Job Description
Job Title: Research Fellow
Posting Start Date: 26/02/2025
Job Id: 854
School/Department: School of Medicine & Population Health
Work Arrangement: Full Time (On site)
Contract Type: Fixed-term
Salary per annum (£): 47,874-63,929
Closing Date: 12/03/2025
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OVERVIEW

We are seeking an outstanding researcher wishing to lead an exciting mixed-methods research project with direct clinical application. You will join Professor Christopher McDermott at the Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN) to work on a clinical research project focused on decreasing diagnostic delay of people with motor neuron disease (pwMND).
The post provides an excellent opportunity to undertake high quality research within a stimulating multi-disciplinary context working directly with a team of healthcare professionals and researchers from the University of Sheffield, University of Nottingham, Primary Care Sheffield, and the MND Association.

The aims of the MND Alert project are to:

• Develop an MND alert system that can flag possible cases of MND to GPs during consultations.
• Explore the accuracy and reliability of the MND Alert system.
• Interview primary and secondary care healthcare professionals to understand their experiences of using the alert system.

You will have the opportunity to lead the design, set-up and conduct of health services research projects, primarily using qualitative interviews. This will include writing protocols and other relevant supporting documents; assist with submissions for ethical, governance and regulatory approvals; lead the consent process, data collection and data analysis; and research findings dissemination.
You should have a PhD in a relevant discipline (or equivalent experience). Experience of previous research or work experience within the NHS and excellent IT skills are essential for this role.

Key duties specific to this position:

• Work in close collaboration with the senior investigators to manage the day-to-day delivery of the MND Alert study.
• Take a lead in the design, data collection, analysis and dissemination of various projects. These may include questionnaire surveys, freedom of information requests, qualitative interviews, and focus groups involving pwMND, their informal carers, healthcare professionals and NHS services.
• Lead and conduct patient and public involvement activities, liaising with people with experience of living with MND and supporting their involvement in the research.
• Write documents contributing to and supporting the work of the project, e.g., protocols, ethics applications, SOPs, interim reports and dissemination activities.
• Plan research activities and review progress on a regular basis in collaboration with other members of the team.
• Lead funding applications to support future projects developed by the team.
• Work with collaborators within the University of Sheffield, the University of Nottingham, Primary Care Sheffield, the MND Association, and beyond.
• Read academic papers, journals and textbooks to keep abreast of developments and use this information to brief colleagues and inform the work of the project.
• Travel to other areas of the UK to conduct field research, where necessary on an occasional basis. Travel arrangements will be flexible.
• To always maintain patient confidentiality.
• To ensure that the views of consumers are effectively sought, channelled, and acted upon, including the efficient actioning of the complaints procedure in accordance with the Trust policy in conjunction with the supervising consultant neurologist.
• You will make a full and active contribution to the principles of the ‘Sheffield Academic’. These include the achievement of excellence in applied teaching and research, and scholarly pursuits to make a genuine difference in the subject area and to the University’s achievements as a whole.
• As a member of staff you will be encouraged to make ethical decisions in your role, embedding the University sustainability strategy into your working activities wherever possible.
• Any other duties, commensurate with the grade of the post.