Implementation Postdoctoral Research Fellow

About The Role

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

This full-time post is available from 1st October 2026 for 12 months.

This post is offered as a fixed term contract and is funded by NIHR until 30 September 2027.

In line with the University’s fair employment for all principles, any further funding opportunities identified will be reviewed and discussed during the contract.

The starting salary will be from £43,482 to £46,049 on Grade F, depending on knowledge, skills and experience.

Please note that this role is subject to a DBS check. At the University of Exeter, we are committed to the safeguarding and welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all our staff to share this commitment.

Faculty of Health and Life Sciences

This post will support the final year of the NIHR-funded ATTEND Programme Grant, with a particular focus on leading the analysis, interpretation and publication of findings from the implementation work package. The role will be central to ensuring that the programme delivers high-quality, impactful outputs that inform the future implementation and scale-up of the intervention. Given the advanced stage of the programme and the emphasis on timely dissemination, applicants must demonstrate a strong track record of producing high-quality, peer-reviewed publications.

The postholder may also be required to contribute to activities across the programme’s other four work packages.

ATTEND is a four-year NIHR Programme Grant led by Professor Tamsin Ford and Dr Patrick Smith. The programme is evaluating whether a novel intervention, Mindfulness for Adolescents and Carers (MAC), can improve recovery outcomes for young people aged 15–18 years with depression who have not fully responded to first-line treatment or who have experienced relapse.

While Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is recommended by NICE for preventing depressive relapse in adults, there is currently insufficient evidence regarding its effectiveness in adolescents. ATTEND has adapted MBCT specifically for young people with depression and is evaluating the clinical effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and implementation potential of MAC using a hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial design.

The programme comprises five interconnected work packages:

• WP1:
  Development and delivery of a training package for CAMHS professionals.
• WP2:
  Design and evaluation of a digital app to support and measure mindfulness practice.
• WP3:
  Delivery of a multi-site randomised controlled trial.
• WP4:
  Examination of theoretically derived moderators and mediators of treatment outcomes.
• WP5:
  Development of an implementation strategy to support future adoption and delivery.

The successful candidate will play a key role within WP5, applying implementation science theories, models and frameworks to analyse study findings and develop evidence-based recommendations for the future rollout and sustainability of MAC should it prove effective.

The postholder will join the Children and Young People's Mental Health (ChYMe) Research Collaboration, a large multidisciplinary team committed to improving the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people through world-leading research. Further information about ChYMe can be found at:

The successful applicant will be able to develop research objectives, projects and proposals; identify sources of research funding and contribute to the process of securing funds and make presentations at conferences and other events.

Applicants will possess a relevant PhD or possess an equivalent qualification/experience in a related field of study. The successful applicant will be a nationally recognised authority in the subject area and possess sufficient specialist knowledge in the discipline to develop research programmes and methodologies. The successful applicant will also be able to work collaboratively, supervise the work of others and act as team leader as required.

Please ensure you read the Job Description and Person Specification for full details of this role.

• Freedom (and the support) to pursue your intellectual interests and to work creatively across…