Research Fellow

The University of Birmingham and the Centre for Care - in partnership with the University of Sheffield - have launched a major new pilot, the Survey of Carers, across selected areas of England. The purpose is to capture data from unpaid carers including those not known to local councils or arranging care privately, to help shape national and local social care policy.

The project, which started in February 2026, was commissioned by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and is being led by Professor Matt Bennett at the University of Birmingham and Professor Kate Hamblin at the University of Sheffield. The survey went live to the public on October 14 2026 and closes to the public on December 14 2026. Localised findings from the pilot will be published in June 2027.

This Research Fellow post is available full or part time from January 1, 2027 until May 16, 2027. The post holder will work individually and as part of a wider team at the ESRC Centre for Care on the Survey of Carers pilot project. They will have experience in using large complex datasets, data linkage, analysis, data cleaning, and good research writing skills with the capacity to write high quality journal articles and communicate findings in an engaging and relevant way. They will undertake research under the supervision and guidance of Professor Matt Bennett.

The role of the researcher will be to: 1) analyse data; 2) prepare data for wider publication; and 3) project reporting and evaluation. Other tasks will involve convening codesign panels with policy makers and charities, and reporting on and evaluating sampling models, including sample composition, response/completion quality, operational costs and scalability.

The post is remote/hybrid, based at the University of Birmingham and regular attendance is expected.

Main Duties:
- Develop research objectives and proposals for own or joint research, with assistance of a mentor if required
- Contribute to writing bids for research funding
- Analyse and interpret data
- Apply knowledge in a way which develops new intellectual understanding
- Disseminate research findings for publication, research seminars etc
- Supervise students on research related work and provide guidance to PhD students where appropriate to the discipline
- Contribute to developing new models, techniques and methods
- Undertake management/administration arising from research
- Contribute to Departmental/School research-related activities and research-related administration
- Contribute to enterprise, business development and/or public engagement activities of manifest benefit to the College and the University, often under supervision of a project leader
- Collect research data through a variety of research methods, such as scientific experimentation, literature reviews, and research interviews
- Present research outputs, including drafting academic publications or parts thereof, for example at seminars and as posters
- Provide guidance, as required, to support staff and any students who may be assisting with the research
- Deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines
- Foster a fair and equitable workplace for all staff
- Identify and respond to equality and diversity issues in line with relevant university policies and procedures

Person Specification:
- A PhD relevant to the research area (or near completion), or equivalent PhD level qualifications
- High level analytical capability
- Ability to communicate complex information clearly
- Fluency in relevant models, techniques or methods and ability to contribute to developing new ones
- Ability to assess resource requirements and use resources effectively
- Understanding of and ability to contribute to broader management/administration processes
- Contribute to the planning and organising of the research programme and/or specific research project
- Co-ordinate own work with others to avoid conflict or duplication of effort
- Knowledge of the protected characteristics and duties under the Equality Act 2010, including fostering good relations and advancing the university's Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED)

Note on AI in applications: Applications that rely too heavily on AI tools can appear generic and lack the detail needed to assess skills and experience. Such applications will unlikely be progressed to interview.