Research Assistant/Associate

Salary: Research Assistant - £33,951 to £36,608 per annum pro rata

            Research Associate - £36,636 to £46,049 per annum pro rata

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: 29 July 2026

The Role

We are excited to launch this new opportunity for a Research Assistant or Associate to join us in the Population Health Sciences Institute. You will be joining a diverse community of colleagues based in Newcastle, in the Baddiley-Clark building, with the post being in Professor Mark Pearce’s team within the Maternal and Child Health Research Group.

You will work on a ME Association funded pilot study looking at assessing factors around Myalgic Encephalomylitis/ Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) in pregnancy, and around family planning.

The post will mainly involve statistical analysis of existing data from our ongoing pilot study and contributing to papers and reports. We are particularly keen to hear from those with a passion for pregnancy research and experience of analysing quantitative data.

This post is part time at 0.55 FTE, fixed term for a period of 1 years

At Newcastle University, we follow the Researcher Development Concordat: We enable all colleagues to fulfil their research potential regardless of career stage. This commitment secures our thriving research culture and vibrant research environment. Our offer to each individual and their researcher development includes mentoring, annual research planning discussions, pooled research funding to support career development and research activities, peer review support for the development of research and innovation funding applications.

We want you to feel confident when applying for a position with Newcastle University. If you’d like an informal discussion to clarify any points, please contact mark.pearce@ncl.ac.uk. We are committed to making the process accessible to everyone and can provide additional support to adjustments to meet your needs’

To apply, we require a cover letter and CV. In the cover letter, you should outline how you meet the essential criteria listed in the job description.

Interviews will be arranged with advanced notice.

As part of our commitment to career development for research colleagues, the University has developed 3 levels of Research Innovation Role Profiles.  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.

Find out more about the Faculty of Medical Sciences here: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/medical-sciences/

Find out more about the Population Health Sciences Institute here: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/medical-sciences/research/institutes/population-health/

Key Accountabilities

Research Assistant

• 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

• 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

• Detailed knowledge and experience of applying statistical methods to health research data
• 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

• 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

• Masters degree in Public Health, Medical Statistics, or a relevant subject area

In addition for Research Associate

• PhD in an epidemiology or public health area

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: 29475