Position Details
School of Psychology
Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK
Full time starting salary is normally in the range £36,636 to £46,049 with potential progression once in post to £48,822. As this vacancy has limited funding the maximum salary that can be offered is Grade 7, salary £42,254.
Full Time, Fixed Term contract up to September 2028
Closing date: 16th August 2026
UK travel may be required for this role
Background
To create and contribute to the creation of knowledge by undertaking a specified range of activities within the ENERGISE-BD trial which is being funded by the Wellcome Trust. ENERGISE-BD is a phase III RCT of a keto-genic diet vs NHS eat well plan, for people with bipolar disorder depression. It is being co-led by the the University of Birmingham and the University of Edinburgh.
Role Summary
- Work within ENERGISE-BD and alongside team members contribute to recruitment of participants and trial activity
- Operate within area of specialism
- Analyse and interpret research findings and results
- Contribute to generating funding
- Contribute to licensing or spin out deals with demonstrated commercial success (such as revenues, asset or company sales, IP generated) and/or public understanding of the discipline or similar
Main Duties
The responsibilities may include some but not all of the responsibilities outlined below.
- This postdoctoral post has a key role in the recruitment, assessment and follow-up of participants enrolled in this study.
- Contribute to writing bids for research funding
- Analyse and interpret data
- Apply knowledge in a way which develops new intellectual understanding
- Disseminate research findings from ENERGISE-BD for publication, research seminars etc
- Supervise students on research related work and provide guidance to PhD students where appropriate to the discipline
- Supervise junior staff such as research associates in conduct of trial activities
- 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; this may be 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
- Fosters a fair and equitable workplace for all staff
- Identify and respond to equality and diversity issues in line with relevant university policies and procedures
- Other relevant criteria from our equality and diversity duties document.
Person Specification
- A PhD relevant to the research area (or near completion), or equivalent PhD level qualifications.
- Experience of working in a trial or closely associated research
- 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 universities Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED).
- Other relevant criteria from our equality and diversity knowledge, skills and experience document .
- Requirement for DBS, Occupational Health Check and awareness of the Data Protection Act (DPA)
OH & DBS required
The University is committed to safeguarding and we promote safe recruitment practice, therefore all associated pre-employment checks will be undertaken before any appointment is confirmed. Due to the nature of the work undertaken in this role all successful applicants will be subject to a satisfactory Occupational Health and DBS clearance prior to appointment.
Informal enquiries to Shahara Choudhry, email: [email protected]
Use of AI in applications: We want to understand your genuine interest in the role and for the written elements of your application to accurately reflect your own communication style. Applications that rely too heavily on AI tools can appear generic and lack the detail we need to assess your skills and experience. Such applications will unlikely be progressed to interview.
We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website .
