Research Fellow; Qualitative - Department of Applied Health Sciences Grade 8

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 £47,389 to £56,535 with potential progression once in post to £63,606

Grade: 8

Part Time (22.5 hours per week)

Fixed Term contract up to September 2030

Closing date: 4th January 2026

To create and disseminate knowledge through initiating 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 support the delivery of the NIHR Research Professorship awarded to Professor Joht Singh Chandan (NIHR
306365). The Research Professorship aims to optimise the health sector response to violence against women and children by:

• advancing multi-sector data linkage using Secure Data Environments
• estimating the health and economic burden of violence
• evaluating trauma-informed models of care
• improving maternity outcomes and reducing inequalities
• strengthening survivor engagement

This post will deliver the qualitative work packages one and three. WP1 ‘Survivor Engagement & Lived Experience Leadership’ includes co-production, survivor engagement, trauma-aware governance, ethical and safe involvement models and ensuring surviving communities shape research, practice and policy. WP3 ‘Trauma-Informed Care & Health Systems Change’ includes qualitative studies with clinicians, survivors, maternity teams and service leaders, evaluation of trauma-informed care pathways, implementation science, understanding organisational, behavioural and structural barriers to improving care and supporting inequalities-focused maternity improvement activities.

The Fellow will also contribute (as a secondary aspect) to aligned programmes within Professor Chandan’s portfolio, including the Hub for Health Inequalities and the NIHR Challenge:
Maternity Disparities Consortium. The post may interface with the NIHR Global Health Research Group where qualitative expertise enhances VAWC-related implementation and evaluation work.

The role will involve planning and leading qualitative research in complex and sensitive settings, designing survivor-engaged, ethically robust research governance, overseeing interviews, ethnography, focus groups, observation, case studies and participatory methods, supporting co-production frameworks and lived experience advisory structures and synthesising findings to inform the design, refinement and evaluation of trauma-informed care models.

This post is particularly suited to an experienced applied qualitative researcher with strong grounding in criminal justice, vulnerability, safeguarding, violence, evaluation practice and multidisciplinary teamwork.

• Initiate and conduct original qualitative research which has measurable outcomes and is reflected in a growing national and often incipient international reputation
• Plan, design and co-ordinate research activities and programmes
• Contribute to the development of research strategies
• Publish results of own research
• Supervise PhD students
• Contribute to the Department/School through management/leadership
• Develop and make substantial contributions to knowledge transfer, enterprise, business engagement, public engagement activities, widening participation, schools outreach or similar activities at Department/School level or further within the University

To plan and carry out research, using appropriate methodology and techniques. This may include, where appropriate to the discipline:

• Pursue personal research including developing research ideas and winning support, including financial support
• Plan, publish and/or execute high quality qualitative research
• Project manage research activities, and/or supervise other research staff
• Present high quality findings in publications and conference proceedings
• Develop novel methodologies and techniques appropriate to the type of research being pursued
• Supervise and examine PhD students, both within and out with the University
• Provide expert advice to colleagues and students within discipline
• Con…