Research Fellow - Mental Health & Community Engagement

About the role

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic Research Fellow to work in Mental Health & Community Engagement research as part of the applied Mental Health Research Initiative Team at PenARC. This post is funded by the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) South West Peninsula (PenARC), one of fifteen collaborations funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) to address local health and care questions of national importance. It will be based in the University of Plymouth’s Community and Primary care Research Group. You will be an innovative researcher with interest and experience in building connections with local mental health services and public collaborators.

This role has a specific focus on research into understanding mental health care for people who experience exclusion from mainstream services, such as people who are homeless, and developing community engagement to enable people who might not usually get involved in doing mental health research to get more involved. Candidates with experience in realist methodology and personal experience of mental health problems are particularly welcome to apply.  You will spend most of your time working on a realist review of inclusion health interventions that facilitate mental health care and support, and part of your time taking a community development approach to generating engagement from people with lived experience in research.

For an informal discussion please contact Rebecca Hardwick (rebecca.hardwick@plymouth.ac.uk).

This is a full-time position working 37 hours per week on a fixed-term basis until 31^st March 2026 due to funding.

There is no expectation of a minimum number of days to be on site, but you will need to be flexible to be on-site when needed for the requirements of the research role.

For more information about the job and the person specification, please refer to the job description.

About us

The Faculty of Health holds four Silver Athena Swan awards, which recognise our commitment to supporting gender equality within higher education.

The University of Plymouth has a strong interdisciplinary research ethos which is supported by our three strategic Research Institutes; the Marine Institute, the Sustainable Earth Institute, and the Plymouth Institute of Health and Care Research. As a member of our academic community, you’ll be expected to contribute to our recognised research strengths. Working holistically across the University, you will be challenged to innovate, collaborate and deliver impactful research contributions as part of a systems thinking approach to addressing today’s global challenges.

Application Process

Please apply online, demonstrating how you meet the essential criteria outlined in the knowledge, qualifications, training, and experience elements of the job description in your supporting statement.

Following the closing date, you will be notified on the outcome of your application in due course.

Anticipated Interview Date(s): w/c 24^th February or 3^rd March 2025

Our Offer

Staff appointed within the Faculty of Health may be able to join the NHS pension scheme subject to eligibility criteria.

When joining us, you will receive:

• Generous annual leave: 35 Days Annual Leave plus Bank Holidays & Closure Days
• Generous pension scheme
• Cycle to Work & Electric Car Scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Development opportunities
• Enhanced family leave
• Flexible working
• Retailer discounts
• On-site nursery

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