Research Assistant - DISCOVER Implementation Study

About the Job - Internal Only

Fixed Term Until: 21 June 2027

Interviews will be carried out early August 2026

The DISCOVER Implementation (DI) study, funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research, aims to build on this success of the BESST trial, which showed that the DISCOVER workshop intervention, a one-day programme for 16‑18 year olds to learn practical tools for managing stress, anxiety and low mood based on cognitive behavioural techniques, was both clinically and cost-effective when delivered by NHS Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) in schools and colleges.

BESST also found that DISCOVER was able to engage underserved groups, particularly young people from diverse ethnic backgrounds, possibly due to the self‑referral nature of the programme and by being offered at school or college. The implementation study expands on this success by examining what is needed to fully integrate the DISCOVER workshop programme into existing NHS services to reach more young people across England.

Understanding the barriers to implementation and how to overcome them is essential as evidence‑based interventions often struggle to be incorporated into real‑world environments outside of research projects. This exciting study aims to understand how to implement DISCOVER into routine MHST services available at schools and colleges so adolescents can easily access the mental health support they need at this critical age.

The postholder will support regional delivery of the DISCOVER Implementation (DI) Study for the Midlands region. The post sits at the interface between implementation and research: supporting local implementation activity while generating robust, comparable data across the Midlands region to understand how DISCOVER can be implemented successfully at scale.

Working within the Midlands region, the postholder will liaise closely with Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs), schools/colleges and local partners to support coordination of DISCOVER delivery (without delivering the intervention). They will contribute to Work Package 2 (WP2 – Implementation) by tracking recruitment, delivery processes, fidelity and local adaptations, and to Work Package 3 (WP3 – Process Evaluation) by contributing to qualitative and mixed‑methods data collection using CFIR‑informed approaches.

The postholder will be based at the University of Northampton and will work closely with the regional implementation lead and local MHST/school partners, while receiving methodological guidance and coordination from the central DI study team and the WP3 qualitative research team.

Where appropriate, the postholder may have opportunities to contribute to outputs arising from the DI study (e.g., reports, presentations, papers) under the direction of the central DI/WP3 teams.

The post requires excellent qualitative research experience, particularly conducting interviews and/or focus groups, alongside experience working with young people aged 16–18. The postholder must understand GDPR, data governance, confidentiality, safeguarding and ethical research practice, and be confident handling sensitive data securely, including storage, transfer and anonymisation.

Good interpersonal, communication, organisational and time‑management skills are essential, as is willingness to travel across the region. Desirable experience includes implementation research, mixed‑methods research, multi‑site projects, qualitative analysis software such as NVivo, and work within NHS, education or school‑based settings, together with an understanding of adolescent mental health and experience supporting mental health services.

Essential: Postdoctoral research degree (or equivalent experience) in psychology, public health, social sciences, education, or related field.

All candidates will be asked to provide proof of eligibility to work in the UK  University can consider Skilled Worker visa sponsorship for this position subject to eligibility requirements of the points‑based system being met.

We want you to be able to carry out your work in a way that best supports UON and our students, but also you as an individual. We understand this may vary between different areas of the university as well as from one person to another. With Smarter Working you can work with increased flexibility, if you would like to, which can facilitate greater freedom and autonomy.

This post is subject to a background disclosure check by the Disclosure and Barring Service before any appointment can be confirmed.

We welcome applications from individuals from underrepresented groups.

The University of Northampton is committed to providing a vibrant, ethical, and sustainable environment that values equality, diversity, and inclusion. We manage equality and diversity through key committees and formal policies, extending our responsibility to subsidiary companies and partnerships.