Overall purpose:
We are looking for a researcher with a PhD and a good honours degree (1st or 2:1) in a social science or related discipline and experience of qualitative research to contribute towards research conducted in the Sexual Health Programme at the Social and Public Health Sciences Unit. This is a great opportunity for someone with a social science background to work on a project which will have a direct effect on the way that the Scottish Government delivers services for women presenting for late termination of pregnancy. This project, which will also contribute to the development of preventative interventions, has been commissioned by the Scottish Government in partnership with five Scottish NHS Boards.

Due to the sensitive nature of this research project the post holder must be female.

Main duties / key responsibilities:Specific tasks of the post are to:

• Contribute to local project and recruitment training for staff in participating NHS Boards.
• Liaise with research participants to arrange qualitative interviews.
• Conduct one to one, in-depth interviews with research participants within specified time scales.
• Clean, code and conduct qualitative analysis of the interview transcripts (transcriptions will be done by an outside source).
• Write up findings for a project report and for submission to peer review journals within agreed specified time scales.
• Present findings to the project team, advisory group and other audiences as required.
• Contribute to the dissemination of findings to various academic and non-academic audiences at national and international conferences and meetings.
• Contribute to the Unit through active engagement in team and wider Unit activities.

Working relationships:
The postholder will work within the Sexual Health Programme and be supervised by Dr Lisa McDaid. The Research Assistant will benefit from the research expertise of colleagues in other research programmes in the Social and Public Health Sciences Unit.

About the Social and Public Health Sciences Unit:
The aim of the Social and Public Health Sciences Unit is to promote human health via the study of social and environmental influences on health. Our more specific objectives include:

• Studying how people’s social positions, and their social and physical environments, influence their physical and mental health and capacity to lead healthy lives;
• Designing and evaluating interventions aiming to improve public health and reduce social inequalities in health; and
• Influencing policy and practice by communicating the results and implications of research.

Current research programmes are (programme leader in brackets):

 Measuring health, variations in health and determinants of health (Alastair Leyland).
 Ethnicity and health (Seeromanie Harding)
 Evaluating the health effects of social interventions (Lyndal Bond)
 Gender and health (Kate Hunt)
 Neighbourhoods and health (Anne Ellaway)
 Children, young people, families and health (Daniel Wight)
 Sexual health (Lisa McDaid)
 Social patterning of health over the lifecourse (Michaela Benzeval)
 Understandings and use of public health research (Shona Hilton)

The Unit is centrally located in the Glasgow University campus and has its own specialist library and librarian, a network of PCs running a wide range of software, access to e-mail and the internet, and skilled in-house computing, statistical and clerical support. We use standard Microsoft packages and more specialised software. There are currently around 45 researchers, 15 support staff and 12 full-time PhD students in the Unit.

Our researchers and students have backgrounds in statistics, epidemiology, psychology, sociology, anthropology, medicine, economics, history, geography and human sciences. We are the largest concentration of health social scientists in the MRC’s intramural programme, and have an active PhD programme.

We are jointly funded by the MRC and the Chief Scientist Office at the Scottish Government Health Directorate, and receive grant funding from Government Departments, charities and other Research Councils (eg DfID, CRUK, ESRC).

For further information about the Unit, including details of the research programmes, visit http://www.sphsu.mrc.ac.uk/

About the Sexual Health Programme:
In the last two decades sexual health has been a major public health priority across the world, primarily because of rising sexually transmitted infections, in particular HIV, and unwanted pregnancies. In developed countries particular groups suffer much worse sexual health, especially men who have sex with men, particular ethnic minorities and socially excluded young people. For many, sexual risk behaviour is part of a constellation of other risk behaviours and hence a reflection of more fundamental social processes that need to be understood and addressed.

The aim of the Sexual Health Programme is to further the prevention of sexual ill health by understanding the determinants of sexual risk and conducting formative research to inform future intervention development. The objectives are to:

• understand the social, biological and behavioural determinants of sexual risk and ill health,
• investigate alternative research methodologies and the role of new technologies in sexual ill health prevention,
• develop and evaluate innovative strategies to improve sexual health at the individual, community and structural levels.

The majority of the projects in the Programme are formative or involve analysis and write-up of existing data to enable development of future proposals for intervention research. Details of the work can be found on the Unit’s website www.sphsu.mrc.ac.uk/research-programmes/sh/. Position and Person Requirements Education/qualifications/training:
Essential: A good honours degree (1st or 2:1) in a relevant social science (e.g. Sociology, Anthropology, Psychology). You must hold or have submitted your PhD in social sciences, public health or social/public policy.

Where a PhD has not been awarded, evidence of its status will be sought from your supervisors.

Subject knowledge required:
Essential: Thorough understanding of qualitative research methods. Knowledge of sexual and/or reproductive health literature.
Desirable: Knowledge of issues in termination of pregnancy research.

Data collection skills:
Essential: Training and experience in conducting in-depth qualitative interviews with women on sensitive topic areas. Evidence of the design and management of your own research project.
Desirable: Experience of conducting qualitative research with women on termination of pregnancy and/or other sensitive sexual/reproductive health topics.

Data analysis skills:
Essential: Training and experience of qualitative analysis.
Desirable: Experience with specialist software for qualitative data analysis, e.g. NVivo and/or use of ‘Framework’ analysis.

Communication skills:
Essential: Evidence of excellent written and oral communication skills. Experience of giving presentations to various audiences.
Desirable: Experience of writing first and co-authored paper(s) for peer reviewed journals.

Self direction:
Essential: Ability to direct own work in an efficient and productive manner and to respond to constructive criticism; willingness to work independently and to contribute to a research team.

Time management:
Essential : Ability to work to clear deadlines and to prioritise own work without close supervision.

Additional Details Benefits include a flexible pay and reward policy, excellent holiday entitlement, MRC final salary pension scheme.

Equality & Diversity
The MRC values the diverse skills and experience of its employees and is committed to achieving equality of treatment for all. Our objectives are that all individuals shall have equal opportunities for employment and advancement on the basis of their skills, aptitudes and abilities. The MRC is committed to the engagement and retention of the best possible talent and to creating an environment that encourages excellence in scientific research through good equalities and diversity leadership and management.

Corporate/Local responsibilities & requirements
The job holder must at all times carry out their responsibilities with due regard to the MRC’s:

• Code of Conduct
• Equality and Diversity policy
• Health and Safety policy
• Data Protection and Security policy

Job descriptions should be reviewed on a regular basis and at the annual appraisal. Any changes should be made and agreed between the post holder and their manager.

The above lists are not exhaustive and the job holder is required to undertake such duties as may reasonably be requested within the scope of the post. All employees are required to act professionally, co-operatively and flexibly in line with the requirements of the post and the MRC.
How To Apply
The closing date for applications is 25th July 2012. The interview for this vacancy will take place on the week commencing the 20th of August 2012.
Only online applications will be accepted. Applicants who would like to receive this advert in an alternative format (e.g. large print, Braille, audio or hard copy), or who are unable to apply online should contact us by telephone on 01793 867003. Please quote the appropriate reference number when calling.
Research Councils UK - 10 months ago