications and experiences needed for entry at a particular level.

Key Accountabilities

• Contribution to the research programme of the School/Institute under the clear guidance of a member of an academic staff or Principal Investigator
• Use initiative and creativity to analyse and interpret research data and draw conclusions on the outcomes
• Co-ordinate own work with that of others, deal with problems which may affect the achievement of research objectives and contribute to the planning of the project(s)
• Present information on research progress and outcomes to a Principal Investigator or groups overseeing the research project
• Write up results from own research activity and provide input into the research project's dissemination, in whatever form (report, papers, chapters, book)
• Work to deadlines and manage, with support, competing priorities
• Ensure that personal knowledge in relevant fields of study is kept up to date
• Use research resources (including, where required, laboratories, workshops and specialist equipment) as appropriate
• Maintain academic standards and freedom, and work in accordance with university policies (e.g. equal opportunities, health and safety policies)
• Possible supervision and demonstration duties within undergraduate laboratories and example classes or in teaching small seminar classes
• Undertake relevant training and development activities to develop capacity for taking on wider responsibilities
• Develop, with advice, an awareness of own professional development needs and a personal development strategy
• To engage and build relations with relevant stakeholders, including local community members and community and voluntary sector organisations who are interested in physical activity in the context of dementia risk reduction

The Person

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Some subject knowledge in the relevant area
• Good level of analytical skills and the ability to communicate complex information clearly, both orally and through the written word
• The ability to work collaboratively with colleagues
• The ability to use personal initiative and creativity to solve research problems
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Familiarity with the processes involved in conducting PPI activities
• Knowledge and experience of working with or conducting research with ethnically minoritised or marginalized communities

Attributes and Behaviour

• Ability to maintain confidentiality
• Ability to meet deadlines and manage conflicting priorities
• Can take an innovative and flexible approach
• Work both independently and co-operatively with others in the research team

Desirable

• Beneficial but not mandatory if you are able to speak ≥1 of the following languages: Urdu, Punjabi, Hindi or Bengali
• Knowledge/understanding of local community groups/ organisations including community leaders
• Beneficial to have lived experience of PPIE

Qualifications

• Good honours degree (or equivalent) with some subject knowledge in the relevant area
• May possess (or be working towards) higher research degree

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.

We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society. We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent. We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.

At Newcastle University we hold a silver Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality. We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC. We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.

In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe.

Requisition ID: 27123