Job Description

Position Details

School of Psychology


Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK


Full time starting salary is normally in the range 36,130 to 45,413 with potential progression once in post to 48,149


Grade: 7


Fixed term contract for up to 42 months:


Full time, 37.5 hours per week for three years; then part time, 18.75 hours per week for 6 months.


Closing date: 19 th August 2025

Background

Applications are invited to work on two new research projects, one funded by Shionogi BV "Measuring cognitive outcomes in people with intellectual disability" and a second project 'The Cerebra Network', funded by Cerebra. The Research Fellow will be split 50/50 between the two projects for the first three years (overall 1.0 fte), and then work solely on the Cerebra Network at 0.5fte for the final six months of the post.


Across these two projects, the Research Fellow will collect objective and subjective sleep data from children with neurogenetic syndromes and develop and administer new play-based measures of executive functioning. The Research Fellow will lead on project initiation, participant recruitment, data collection, data management and analysis, report writing, preparation of manuscripts and materials for publication and dissemination and related project administration. The post will suit candidates with an interest in clinical psychology and developmental psychology. The candidate will have the opportunity to benefit from a range of training and supervision opportunities while in post.


The successful applicant will be based in the School of Psychology, University of Birmingham. Appointees will work under the direction of Professor Caroline Richards, Dr Rory Devine and Professor Andrew Bagshaw, alongside collaborators Dr Hayley Crawford (University of Warwick), Dr Jane Waite (Aston University) and Dr Jo Moss (University of Surrey). The successful applicant will join Prof Richards' team: https://www.richardslab.org/ and the cross-institute Cerebra Network: https://www.cerebranetwork.com/


In your application please include a cover letter stating how you match the person specification.

Role Summary

Work within specified industry grant and charity funded project Oversee and contribute to data collection Operate within area of specialism Analyse and interpret research findings and results Contribute to generating funding Ability to communicate complex information clearly

Main Duties

The responsibilities may include some but not all of the responsibilities outlined below.


Collect research data from children with rare neurogenetic syndromes via subjective and objective sleep measurement, play-based standardised psychological measures, literature reviews, and research interviews 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 Deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines Promote equality and values diversity acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture.

Person Specification

Achieved at least a 2.1 degree in Psychology or closely-related discipline

and

a PhD (or near to completion) in Psychology that is relevant to the research area Experience of collecting data from children Experience with collecting and analysing sleep and/or cognition data Experience working and communicating with populations with intellectual disability High level analytical capability Ability to communicate complex information clearly Knowledge of executive function and/or sleep in either typical development or intellectual disability Proficiency in advanced statistical analysis skills (e.g., structural equation modelling, confirmatory factor analysis) 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

DBS required

The University is committed to safeguarding and we promote safe recruitment practice, therefore all associated pre-employment checks will be undertaken before any appointment is confirmed. Due to the nature of the work undertaken in this role all successful applicants will be subject to a satisfactory DBS clearance prior to appointment.



Informal enquiries to Caroline Richards, email: c.r.richards@bham.ac.uk

We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone

on our website

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