Senior Research Fellow

Position Details

Department of Applied Health Sciences, School of Health Sciences, College of Medicine and Health

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £58,225 to £67,468 with potential progression once in post to £87,974

Grade 9

FTC, Full Time up to September 2030

Closing date: 7 January 2025

Background:

To create and disseminate knowledge through initiating, leading and conducting original research and through publication as appropriate to the disciplinary area.

This post will sit within the Department of Applied Health Sciences and will play a central role in delivering the NIHR Research Professorship awarded to Professor Joht Singh Chandan: (NIHR306365, ). The Professorship focuses on survivor engagement, multi-sector data integration using Secure Data Environments, trauma-informed care, maternity-related health inequalities, and advancing national and global work on violence against women and children. The primary focus of the Senior Research Fellow will be to lead, coordinate, and strengthens the core research objectives of this Professorship.

Additionally, the Senior Research Fellow will also work across several aligned programmes led by Professor Chandan. These include: 1) the development of a Hub for Health Inequalities across the University of Birmingham and Birmingham Health Partners. The Hub acts as a unifying structure to coordinate inequality-related research, develop partnerships, and build capacity across the region.

2) The NIHR Challenge: Maternity Disparities Consortium, a major UK-wide programme addressing inequalities before, during and after pregnancy across five research themes and two cross-cutting workstreams. 3) Interface with the NIHR Global Health Research Group, which undertakes interdisciplinary research, capacity building and evaluation work across multiple countries Provide methodological and analytical leadership to develop a UK-based Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Europe hub, including estimation of violence-related and inequality-related risk factors.

Role Summary:

Contributing at a senior level on a sustained basis to the whole range of research and administration.

Research is likely to involve an established national and developing international reputation through significant original research work and a clear record of impact, and leadership in methodologies relevant to inequalities, trauma-informed care, VAWC research, health systems, and health data science.

Management and administration is likely to include Departmental/School leadership and management activity with University-wide involvement, and may include sustained high value impact knowledge transfer, enterprise, business engagement, public engagement, and similar activities that are of manifest benefit the College and University.

Main Duties:

Research

Pursue sustained research activity through original research and scholarship, including other research-related contributions through conference papers and presentations and/or consultancy projects and advice. Where appropriate for the discipline this may include some, but not all the responsibilities listed below.

• Make a major contribution to the management of research activities
• Lead successful funding bids which develop and sustain research support for the specialist area
• Publish leading research that results in a sustained, highly respected reputation of international quality in the subject area
• Provide expert advice internally and externally, including to health system partners, survivor-led organisations, NIHR infrastructure and global partners
• Provide leadersh ip of research that contributes to the progression of the discipline
• Referee and peer review articles for peer reviewed academic journals and grant applications by research councils and/or other major funding bodies

Lead sustained high value impact activity in knowledge transfer and enterprise (including business engagement, public engagement) that is of manifest benefit to the College and University and: (a) makes a significant contribution to policy development at national and international level; and/or (b) involves development of industrial links and comparable networks and initiatives

In addition, research responsibilities will include some but not all the indicative responsibilities from grade 8 listed below.

• Project manage research activities, and/or supervising other research staff
• Develop novel methodologies and techniques appropriate to the type of research being pursued (e.g., SDE analytics, survivor-centred methodologies, implementation science)
• Supervise and examine PhD students, both within the institution and externally
• Contribute significantly to the development and running of the Department or School, for example, leading activity on research
• Develop and manage staff and resources in support of major research activities
• Make significant contributions to the development of the Department/ School's research strategy
• Contribute significantly to the development and delivery of knowledge transfer, enterprise, business engagement and public engagement activities with a sustained high value impact of manifest benefit to the College and the University
• Develops and implements a culture (including policies and procedures) that promotes Equality and values diversity and inclusion.

Management/administration

Chair and/or lead activities in the Department/School and representation on University committees or working groups. Where appropriate to the discipline, this may include some but not all of the responsibilities listed below.

In addition, management/administration responsibilities will include some but not necessarily all the indicative responsibilities from grade 8 listed below.

• Contribute to the administration/management of research across the Department/School
• Lead/project manage a team to devise and implement a new and/or revised process (e.g. new programme or a recruitment drive)
• Advise on personal development
• Contribute to administrative activities within the University (e.g. appeals panels, working groups).
• Develop and manage staff and resources in support of major research activities

Person Specification:

Demonstrated excellence at the level of accomplishment expected to meet the promotion criteria for Senior Lecturer in both Research, and Management and Administration, as outlined below. In addition ,: (i) a higher volume of excellent outputs/inputs in Research, and in research-related Management and Administration than would be expected for a Senior Lecturer in a similar field; and/or (ii) an exceptional quality of outputs in Research and in research-related Management and Administration.

Research requirements

An excellent national reputation and a developing international profile through original research work and a clear record of impact. Evidence of success under the following headings, as appropriate to the discipline:

• High level peer esteem as evidenced by

• Excellent reputation in the UK and often internationally, reflected in sustained high-quality output, level of innovation, impact on subject and recognition.

• An excellent and sustained record of peer reviewed research publications.
• Successful and sustained supervision of doctoral students to completion.
• Substantial and sustained research income generation, e.g. through research grants, contracts, research consultancy or other external funding.
• Sustained high value impact knowledge transfer and enterprise that is of manifest benefit to the College and University.
• Demonstrable expertise aligned to the Professorship: inequalities, trauma-informed care, VAWC research, health data science/SDEs, maternity disparities or related fields.
• Experience or interest in Global Burden of Disease estimation or methodological development.

Management and administration-related requirements

Demonstrated significant achievement in management and administration-related activities, which may include leadership of activities/initiatives. Evidence of success under the following headings.

• Successful and sustained performance in significant administrative/managerial role (s) (e.g. exams officer).
• Significant and sustained high quality innovative contributions to the management/administration of the Department/School/College or University.
• Successful and sustained contribution to the corporate life of the School/College/University, displaying willingness to contribute actively to committees, collaborative teaching and administrative tasks.
• Actively promotes equality and diversity to internal and external stakeholders.
• Able to use data to identify equality and diversity issues.
• Experience of developing interventions to address equality and diversity issues.

Pre-employment DBS

The University is committed to safeguarding and we promote safe recruitment practice, therefore all associated pre-employment checks will be undertaken before any appointment is confirmed. Due to the nature of the work undertaken in this role all successful applicants will be subject to a satisfactory DBS clearance prior to appointment.

Further particulars can be found here

Informal enquiries to Joht Chandan, email:

View our staff values and behaviours here

Use of AI in applications: We want to understand your genuine interest in the role and for the written elements of your application to accurately reflect your own communication style. Applications that rely too heavily on AI tools can appear generic and lack the detail we need to assess your skills and experience. Such applications will unlikely be progressed to interview.

We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website .