Research Assistant/Associate North East (Pro:ne) Project

Salary:

Research Assistant: £31,396 to £32,982 per annum

Research Associate: £33,966 to £44,263 per annum

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Closing Date: 28 July 2024

The Role

A vacancy has arisen within the mental health strand of the Pro:NE project at Newcastle University.

Postgraduate Research Opportunities: North East (Pro:NE) is a multisite project involving five leading universities (Durham, Newcastle, Northumbria, Sunderland and Teesside) in the North-East of England. The aim of the project is to strengthen pathways into postgraduate study and academic employment for racially and ethnically minoritised students. The project has received total funding of over £2.5 million, including a £798,972 grant from The Office for Students.

This role provides an exciting opportunity to contribute to the development of targeted mental health support for racially and ethnically minoritized students working at a doctoral level in the area. You will work alongside members of the Geography department and Newcastle Doctorate in Psychology Team to deliver and evaluate the project and to engage with wider stakeholders across the Pro:NE network. Dissemination opportunities are expected, including contributing to conference presentations and/or journal submissions.   

Applicants should have experience of engagement in anti-racism work and an enthusiasm to promote inclusion. Knowledge and experience of data collection methods, data management and data analyses is essential, alongside excellent organisational and communication skills. A good honours degree with subject knowledge in the relevant area (e.g. Psychology/Clinical Psychology) is required. A PhD in a relevant field is necessary for appointment at associate level.

The appointment is full time, fixed term until 31st January 2026. Salary dependent on previous experience and whether the successful candidate has a PhD (range £31,396-£36,024).

Interested applicants are encouraged to contact Dr Lucy Robinson (lucy.robinson2@ncl.ac.uk) or Dr Sarah Thwaites (sarah.thwaites@ncl.ac.uk) for an informal discussion.

• Lead development work – including engagement with key stakeholder groups – of a low-intensity support programme for postgraduate research (PGR) students from racially minoritised groups.

• Support/Lead delivery (depending on experience) and evaluation of this programme to PGR students at different universities in the North East of England

• Support/Lead (depending on experience) development of training materials for university wellbeing practitioners and supervisors.

• Attend the North East Student Mental Health Partnership meeting to build strategic links with key services.

• Work with the EDI lead to widen the dissemination of the scheme through contacts with other relevant organisations (eg local Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), schools and other relevant groups).

• To contribute to the development of an efficient, effective and accurate process for data-collection for outcomes of those accessing the support materials.

• Ensure the required research governance processes (eg ethics approvals) are followed for all stages of evaluation.

The Person

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Knowledge and experience of data collection methods and management (eg ethics, data security, general data protection regulations)

• Experience of activism/working within EDI and/or anti-racism initiatives

• Understanding of some of the barriers to accessing doctoral level training for people from minoritized groups

• Experience of organising events, workshops or training sessions

• Experience producing or directing the creation of multimedia materials (text, images, videos) or an educational training package

Attributes and Behaviour / Success Factors

• Works well in an academic environment that involves a mixture of independent, directed and team working; can prioritise and organise effectively

• Works collaboratively with others, plays a positive role in teams and establishes and grows relationships across the project where different skills, expertise and opinions are valued. Talks about other team members in a positive way

• Uses clear, concise and accurate communication, tailoring the approach accordingly and encouraging a two-way communication process

• Projects a positive attitude through personal confidence and enthusiasm in order to achieve organisational success. Inspires trust and confidence of others

• High level of self-motivation even when things are not going well

Qualifications

• A good honours degree with subject knowledge in the relevant area (psychology and clinical psychology)

Desirable

• A PhD in a relevant area or DClinPsy qualification

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.  As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.

We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society.  We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent.  We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.

At Newcastle University we hold a silver Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality.  We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC.  We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.

In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe. 

Requisition ID: 27327