Research Associate - College of Social Sciences Grade 6

Position Details

College of Social Sciences

Location:

University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £33,002 to £35,608 with potential progression once in post to £39,906

Grade: 6

Part Time (22.5 hours per week)

Fixed Term contract up to May 2028

Interviews to take place 31st March 2026

Closing date: 17th March 2026

To assist in research (by carrying out data collection and analyses) within an NIHR funded research project – Improving Communication of Adults with Learning Disabilities (ICALD).

The post is situated in the Intellectual Disabilities Research Institute (IDRIS) in the School of Social Policy and Society. IDRIS is an applied cross-University research institute established in October 2024 with the appointment of Professor Richard Hastings as 125th Anniversary Chair and Professor of Psychology Health and Social Care. IDRIS also includes, in Social Policy and Society, three other professorial staff, an associate professor, two senior research fellows, a full-time administrator, and a number of research fellows, research assistants, and PhD students.

Most staff are employed on/funded through external research grants especially from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Other members of IDRIS are based in Schools and Departments across the Colleges of the University. IDRIS works in close co-productive relationships with people with intellectual disabilities, family carers, and with disability advocacy and professional organisations. IDRIS’s research and policy/practice impact is across the lifespan and across sectors (education, health, social care).

IDRIS staff are engaged mainly in research on the development and evaluation of interventions and services to support individuals with intellectual disabilities and their families.

The ICALD project addresses two questions:
What are the challenges to consistent delivery of communication-focused support for people with learning disabilities and severe communication challenges? Can a co-produced workforce development package designed to address these challenges deliver consistent, high-quality communication-based support? ICALD aims to identify challenges in the consistent delivery of communication-focused support in residential care settings for adults with learning disabilities; and co-produce and evaluate a workforce development package and reduce barriers to delivering high-quality communication-focused support practices.

The post holder will be responsible for evaluating the project’s co-produced intervention in social care settings by assessing how its being delivered by social care staff. The post holder will use their advanced knowledge of practice leadership. They will use this knowledge to carry out a process evaluation in order to evaluate a co-produced education workforce development programme around supporting good communication for people with learning disabilities.

• Work within specified research grant - ICALD
• Operate within area of specialism
• Contribute to publications

• Collect research data with people with learning disabilities and their family and paid carers; this may be through a variety of research methods, such as scientific experimentation, literature reviews, and research interviews
• Analyse research data as directed, using your extensive knowledge and experience of practice leadership
• Present research outputs, including drafting academic publications or parts thereof, for example at seminars and as posters
• Develop or adapt techniques, models and methods
• Provide guidance as required to support staff and any students who may be assisting with research
• Deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines
• Carry out administrative tasks related directly to the delivery of the research
• Promotes equality and values diversity acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture

• Degree or equivalent in relevant subject area
• Practical experience of applying the relevant skills and techniques to improve the quality of support in adult social care services supporting people with…