The University of Essex is looking to appoint three Postdoctoral Research Fellows to work within our newly created Institute of Public Health and Wellbeing (IPHW) and lead impactful innovation in public health and wellbeing in any of the following broad areas, but not limited to; health informatics/digital health, global health, human rights and health, and health policy, health intervention, and translational/implementation research in health care with the aim to achieve better health for all and support health policies and programmes with strong and novel evidence.
The Institute of Public Health and Wellbeing
The institute is a major University strategic initiative and will be formally launched in February 2022. Leading impactful innovation in public health and wellbeing is a strategic priority for our University as well as our region. The establishment of IPHW will advance the University’s mission of excellence in education and research, for the benefit of individuals and communities.
IPHW will be an international centre of excellence, bringing together research strengths across all three faculties, driving forward research collaborations and developing our strategic partnerships with national and regional organisations including NHS Trusts. The establishment of the IPHW will align our research capability, expertise and strengths across a broad spectrum of research and innovations in public health and wellbeing, including a wide range of health-related training programmes, clinics, facilities and services, leveraging the assets of our expertise and skills to enable us to scale our impact.
The IPHW will support the University’s vision to be recognised as a centre for excellence in health-related research and education, at a local, regional and national level. The Institute will harness the strengths of our University to deliver research, innovation and impact across four key pillars:
In addition, our focus on inequality, its impact on health and wellbeing, our strength in methodological rigour and our contributions to methodological developments will also be the focus for the Institute. Utilising our international reputation in social science, artificial intelligence and other disciplines and our researchers across science and health and humanities to successfully tackle the most complex issues in public health and wellbeing will be a key aim for the successful candidate.
We now seek to appoint three full-time Postdoctoral Research Fellows who will be responsible for contributing to and/or coordinating the work of the IPHW in one (or at the intersection) of the following areas:
The successful candidates must have an exceptional aptitude for analytical and critical thinking specific to their area of expertise; strong communication capabilities; motivation for problem solving; aptitude for interdisciplinary research and teamwork; and ability to work and learn independently.
While the candidates will lead on their specific area of expertise, they will collaborate closely with colleagues within the IPHW to develop novel interdisciplinary approaches/ideas across the four pillars of the IPHW.
The posts are fixed term as a Postdoctoral Fellow at salary grade 8 for three years in the first instance. The post holder will be placed on a probationary period of three years at the start of the Fellowship, and this will include clear objectives relating to research, teaching and leadership/citizenship. This will then enable the post holder to apply for permanency through the University’s annual review process. If the Fellow has fulfilled all of the objectives in the probationary agreement and is successful in being granted permanency, they will then be appointed to a permanent position at the relevant Department at the University of Essex. The Postdoctoral Fellows will be situated within the Institute.
Duties of the Role
During the period of the Fellowship the post holders will undertake research, teaching (to build skills and experience) and administrative duties. This is to provide a good foundation in higher education practice for the Fellow to be able to take a permanent Lectureship that covers the full range of academic duties at a higher level.
Duties will also include contributing to public engagement and national and international impact activities, developing interdisciplinary collaborations within the Institute and beyond, identifying appropriate sources of external funding and actively participating in the Institute’s workshops and seminars.
A full list of duties can be found within the jobpack attached.
Skills and Qualifications required
The successful candidates will have a publication record appropriate for their level of experience and will be able to demonstrate evidence of potential to develop an internationally leading profile in the field. Applicants are required to have a PhD in a subject related discipline or should be close to the completion of a PhD (writing up or under examination).
Experience of of successfully delivering teaching or demonstrable potential for achieving this, excellent communication and presentation skills, strong programming skills and experience, along with the potential to innovate research within your field are all essential for this post.
At the University of Essex, internationalism and diversity is central to who we are and what we do. We are committed to being a cosmopolitan, internationally oriented university that is welcoming to staff and students from all countries, faiths and backgrounds, where you can find the world in one place.
To support this commitment we have our Global Forum, a staff-led network that promotes and celebrates the rich cultural diversity among Essex staff, and our Colchester campus based Faith Centre, which hosts regular services, meetings and events organised by our chaplains and faith representatives. For more information see: https://www.essex.ac.uk/life/student-facilities/religion-and-faith
Please see the attached job pack, which contains a full job description and person specification which outlines the full duties, skills, qualifications and experience needed for this role plus more information relating to the post. We recommend you read this information carefully before making an application.
Applications should be made on-line, but if you would like advice or help in making an application, or need information in a different format, please contact the Resourcing Team (resourcing@essex.ac.uk).
*More information: Working at the University