Research Assistant in Mental Health Policy Research

About Us

The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Policy Research Unit in Mental Health (MHPRU) is a joint initiative between two world-leading universities - KCL & UCL- and various collaborators. It has been running since 2017, with further funding secured until the end of 2028. The MHPRU conducts rapid mixed-methods mental health research to address policy gaps and inform policy makers in developing nationwide mental health service plans. The unit works to make evidence and expert views available to policymakers in a timely way and to carry out research that is directly useful to inform policy.  Our recent work includes research on the remote delivery of care during the COVID-19 pandemic, an evaluation of strategies to improve mental health care for autistic people, & the experiences of mental health peer support workers.  Further details about our work can be found here:

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/psychiatry/research/mental-health-policy-research-unit

About The Role

We are appointing a Research Assistant to work on the MHPRU.  The post provides an exciting opportunity for a highly motivated mixed-methods researcher to collaborate with policy makers to generate rapid and robust evidence on a range of priority policy areas.

The successful candidate will work closely with Prof Alan Simpson, Co-Director of the MHPRU & Professor of Mental Health Nursing, and Dr Kylee Trevillion, Deputy Director of the MHPRU and Senior Lecturer in Mental Health Services Research, joining a multidisciplinary team of applied mental health researchers across KCL, UCL, and other UK universities.

The successful post-holder will hold an undergraduate & Masters degree (or have equivalent experience) in public health, psychology, psychiatry, nursing, or other relevant disciplines. They should have experience of conducting & analysing quantitative and/or qualitative research and a good understanding of mental health policy research methods. Training and/or experience in conducting systematic reviews is expected. Experience of co-production and/or working collaboratively with service users is highly desirable, as is experience of publishing research papers in academic journals.

This is a 0.8 FTE part-time post, offered on a fixed-term contract until 19 Nov 2027.

About You

To be successful in this role, we are looking for a candidate to have the following skills & experience:

Essential criteria

• An undergraduate & Masters degree in a related subject area, or equivalent research experience
• A good understanding of methods used in mental health policy research
• Excellent written & verbal communication skills, including the ability to adapt communication for a range of different stakeholders (e.g. policy makers, lived experience researchers, mental health service users & staff)
• Experience of conducting & analysing quantitative and/or qualitative research in an applied health research context
• Training and/or experience of conducting systematic reviews
• Demonstrating initiative and autonomy in the management of day-to-day tasks and anticipating & managing problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines
• Excellent time management skills with the ability to deliver work at pace and to multi-task multiple deadlines
• Demonstrable interest in mental health policy and service provision in a UK context.  

Desirable criteria

• Experience of involving lived experience members in your research activities    
• Experience in writing and publishing research papers in academic journals       

Downloading a copy of our Job Description

Full details of the role and the skills, knowledge and experience required can be found in the Job Description document, provided at the bottom of the next page after you click “Apply”. This document will provide information of what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process.

Advert information