Research Fellow – School of Social Policy and Society – 107229 – Grade 7 Part-time

Lifearc Centre For Acceleration Of Rare Disease Trials

As part of the £40 million LifeArc investment to transform rare disease research, a number of high-value projects and programmes have been awarded and Birmingham is taking a national leadership role in driving transformative health research and clinical innovation, including in the LifeArc Centre for Acceleration of Rare Disease Trials (ARDT). The project director is Professor Timothy Barret, Professor of Paediatrics and Child Health and Director of the Centre for Rare Disease Studies. This centre aims to boost the capacity and efficiency of rare disease trials across the UK – including facilitating equitable recruitment, streamlining administrative hurdles and offering a 'one-stop shop' for trial design and support.

The LifeArc Centre for ARDT brings together a consortium of three universities from across the UK: Newcastle University, Queen's University Belfast, and University of Birmingham. The post holder will work with colleagues across the consortium to deliver research as part of the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) work-package and ensure EDI is embedded throughout the LifeArc Centre for ARDT in accordance with the ARDT EDI Strategy.

Patients with rare diseases with characteristics associated with inequality and disadvantage (e.g. those experiencing socio-economic barriers or are ethnically minoritised) are consistently under-represented in clinical trials, contributing to poorer health outcomes. We aim to address this by undertaking research to better understand the barriers and facilitators to inclusive rare disease research, generating best practice frameworks, and implementing measures that better engage diverse rare disease populations in trial participation, research design, and access to treatments.

Main duties may include some but not all of the responsibilities outlined below:

• Undertake research activities including but not limited to conducting systematic evidence syntheses, qualitative data collection and analysis, consensus-generation using Delphi survey and workshops, participatory and equity-focused research methods
• Analyse and interpret data
• Apply knowledge in a way which develops new intellectual understanding
• Disseminate research findings for publication, research seminars etc
• Supervise students on research related work and provide guidance to PhD students where appropriate to the discipline
• Contribute to developing new models, techniques and methods
• Undertake management/administration arising from research
• Contribute to Departmental/School research-related activities and research-related administration
• Contribute to enterprise, business development and/or public engagement activities of manifest benefit to the College and the University, often under supervision of a project leader
• Present research outputs, including drafting academic publications or parts thereof, for example at seminars and as posters *
• Provide guidance, as required, to support staff and any students who may be assisting with the research *
• Develop research objectives and proposals for own or joint research, with assistance of a mentor if required
• Contribute to writing bids for research funding
• Deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines*
• Promotes equality and values diversity acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture.

Person specification:

• First degree in area of specialism and normally, a higher degree relevant to research area or equivalent qualifications
• High level analytical capability
• Ability to communicate complex information clearly
• Fluency in relevant models, techniques or methods and ability to contribute to developing new ones (e.g. conducting systematic evidence syntheses, qualitative data collection and analysis, consensus-generation using Delphi survey and workshops, participatory and equity-focused research methods)
• Ability to assess resource requirements and use resources effectively
• Understanding of and ability to contribute to broader management/administration processes
• Contribute to the planning and organising of the research programme and/or specific research project
• Co-ordinate own work with others to avoid conflict or duplication of effort
• Knowledge of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010, and how to actively ensure in day to day activity in own area that those with protected characteristics are treated equally and fairly

Desirable criteria:

• Experience of rare conditions care and/or research
• Experience of effectively working with diverse stakeholders
• Understanding of clinical trial design and delivery