Research Fellow; Quantitative Researcher; School of Social Policy and Society Grade 7

Position: Research Fellow (Quantitative Researcher) - School of Social Policy and Society - 108269 - Grade 7

Job Description
Position Details
School of Social Policy and Society

Location:

University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK
Full time starting salary is normally in the range £36,636 to £46,049 with potential progression once in post to £48,822
Grade: 7
Full Time, Fixed Term contract up to April 2029
Closing date: 29 th November 2026
Background
We are seeking to appoint a Quantitative Research Fellow to join the Women, Crime and Justice Research Group. The Group are committed to delivering high-quality research to improve outcomes for women involved in the criminal justice system and to build the evidence base on what works best for them.
As part of the Effective Women’s Centre (Phase III) project (JABBS Foundation), the role holder will work across multiple work streams to turn research questions into analysis plans, carry out the analyses, and write up methods and results for reports and academic papers. In addition, the role holder will also be expected to develop their own lines of research enquiry within the group’s programme, with support.
The role holder will be hold, or be close to completing, a PhD in criminology, psychology, social policy, public health, or a related quantitative social science. They will have experience conducting systematic reviews and evidence syntheses, with a strong understanding of quantitative research methods and data analysis. Experience working with administrative or linked datasets, including within secure research environments, would be advantageous.

The role holder will be confident in producing high-quality research outputs for a range of disciplinary audiences and have experience contributing to academic publications commensurate to your career stage. Given the policy focus of the Research Group's work, the role holder will be able to turn research findings into accessible briefings for policymakers, funders and practitioners.
Role Summary

• Design and undertake systematic reviews and meta-analyses on women in the criminal justice system, including gender-responsive interventions, diversion, trauma, and women’s centre outcomes.
• Conduct literature searches, study screening, data extraction, risk of bias assessments, and quantitative or narrative evidence synthesis.
• Work within specified research grants and projects and contribute to writing bids
• Operate within area of specialism
• Analyse and interpret research findings and results
• Contribute to generating funding
• Contribute to licensing or spin out deals with demonstrated commercial success (such as revenues, asset or company sales, IP generated) and/or public understanding of the discipline or similar

Main Duties
The responsibilities may include some but not all of the responsibilities outlined below.

• Design and carry out systematic reviews and meta-analyses on women in the criminal justice system, on topics such as gender-responsive interventions, diversion, women’s centre outcomes, trauma and risk/need assessment. This covers the whole review process: protocol registration, searches of academic and grey literature, screening, data extraction, risk of bias assessment, and synthesis of effect sizes (or structured narrative synthesis where studies are too varied to pool).
• Contribute to data access applications to trusted research environments (for example the ONS Secure Research Service, SAIL Databank and NHS England’s Secure Data Environment). This includes writing project proposals, data specifications and linkage requests, and handling information governance and ethics requirements. Once access is granted, prepare and analyse the linked datasets within these environments in line with data governance and disclosure control rules.
• Develop research objectives and proposals for own or joint research, with…