Research Associate - Learning Disabilities

About the University of Sunderland

The University of Sunderland offers life-changing opportunities for 27,500 students across its campuses in Sunderland, London, Hong Kong, and through global partnerships with learning institutions in 19 countries. We're proud to be a top 50 UK university (Guardian University Guide 2024), with top-quality facilities, inclusive culture, and our vibrant, ever-changing city.

The University of Sunderland has undergone significant expansion thanks to a major step-change in the University's ambitions, building on the £75 million already invested on facilities in the last five years. Indeed, the University is expected to invest a further £250 million over the next 10 years to transform facilities for students and staff underscoring a bold and ambitious outlook.

In the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF) results, University of Sunderland doubled its proportion of world-leading (4 star) or internationally excellent (3 star) rated research since its 2014 submissions. 89% of the published research was rated as 'internationally excellent' in the Allied Health Professions, Nursing and Pharmacy category demonstrating continued growth and development in research.

The Helen McArdle Nursing and Care Research Institute leads on interdisciplinary health and social care research across the four Faculties of the University. The Institute works collaboratively with external partners in NHS, Local Authority, health, and social care, VCSE and commercial settings to tackle health inequalities, empower patients and populations and support the healthcare workforce.

About the role

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Research Associate to join our Health Sciences and Wellbeing faculty on a fixed-term basis. The postholder will support the development and delivery of an externally funded research project exploring the experiences and system requirements to support women with learning disabilities going through the menopause. Working with participants with lived experience, healthcare professionals and commissioners, the project will include developing study protocol, gaining NHS and University ethical approvals, data collection and analysis and leading on the writing up of the executive report and supporting publications to be submitted to peer-reviewed journals.

What you can bring

The successful candidate will possess a postgraduate qualification relevant to this project have experience in carrying out UK based research with people with learning disabilities or other vulnerable populations relevant to this project, and their carers. They will also have a track record of carrying out applied health research project to time and target, be experienced in NHS and other ethical approval processes and have qualitative methodological experience, evidenced by high quality publications.

What we can offer you

Our University is not just a place of academic excellence, but also a community that embraces inclusivity and support. We value our staff and offer a rewarding package that goes beyond just salary. At the University of Sunderland, we prioritise not only your professional growth but also your happiness and well-being.

1. Enjoy a generous annual leave entitlement of 36 days, along with an additional 5 closure days over the Christmas break and 8 Bank Holidays.
2. Enrolment into our pension scheme, ensuring your financial security for the future.
3. Access to our "My Lifestyle Benefits Platform", where you can enjoy online discounts at hundreds of retailers every day. Plus, take advantage of exclusive schemes that allow you to purchase a new car, bike, or technology at a discounted rate.
4. Your health and well-being are important to us. That's why we provide access to discounted private medical insurance, health cash plans, and guidance on financial well-being.
5. Maintaining an active lifestyle is made easy with discounted membership for CitySpace Fitness, our state-of-the-art facility for sports and social activities.

Equality, diversity & inclusion

We strongly believe that an inclusive university, where a diverse range of individuals feel valued and have equal opportunity to get into work and reach their potential, is good for our staff, students, university, and society.

Our work on equality, diversity and inclusivity has never been more important. We believe inclusivity is an essential value at the heart of what we do, and we want all our staff to be part of that journey with us.

Our recent staff survey conducted in 2023 showed that 97% of our staff believed that we were committed to achieving an inclusive university.

The closing date for applications is Monday 9 th December (23.59 GMT).

For any informal enquiries, please email Professor Yitka Graham, Head of the Helen McArdle Nursing and Care Research Institute at yitka.graham@sunderland.ac.uk