Research Associate in Public and Planetary Health

The Role

This is an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic and highly motivated Post-Doctoral Research Associate in population health sciences or a related discipline, with strong public engagement skills, to contribute to a NIHR School for Public Health Research (SPHR) funded project on health and sustainiability associated local government sponsorship activities. 

You will join an interdisciplinary team, including local government partners, focused on improving lives through world-class research in human and planetary health. The project that you will be working on is part of the NIHR SPHR Healthy places, healthy planet research programme. The programme aims to generate robust evidence to support policy, practice and community activities aimed at improving population health, health and environmental equity, and environmental sustainability.You will be based in the Population Health Sciences Institute at Newcastle University, supervised by Dr Frances Hillier-Brown, Lecturer in Public Health Nutrition, and you will report into a core project team co-led by Dr Hillier-Brown and Emma Gibson, Public Health programme lead at Gateshead Council.

Your role will entail conducting interviews and focus groups with Local Authority Officers; conducting surveys and focus groups with public participants; public engagement and involvement co-development activities with a diverse set of public partners with lived-experience; the organisation of stakeholder workshops; and systematic searches of existing information on local government sponsorship arrangements and activities. The role will also involve disseminating research findings to academic and public audiences via papers, conference presentations and public engagement events.

The project consists of a number of work packages and you will have opportunities to collaborate closely with academics and practice partners from NIHR SPHR member institutions and NIHR Health Determinants Research Centres (HDRCs). You will benefit from interdisciplinary collaboration and development opportunities both within the project team and the wider NIHR SPHR.

This part-time (0.8FTE) post is fixed term until 31 January 2027. 

For informal enquiries please contact Dr Frances Hillier-Brown at 

Find out more about the Faculty of Medical Sciences

Find out more about the Population Health Sciences Institutes 

Find out more about the NIHR SPHR 

As part of our commitment to career development for research colleagues, the University has developed 3 levels of . 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

Lead on collection and analysis of qualitative and quantitative data in line with methodologies set out within specific project work packages

Undertake systematic and scoping information searches and synthesise relevant published, grey and policy literature and information throughout the project
Contribute to public and patient involvement/engagement (PPIE) activities within the project
Attend and contribute to regular meetings and workshops/events appropriate to the project
Assist with necessary ethical approval, R&D and research registry registrations for the project
Observe the confidentiality of participant information at all times, in accordance with the Data Protection Act and to ensure that all study documentation is kept in a clearly trackable system and is stored confidentially
Liaise with the broader project team, including local authority stakeholders to ensure effective delivery of project work packages
Carry out research within agreed timelines, meeting project milestones and to an appropriate standard
Produce interim progress reports and a final report to NIHR SPHR, and other outputs on the project
Prepare papers for publication, and disseminate findings at conferences, meetings, workshops and events as required
Identify and undertake a programme of professional development, including further training in research methods and other transferable skills

The Person

Knowledge, Skills and Experience 

Knowledge of general public health context and practices

Knowledge and experience of working in or with local government
Substantial, relevant experience in public health research, and its translation into effective policy and practice
Experience of qualitative research with participants from a wide range of backgrounds and on sensitive topics
Experience of public and patient involvement/engagement (PPIE) activities and organisation
Strong project management and organisational skills
Ability to carry out research within agreed timelines, meeting project milestones and producing research to an appropriate standard
IT literate across a wide range of applications, preferably with specialist skills in areas of direct relevance to the role
Evidence of potential to write for peer reviewed publications
Evidence of presenting research findings at conferences

Desirable

Experience of Local Authority research governance procedures

Attributes and Behaviour

Ability to work flexibly and independently and as part of a multidisciplinary research team

Able to build effective relationships with a range of different stakeholders at different levels and work as part of a team
Have the ability to multi-task and manage multiple project work packages
Excellent interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills
Ability to meet deadlines and to manage priorities
Ability to maintain confidentiality
Able to travel within the northeast of England and occasionally elsewhere in the UK

Qualifications

A PhD related to public health using qualitative or mixed-methods research methods or A PhD related to public health with equivalent quantitative or mixed-methods research experience

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 award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality. We also hold a Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC. We are a 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: 28457