Research Assistant/Associate - Speech & Language Therapy

We are a world class research-intensive university. We deliver teaching and learning of the highest quality. We play a leading role in economic, social and cultural development of the North East of England. Attracting and retaining high-calibre people is fundamental to our continued success.

Salary
Research Assistant: £33,002 - £34,610 per annum, pro rata.
Research Associate: £35,608 - £46,049 per annum, pro rata.

The Role
We are seeking to recruit a motivated and enthusiastic Research Assistant/Associate with skills in qualitative research methods to support delivery of a project researching unmet speech, language, and communication needs in people living with brain tumours.

The post if part-time 60% FTE and fixed-term for 24 months.

Interviews for this post will take place on Friday, 24th October.

For informal enquiries please contact Janet Webster, Janet.Webster@ncl.ac.uk.

Key Accountabilities
This role supports the NIHR-funded RESuLT_BT project (Researching Speech and Language Therapy for adults living with Brain Tumours), led by Dr Fiona Menger (Speech and Language Sciences) and Professor Linda Sharp (Population Health Sciences Institute). The study is structured in two stages:

• Stage 1 involves qualitative data collection with people living with brain tumours, their communication partners, speech and language therapists (SLTs), and other healthcare professionals.
• Stage 2 uses co-design workshops with key stakeholders to develop recommendations for a communication-informed care pathway.

Working closely with the project leads and co-investigators, you will:

• Lead liaison with clinical sites to secure approvals and coordinate participant recruitment across diverse groups, including people living with brain tumours, communication partners, SLTs, and healthcare professionals.
• Provide tailored communication support during interviews, collaborating with SLT colleagues where necessary.
• Coordinate and conduct qualitative data collection (interviews, focus groups) and co-design workshops across both study stages.
• Analyse qualitative data using appropriate methodologies, contributing to project reports and publications.
• Ensure accurate documentation of data collection processes, including consent and secure handling of audio/video recordings.
• Facilitate meaningful patient and public involvement throughout the project lifecycle.
• Contribute to dissemination through presentations, publications, and stakeholder engagement activities.
• Maintain an up-to-date understanding of relevant literature to inform study design and interpretation.
• Engage in university-based research activities, including research meetings and qualitative research discussion groups.
• Support undergraduate research supervision where appropriate, under guidance.
• Monitor emerging findings to identify opportunities for further research development.
• Develop working knowledge of university and research governance structures relevant to the role.

Qualifications

• At Research Assistant Level: A degree in speech and language sciences, health sciences, social sciences or a related field or working towards a PhD in a related area.
• At Research Associate Level: A completed PhD or significant clinical experience working with adults with acquired neurological difficulties with speech, language, and communication.

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