Research Assistant/Associate in Health and Social Care Policy (Dementia and Neurodegeneration)

Salary: 

Research Assistant: £33,951 to £35,608 per annum

Research Associate: £36,636 to £46,049 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 September 2026

The Role

We are delighted to offer an opportunity for a Research Assistant/Associate to join Newcastle University's contribution to the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Policy Research Unit in Dementia and Neurodegeneration (DeNPRU Exeter). Led by the University of Exeter and delivered in partnership with researchers from Newcastle, Bradford, the London School of Economics and Ulster University, the Unit provides high-quality evidence to support policy development and decision-making within the Department of Health and Social Care and related bodies.

You will join a vibrant and collaborative research environment within the Population Health Sciences Institute and work closely with Professor Matthew Prina, Professor Dame Louise Robinson and Professor Amy O'Donnell, as well as colleagues across the wider DenPRU network. The successful candidate will contribute to a programme of policy-focused research on dementia, neurology, and health and social care services, including evidence syntheses, quantitative analyses, stakeholder engagement activities, and the rapid generation of evidence to inform national policy priorities.

What We're Looking For

We are particularly keen to hear from applicants with expertise in evidence synthesis and quantitative research methods who are motivated by producing high-quality research that can directly influence health and social care policy and practice. This role would suit someone who enjoys working across a range of projects, applying appropriate methodological approaches to address complex policy questions, and engaging with a range of stakeholders including policy-makers, practitioners, and people with lived experience.

You will have:

• A background in public health, epidemiology, health service or social care research, social policy, statistics, population health, or a related discipline
• Experience of conducting evidence reviews and evidence syntheses, including rapid, scoping, systematic, or related review methodologies
• Experience of quantitative data analysis and working with health, social care or population datasets using software such as R, Stata or SAS or familiarity with mixed methods
• An interest in dementia, neurological conditions, health and social care services, or related population health research
• Strong communication skills and the ability to present complex research findings to both academic and non-academic audiences
• Experience of, or an interest in, stakeholder engagement, Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE), and the development of policy-relevant research outputs, including publications and reports

Applicants may be appointed at either Research Assistant or Research Associate level, depending on qualifications, experience and career stage.

What We Offer

Newcastle University is committed to supporting the development of researchers at all career stages. We are proud signatories of the Researcher Development Concordat and are committed to creating a thriving research culture.

The successful candidate will benefit from:

• Mentoring and career development support
• Annual research and career planning discussions
• Access to training and professional development opportunities
• Support with fellowship and research funding applications
• Opportunities to build national and international collaborations
• A supportive and inclusive research environment

The role also provides excellent opportunities to contribute to grant development, student supervision, public and patient involvement and engagement (PPIE), and collaborative research activities across the Centre for Ageing (NUAGE).

This post is until December 2028

 As part of our commitment to building a vibrant research culture, the role holder will be expected to spend a minimum of 50% of their contracted time working in person at the University.

Some travel may be required to attend project meetings, conferences and stakeholder events.

We want you to feel confident when applying for a position with Newcastle University. If you would like an informal discussion about the role, please contact Professor Matthew Prina at matthew.prina@newcastle.ac.uk.

We are committed to making our recruitment process accessible to all applicants and can provide adjustments and support where required.

How to Apply

Please upload:

1.          A CV.

2.         A cover letter (maximum two pages) outlining:

o          Your interest in the role.

o          How your experience meets the essential criteria.

We expect shortlisted candidates to be invited to interview mid-September.

As part of our commitment to career development for research colleagues, the University has developed 3 levels of Research Innovation Role Profiles.pdf.  These profiles set out firstly the generic competencies 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

Research Assistant

• Undertake a range of evidence reviews (rapid, scoping, systematic, and umbrella reviews where appropriate)
• Secure ethical and governance approvals in line with regulatory requirements
• Support and deliver Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) activities appropriate to the research
• Work collaboratively with health and care partners, community stakeholders, and the public to support inclusive and impactful research
• Draft accessible summaries for policy-makers and for diverse audiences, including the public, practitioners, and funders
• Collect, analyse and interpret research data and draw conclusions on the outcomes
• Co-ordinate own work with that of others, use problem solving to affect the achievement of research objectives and contribute to the planning of the project(s)
• Present information on research progress and outcomes to a Principal Investigator or groups overseeing the research project
• Write up results from own research activity and provide input into the research project’s dissemination, in whatever form (report, papers, chapters, books)
• Use research resources (including, where required, laboratories, workshops and specialist equipment) as appropriate

Research Associate (in addition to research assistant)

• Conduct quantitative analyses, including service evaluations
• Lead the preparation of reports for funders and contribute to peer-reviewed publications and present research findings at team meetings, stakeholder events, and academic conferences
• Contribute to the development of research objectives, study designs, and funding proposals
• Contribute to wider programme activity, including engagement with regional and national research infrastructures
• Support the supervision of Master’s student dissertations
• Contribute ideas, including enhancements to the technical or methodological aspects of the project
• Determine appropriate methodologies for research
• Assess research findings for the need/scope for further investigations
• Contribute to the writing up of the research and its dissemination, either through seminar and conference presentations or through publications
• Present research findings, either at conferences or through publications in reputable outlets appropriate to the discipline
• Contribute to grant applications submitted by others and develop own research objectives and proposals for funding

The Person

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

 Research Assistant

• Knowledge of and experience in conducting evidence reviews and evidence syntheses, including rapid, scoping and systematic reviews
• Knowledge of research governance, ethics, data protection and information governance requirements relevant to health and social care research
• Evidence of leading the preparation of research outputs, including first-author peer-reviewed publications, policy reports and/or major technical reports
• Experience of working on dementia or neurological conditions, or experience of working in other related areas e.g.  long-term conditions, ageing, disability or health and social care services
• Attention to detail and ability to work at high levels of accuracy
• Ability to present complex information effectively to a range of audiences
• Proven ability to analyse data and write-up results
• Experience of working collaboratively with colleagues
• Excellent IT skills in all major office applications
• The ability to use personal initiative and creativity to solve research problems

In addition for Research Associate

• Experience of working with stakeholders, including policy, practice, public and lived-experience groups
• Experience of contributing to the development of research proposals, funding applications, or new research initiatives
• Knowledge of and experience of working with quantitative datasets and applying appropriate analytical methods and/or mixed-methods research
• Awareness of the research environment
• High level of analytical and problem solving capacity
• Ability to communicate complex information with clarity
• Experience of presentations at conferences and/or in high quality publications

Attributes and Behaviour

• Commitment to working positively as a member of a multi-skilled research team
• Ability to negotiate and prioritise multiple, competing responsibilities and to work to deadlines
• Commitment to continued professional development
• Understanding of good practice in equality, inclusion and diversity

Qualifications

Research Assistant

• A masters in health services research, public health, social care research, psychology, social policy, epidemiology or a related subject
• Near completion of PhD (within 3 months), in health services research, public health, social care research, dementia, neurology, psychology, social policy, epidemiology or a related discipline

In addition for Research Associate

• PhD in health services research, public health, social care research, dementia, neurology, psychology, social policy, epidemiology or a related discipline

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 Gold 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: 29721