Postdoctoral Research Associate

Short info about job

Detail information about job Postdoctoral Research Associate. Terms and conditions vacancy

This part time (0.6FTE) post starting 1 October 2017 to 31 December 2019 in Participant Wellbeing and Public Attitudes to Data, within our recently funded Smartline project.

The University of Exeter is a Russell Group university that combines world-class research with very high levels of student satisfaction. Exeter has over 21,000 students from more than 130 different countries and is in the top 1% of universities in the world with 98% of its research rated as being of international quality.

Based at the internationally regarded, European Centre for Environment and Human Health in the University of Exeter Medical School, this post will work alongside the Research Fellow in Healthy Communities and Social Innovation to collect and examine quantitative and qualitative data around wellbeing, as well as attitudes to data use in the four communities involved in the Smartline project (Camborne, Pool, Illogan and Redruth).

This post will involve:

• Working with communities and small and medium enterprises in Cornwall to research public attitudes to secondary use of data both from social media, sensors and research projects.
• Analysis of questionnaire and interview/focus group data on participant’s wellbeing and social connectedness throughout the project.
• Analysis of social media data on needs in communities, for example trialling the use of Twitter data to assess the drivers of wellbeing and gaps in provision in three communities in Cornwall.
• Supporting and analysing the social innovation outcomes of the Smartline project.
• Communicate and engage with communities and small and medium enterprises regarding the emergent findings of the project.

The Smartline project is a research and innovation project aimed at supporting the growth of the eHealth and eWellbeing small and medium enterprise (SME) sector in Cornwall through the identification and support for products, processes and services that will improved the health and wellbeing of social housing tenants and build the cohesion of their communities. This is a partnership project involving the University of Exeter, Coastline Housing, Volunteer Cornwall and Cornwall Council.

Smartline is supported by funding from the European Regional Development Fund, part of the European Structural and Investment Funds, and as such, business support and engagement is fundamental to the delivery of the project and a key aspect of all posts within it.

The successful candidate will have experience of mixed methods (focus groups, interviews, statistical analysis, survey methods), but with strong quantitative skills. A PhD is essential, preferably in public health, epidemiology, psychology or a related discipline. Experience of or interest in working in communities and with SMEs is essential.

For the Job Description and Person Specification please click here.

For an informal discussion please contact Dr Andrew Williams’s [email protected] or Dr Tim Taylor [email protected].

Interviews: Friday 6 October 2017.

The College is proud to have a Silver Athena SWAN award in recognition of our commitment and impact to providing equality of opportunity and advancing the representation of women in STEM/M subjects. Our Inspiring Stories tell you more about how we support our staff, including through a mentoring programme to help our staff learn from the professional and life experience of colleagues and explore opportunities and actions for career progression. 

The University of Exeter is an equal opportunity employer. We are officially recognised as a Disability Confident employer and an Athena Swan accredited institution. Whilst all applicants will be judged on merit alone, we particularly welcome applications from groups currently underrepresented in the workforce.