Research Assistant School of Public Health

at  University College Cork

POSITION SUMMARY

Applications are invited from highly motivated and suitably qualified candidates for a 12-month whole-time Research Assistant post in the Food Policy Research Team, Centre for Health and Diet Research in the School of Public Health, UCC. The HRB Centre for Health and Diet Research provides a national focal point for public health nutrition research in the Republic of Ireland. The mission of the centre is to develop a sustainable national inter-institutional and interagency consortium, focused on promoting the health and wellbeing of the Irish population by producing and effectively disseminating high-quality evidence to guide practice and policy in the area of public health nutrition.

The successful candidate will be required to perform, coordinate and support research activities on a Horizon Europe project to explore Food systems that support transitions to hEalthy And Sustainable dieTs (FEAST). This post offers an exciting opportunity to join the Food Policy Research Team under the supervision of Dr Janas Harrington and to collaborate with colleagues from a number of European countries. Day-to-day activities include but are not limited to:

• Conducting literature reviews and synthesizing scientific content
• Performing data analyses, interpreting results and presenting those data
• Contributing to scientific manuscripts, reports, and presentations
• Identifying opportunities for knowledge exchange and dissemination to diverse audiences
• Leading or assisting with the planning and execution of workshops, seminars, meetings, and webinars

This study will take a quantitative approach. Experience in analysing quantitative research studies is essential, and qualitative research analysis would be desirable.
Experience engaging in collaborative research with stakeholder groups including consumers, food producers, health professionals and/or policy makers is essential. The appointee will be expected to work as part of the team to deliver the FEAST objectives. The successful candidate will report directly to and work closely with the Principal Investigator, Dr Janas Harrington. The successful candidate will interact regularly with expert collaborators. Applicants should hold at min a Masters degree in public health or a related discipline. The successful candidate will be expected to carry out research using a variety of methods and should be proficient in data analysis with Stata and SPSS. Experience in food policy research and a knowledge and understanding of the challenges related to sustainable food systems would be desirable. Candidates must demonstrate strong organizational, planning, oral and written communication skills, scientific writing, and project management skills. The successful applicant must be a self-starter who is comfortable taking initiative and who can play a major role in completing.
Project Title: Food systems that support transitions to hEalthy And Sustainable dieTs (FEAST)
Post Duration: 12 Months
Salary: €31,462 - €41,443 (IUA Research Assistant Salary Scale)
For an information package including further details of the post see https://ore.ucc.ie/.
Dr. Janas Harrington, Senior Lecturer and Director of BSc Public Health Sciences, Email: j.harrington@ucc.ie
Applications must be submitted online via the University College Cork vacancy portal (https://ore.ucc.ie/). Queries relating to the online application process should be referred to recruitment@ucc.ie, quoting the job-title and project name.
Candidates should apply, in confidence, before 12 noon (Irish Local Time) on Thursday 12th September, 2024.

PLEASE NOTE THAT AN APPOINTMENT TO POSTS ADVERTISED WILL BE DEPENDENT ON UNIVERSITY APPROVAL, TOGETHER WITH THE TERMS OF THE EMPLOYMENT CONTROL FRAMEWORK FOR THE HIGHER EDUCATION SECTOR.

UCC is committed to creating and fully embracing an inclusive environment where diversity is celebrated. As a University we strive to create a workplace that reflects the diversity of our student population where people from a wide variety of backgrounds learn from one another, share ideas, and work collaboratively. UCC is committed to being an employer that recognises the value of diversity amongst its staff. We encourage applicants to consult our policies at https://www.ucc.ie/en/edi/policies/ and initiatives at https://www.ucc.ie/en/edi/implementation/ and we welcome applications of everyone, including those who are underrepresented in the protected characteristics set out in our Equal Opportunities & Diversity Policy.