Salary: Research Assistant: £33,002 - £34,610 per annum, pro rata
Research Associate: £35,608 - £46,049 per annum, pro rata
Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.
Closing Date: 03 October 2025
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 the 24th October
For informal enquiries Janet Webster, # or Fiona Menger For informal enquiries Janet Webster, # or Fiona Menger # 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
The Person (Essential)
-Either a qualified Speech and Language Therapist with experience of qualitative research or someone with significant qualitative research skills and experience, e.g. PhD level qualitative experience in healthcare-related research
-A motivated and enthusiastic individual with excellent communication and interpersonal skills
-You will bring a genuine interest in speech and language therapy research and a commitment to evidence-based practice
-The role requires someone who can work independently while contributing effectively to a collaborative research team
Knowledge, Skills and Experience
Essential
-Experience applying qualitative research methods for data collection (e.g., interviews or focus groups) and analysis
-Strong administrative and organisational skills, including managing project timelines and documentation
-Completion of a research-focused dissertation
-Experience of working within a team
-Ability to develop and maintain relationships with diverse groups of patients, carers and staff.
-Knowledge of UK health research contexts, including NHS processes, with sensitivity to the cultural needs of diverse research participants
-Demonstrable application of professional knowledge and standards in a relevant health, therapy, or research context
Desirable
-Relevant subject knowledge (e.g., acquired speech and language disorders, brain tumour management, SLT interventions) related to the research study
-Experience with supported communication principles and/or working with individuals with communication support needs/vulnerable adults
-Experience of undertaking PPI activities and co-design approaches
-Confidence in contributing to accessible communication formats (e.g., public engagement videos, podcasts, visual summaries)
-Academic or workplace experience with adults with acquired neurological speech, language, and communication disorders
-Training in qualitative research methods
-Presentations at conferences and/or previous publications
Attributes and Behaviour
-Excellent written and spoken communication skills, essential for working sensitively and effectively with people living with brain tumours and their carers
-Ability to work independently, take initiative, and contribute as a supportive team member, seeking advice when appropriate
-Attention to detail and accurate record keeping
-Capacity to analyse and reflect on own performance
-High level of analytical and problem-solving capacity
-Excellent time management
-Willingness to work flexibly, including travel to research and collaborator sites off-campus or to sometimes work outside standing hours to accommodate needs of study participants
-Understanding of relevant health and safety and ethical issues
-Commitment to Newcastle University’s Equality and Diversity policy
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
Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.
We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society. We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent. We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.
At Newcastle University we hold a silver Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality. We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC. We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.
In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe.
Requisition ID: 28613
