Research Assistant/Associate: SWEET-PLUS

Salary: 

Research Assistant Salary:  £32,546 - £34,132  per annum

Research Associate Salary: £35,116 - £38,249  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: 17 March 2025

The Role

We are seeking to recruit an enthusiastic research assistant/associate with well-developed qualitative skills to support delivery of a project developing a support package to help women with breast cancer take a new type of drug (CDK4/6 inhibitors) as prescribed.

Most women with breast cancer are diagnosed with early-stage disease which is sensitive to the hormone oestrogen.  These women are prescribed oral hormone therapy which they need to take daily for at least five years.  A new class of biological drugs – called CDK4/6 inhibitors – have recently been approved for use alongside hormone therapy for two or three years.  We know that many women struggle to take hormone therapy as prescribed, often skipping doses or stopping prematurely.Trial data suggests there are also problems with adherence to CDK4/6 inhibitors. To get full benefit of these new drugs – and to prevent the cancer coming back - women need to be supported to take them as recommended.

This new study, called SWEET-PLUS, is a collabortion between Newcastle and Oxford Brookes Universities.  It will explore what helps and hinders women with early breast cancer to keep taking CDK4/6 inhibitors. We will use that information to develop, with patients, a support tool to help women take these drugs as intended.   

The project has three phases. Phase 1 will involve in-depth interviews with ~25 women with breast cancer who have experience of these drugs. Phase 2 will involve focus groups with ~20 health professionals about their experiences of prescribing CDK4/6 inhibitors and how/what they advise women about stopping/continuing. Phase 3 involves working with patients to design a support tool. This will be an add-on module to the interactive web-app within our HT&Me support package which helps women adhere to hormone therapy; more information about HT&Me can be found here https://www.sweetstudy.co.uk.

This is a full time post available from 1st June 2025 for a fixed term of 18 months in the first instance. 

Interested applicants are encouraged to contact Professor Linda Sharp (linda.sharp@newcastle.ac.uk) for an informal discussion.  

Please note that Newcastle University is a campus-based university; while blended working arrangements may be possible, we would be unlikely to consider applicants who wish to work entirely remotely.

You will join the REACH team (Research on Equity, Access and Cancer Health outcomes) which is a multi-disciplinary applied cancer research team in the Population Health Science Institute, within the Faculty of Medical Sciences at Newcastle University. Find out more about the Faculty of Medical Sciences here: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/medical-sciences/ 

Find out more about our Research Institutes here: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/medical-sciences/research/institutes/

As part of our commitment to career development for research colleagues, the University has developed 3 levels of research role profiles.  These profiles set out firstly the generic competences and responsibilities expected of role holders at each level and secondly the general qualifications and experiences needed for entry at a particular level.
 

Key Accountabilities

• Develop and carry out the project using appropriate techniques and equipment as outlined in the personal requirements
• Determine appropriate research methodologies, with advice and support where required
• Arrange, undertake, and lead analysis of phase 1 interviews, phase 2 focus groups, and phase 3 co-design workshops
• Liaise with clinical sites over set-up and R&D approvals, and link with other organisations (eg charities) to ensure recruitment of a diverse groups of participants
• Maintain an up-to-date overview of the relevant literature
• Arrange and participate in project meetings
• Support Patient and Public Involvement activities for the project
• Present research fundings in appropriate fora and contribute to writing-up papers from the project and other dissemination activities
• Contribute actively to other activities of the REACH team (eg team meetings, journal club), the Institute and Faculty
• Assess research findings for the need/scope for further investigations
• Although working under the general guidance of the Principal Investigator, the postholder will be expected to contribute ideas, including enhancements to the technical or methodological aspects of the study, thus providing substantial 'added value'. 
• Contribute to grant applications submitted by others and in time develop own research objectives and proposals for funding
• Work with support staff and, on occasions, with undergraduate and postgraduate students, and interact intellectually with other members of the project team, REACH team, and Institute
• May be involved in the supervision, with guidance, of final year undergraduate research projects and in providing support to postgraduate research students or Research Assistants
• Develop an awareness of University structures, policies and procedures and relevant issues in the higher education, research, social and political environment

The Person

Knowledge, Skills and Experience 

Essential

• Significant experience of applying qualitative research methods for data collection (e.g., undertaking one-to-one interviews or focus groups) and analysis
• Experience of recruiting research participants to studies in a healthcare, social care or other similar setting
• Proven organisational skills, including in working with patients or other vulnerable populations and healthcare professionals
• Strong administrative skills
• Excellent written and spoken communication skills, which are required for working sensitively and effectively with cancer survivors, and health professionals
• Ability to work well as part of a team and rapidly acquire new skills, as required
• Detailed subject knowledge (e.g., breast cancer, cancer survivorship, behaviour change) in the area of research 
• Likelihood of advanced skills directly related to the research projects 
• High level of analytical and problem-solving capability 
• Ability to communicate complex information with clarity and to encourage the commitment of others 
• Experience of research with clear transferable skills and some experience or awareness of the research environment 
• Presentations at conferences and/or high-quality publications 

Desirable

• Setting-up/opening/closing clinical sites and/or obtaining R&D or NHS approvals, etc.
• Working with healthcare professionals to support recruitment of patients (or healthcare professionals) to research studies
• An understanding of health behaviours, behaviour change and behaviour change interventions
• Experience of cancer survivorship research
• Experience of systematic or scoping reviews
• Experience of undertaking PPI activities and of co-design approaches

Attributes and Behaviour

Essential

• Ability to work independently, taking initiative and being pro-active, as well as working as a supportive team member
• Ability to carry out research project work within agreed timelines, meeting project milestones and producing research to an appropriate standard
• Flexibility, including a willingness to work flexible hours to fit around patients’, and health professionals’ needs and preferences

Qualifications

• For appointment at Research Assistant level:  a Masters degree in health sciences, public health, health psychology, social sciences or a related field is required. Working towards a PhD in a relevant field would be a significant advantage
• For appointment at Research Associate level: A PhD in the research area (e.g., health sciences, public health, health psychology, social sciences) is required

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: 27918