Job Description

Ref Number

B02-09808

Professional Expertise

Research and Research Support

Department

School of Life & Medical Sciences (B02)

Location

London

Working Pattern

Full time

Salary

See advert text

Contract Type

Fixed-term

Working Type

Hybrid

Available for Secondment

No

Closing Date

04-Jan-2026

About us

------------


The UCL Division of Psychiatry, located within the Faculty of Brain Sciences, is a world-renowned centre of excellence in mental health research. Our mission is to improve mental health through cutting-edge research and education. By leveraging insights from basic science, we address clinical problems with the aim of improving patient outcomes and public health. Moreover, we take pride in delivering innovative teaching that is directly relevant to clinical practice and informed by our research. Join our team and help us drive forward the field of mental health research and education



The EPICare Platform is a large NIHR- and Mental Health Mission-funded programme to develop, implement and evaluate a new national digital registry and Trust-based clinician facing dashboard for psychosis in Early Intervention in Psychosis (EIP) services across England.



We are seeking a Research Assistant to support activity during the evaluation stage of EPICare. The post is funded at Grade 6B for 12 months (at 1.0 FTE, but part time working can be considered from 0.4 FTE, to be agreed with the line manager), as part of this four-year NIHR Programme Grant.



The programme will assess whether routinely collected demographic, treatment and clinical outcome data can be captured in the digital registry and used to examine variation in psychosis incidence, inequalities in care, and the real-world effectiveness of treatments on patient outcomes. It will also evaluate whether the dashboard improves data quality and adherence to NICE standards, and whether the combined system is cost-effective.



EPICare is organised across seven work packages spanning scientific evaluation, programme management, public and patient involvement, data integrity and research capacity development.



The Research Assistant will support coordination, training, data management, research governance and dissemination activities. The role is based at UCL, with occasional travel to study sites. Candidates will be expected to be able to commute to central London at least 2-3 days per week. This post suits a candidate with experience in research support for medical or healthcare research (ideally in mental health or NHS-based research) who is motivated to contribute to high-quality applied mental health research



For more information about EPICare, please visit: www.epicaremh.org

About the role

------------------


The Research Assistant will support the day-to-day delivery of the EPICare study, working closely with the Programme Manager (Melanie Lafanechere), Chief Investigator (Prof. James Kirkbride) and wider research team. They will assist with coordinating research activities and administrative support to the EPICare study, contributing to the deployment of the EPICare platform in NHS Trusts, management of study documentation, coordination of stakeholder meetings, and communication across multiple stakeholders. The postholder will play a key role in supporting research governance, data integrity, and training and dissemination activities. The postholder will be expected to communicate with stakeholders across academic, clinical, digital, governance and lived experience groups. The role will involve supporting collaboration between UCL, NHS sites and other partner organisations to help ensure the smooth running of the EPICare programme.



Appointment details:


The post is graded 6B 39,148 to 41,833 (including London Allowance). The appointment is available from January 2026 and is funded for a fixed duration of 12 months at 1.0 FTE. Part-time applications with a minimum requirement of 0.4FTE are welcome.

About you

-------------


The postholder will be expected to contribute to the successful delivery of the EPICare study by providing reliable research, administrative support across multiple work packages. Key performance objectives include maintaining accurate and timely study documentation; coordinating meetings and keeping meeting minutes; conducting training at NHS sites, either online or in person; supporting effective communication and coordination with research sites and stakeholders; ensuring high standards of data management and quality control; and contributing to analyses, reports and dissemination materials as required. The Research Assistant will be expected to meet agreed deadlines, demonstrate strong organisational skills and attention to detail, work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team, and uphold the highest ethical, governance and professional standards in all aspects of the research.



Application process:


A full job description and person specification can be accessed at the bottom of this page. Please use the personal statement section to explain how you meet each essential and desirable criteria outlined in the person specification. Applications will be anonymised, therefore please ensure your personal statement is fully completed as the panel will not be able to see your CV or any supporting documents uploaded. Please also ensure to include your degree class within your personal statement if applicable. Please ensure your CV is no longer than 2 pages. Please state whether you wish to take up the post part time or full time, and if part time, state your preferred proportion of FTE Please do not upload any additional documents (transcripts, papers, or other reports). These will not be considered. Please do not upload your photograph on your application/CV. The advert will close at midnight on 4th January 2026

Contact details:


If you have any queries about the role, please contact Melanie Lafanechere at m.lafanechere@ucl.ac.uk If you need reasonable adjustments or a more accessible format to apply for this job online or have any queries about the application process, please contact dop.hr@ucl.ac.uk

What we offer

-----------------


As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, we also offer some great benefits some of which are below:


41 Days holiday (including 27 days annual leave 8 bank holiday and 6 closure days) Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE) Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan On-Site nursery On-site gym Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay Employee assistance programme: Staff Support Service Discounted medical insurance

The full range of staff benefits can be found here: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/human-resources/pay-benefits/staff-benefits

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

-------------------------------------------------------


As London's Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world's talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong.



We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL's workforce. These include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; LGBTQI+ people; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women.



The Division of Psychiatry prides itself for operating in an all-inclusive environment. Teamwork is highly valued, individual strengths are recognised and celebrated, and there is a commitment to advancing the careers of everyone, regardless of gender or role. We aim to provide a family friendly environment where both women and men feel able to take the time they need for family. The Athena SWAN Charter recognises commitment to advancing women's careers in science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine (STEMM) employment in academia and the Division is delighted to have an Athena Swan Silver Award since 2022. All staff are invited to contribute to EDI initiatives within the Division to contribute to improving working conditions and opportunities for all. Mentoring is a crucial part of supporting career progression and mentoring schemes are available for staff in the Division.



You can read more about our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion here:



https://www.ucl.ac.uk/psychiatry/about/equality-diversity-and-inclusion



https://www.ucl.ac.uk/equality-diversity-inclusion/