Research Associate - School of Social Policy and Society Grade 6

Job Description Position Details

Health Services Management Centre

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, 0.5 FTE (18.75 hours per week)

Fixed Term contract up to February 2028

Closing date: 1 st October 2026

This role will involve joining a team that will be exploring decarbonisation strategies within cancer care pathways. This research supports NHS Net Zero commitments and Integrated Care Systems by identifying strategies that simultaneously reduce emissions, improve outcomes, and reduce inequalities. We will be focusing on cancer care because it is carbon-intensive, spans all settings, and requires public confidence. We will map co-benefits of decarbonisation strategies, explore stakeholder attitudes and acceptability, and co‑produce a prioritised research agenda.

Our aim is to create an evidence‑based framework to identify co‑benefits, ensuring decarbonisation efforts strengthen rather than compromise NHS care quality and equity.

Your role will be to assist in the research by carrying out data collection, curation, analysis, and dissemination to create knowledge through providing research support for projects and research groups.

Do you have an interest and experience of evidence synthesis and an interest in its application and use to inform decision making in environmental and health policy settings? Do you thrive in team working environments?

You will be joining the College of Social Sciences to support a dynamic, multidisciplinary, collaborative team to explore the co‑benefits of decarbonisation strategies within cancer care pathways. You will become a member of a newly formed team, funded by NIHR to undertake research work that will form the foundation of future funding applications. The project is also designed to develop the team and much of the duration of the project will focus on our progression towards effective team cohesion and team working.

You will be expected to participate in and commit to the established team science principles including collaboration, equity, open communication, inclusion, and interdisciplinarity and, as a member of the team, we will also be committed to your own academic and potential career progression.

Your specific role will involve regular communication with the team, taking responsibility for developing a scoping review protocol, conducting a scoping review, providing regular updates in progress of the review. You will also participate in the other work‑packages of the project which will include undertaking a research prioritisation exercise and piloting qualitative interviews. You will be expected to disseminate and answer questions on the review.

You will be part of an established multi-disciplinary team at the forefront of methodological innovation and policy and practice change and will be based within the Evidence Synthesis Group. Centre of Evidence and Implementation Science) CEIS also encompasses: a National Institute for Health and Care Research funded Evidence Synthesis Group and a Policy and Methods Group.

• Develop a protocol for the scoping review, work collaboratively with the information specialist to design a search strategy. Manage the search results, undertake screening, data extraction and analysis of the scoping review.
• Provide weekly updates on progress to all team members.
• Present research outputs, including drafting academic publications or parts thereof, for example at seminars and as posters.
• Support team working goals by assisting project management, attending team meetings, team development activities, and by contributing insights and…