Reference Number: 003967 

Post: Research Associate – Centre For Public Policy And Health 

Department: School of Medicine, Pharmacy and Health 

Contract Type: Part-time, Fixed term 

Grade: Grade 7 (£32,004 – £38,183) 

The successful candidate will be expected to play a key role on a new Department of Health-funded research project, Improving Choices for Care: A Strategic Research Initiative on Implementation of the Care act 2014, alongside Professor David Hunter and Professor Bub Hudson at Durham University. The project is being undertaken collaboratively with Professor Stephen Peckham at the University of Kent. The project will evaluate how national support programmes impact on local implementation of the Care Act 2014 and identify those elements that supported successful implementation and explore how they can be replicated for other major government policy programmes and initiatives. 

This is one of a number of projects that the Department of Health has commissioned to evaluate the implementation of the Act. 

The post will involve fieldwork and analysis of data from six local authority case study sites across England, and will require skills in qualitative research methods. It will also involve preparing, and contributing to papers for publication in peer reviewed journals and assisting with planning a series of events and coordinating other dissemination activities. In addition, the successful candidates will work with a specialist external advisory group established for the project.

The post will appeal to applicants interested in public policy and health, policy implementation, health and social care, health inequalities, policy evaluation, and the public health role of local authorities. This is a complex project requiring effective project management skills and an ability to work across disciplines and organisations. Working as part of a team, engaging with a wide range of academic and policy partners, and managing tight deadlines are key requirements for this post. Travelling, including some overnight travel, will be involved in order to carry out research in the case study sites. 

Please note this post will be extended be a 24-month post rather than 21-month post subject to funding. 

Key responsibilities 

• Ensure the successful completion of the research project 

• Literature review and documentary analysis 

• Planning and managing fieldwork in case study sites across England 

• Conducting interviews, focus groups and observations 

• Analysing qualitative data 

• Writing and presenting research papers 

• Coordination and administration of research-related activities, including project team meetings, external advisory group meetings and data collection 

• Liaison with internal and external team members as needed 

• Dissemination of project findings 

• Contribution to project outputs within agreed timescales, including the final report 

• Other tasks as directed by the project lead. 

Responsible to: David Hunter, Professor of Health Policy and Management, Centre for Public Policy and Health, School of Medicine, Pharmacy and Health, Durham University (www.dur.ac.uk/public.health). 

For further details, click here.