Research Fellow - School of Social Policy and Society - 108260 - Grade 7

Location: United Kingdom Department: Academic Non-clinical

Position Details

School of Social Policy and Society

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

Grade: 7

Full Time or Part Time, Fixed Term contract up to May 2027

Closing date: 18th November 2026

Background

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.

Role Summary

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 your 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, 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

The responsibilities may include some but not all of the responsibilities outlined below.

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; 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.

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.

Informal enquiries to Matthew Bennett, 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 c