Research Assistant in Arts & Health Research

College of Arts, Humanities and Education

Join us as a Research Assistant on a British Council-backed arts and health project in India!

Job details

Responsible to

Professor of Arts in Health

Closing date

Monday 24 March 2025

Salary

£12.26 per hour

Job grade

Research Assistant

Reference

0504-24

Contract type

Fixed term contract 3-Months

Post type

Hourly paid

Adaptive working type

Hybrid
This role will be based on site, primarily in the named location with the opportunity to work remotely available in line with our Adaptive Working Framework.

We have one simple promise – to make a positive impact. Through our ground-breaking research, teaching excellence and commitment to sustainable living, we are changing lives for the better.

The University of Derby is a modern university with a modern outlook. Everything we do is driven by delivering excellence and opportunities for our students, our staff and our region.

We have some of the best university facilities in the UK and achieve outstanding results for our teaching and research and have been awarded Gold in the prestigious Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023 – making it one of the top universities in the country recognised for its outstanding student experience and student outcomes.

Financially strong and seriously ambitious we offer our employees an inclusive culture that centres itself around staff wellbeing, where you can be confident you will receive all the help and encouragement you need to build a rewarding career with lots of opportunities to enhance your skills.

Inspiration, stimulation and real-world insight sums up our approach to learning and research across the College of Arts, Humanities and Education. Our strong creative community of staff and students, combined with a dynamic, energetic flourishing creative economy, will allow your talent to thrive and for you to realise your ambitions.

The College aims to become a leading institution for education, research, and knowledge sharing in arts, humanities and education. We strive to provide exceptional teaching and learning experiences for our students, and our research and knowledge exchange programmes to be globally recognised. We are committed to fostering positive change in society by working collaboratively with our partners and communities and inspiring our students and staff to make a meaningful impact.

We are seeking a Research Assistant to support Professor Susan Hogan on a British Council-supported project exploring the intersection of arts and health in India. This role involves analysing data, contributing to research dissemination through writing and editing, and supporting the broader objectives of the project. You will play a key role in delivering insights into cross-cultural approaches to arts and health, with opportunities to collaborate on publications, reports, and other research outputs.

You will be based at Britannia Mill, with the flexibility to work in a hybrid capacity.

Anticipated interview date – 16/04/2025

We are seeking a researcher with strong writing and editing skills, an undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline, and experience in producing reports or publications. You should have knowledge of research methods, the ability to analyse data effectively, and an interest in cross-cultural research. Strong communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills are essential.

A background in anthropology or an emerging publication record is highly desirable, but not essential. Applicants with cross-cultural experience or a mixed-cultural perspective will bring valuable insights to this project.

  1. Under the guidance of the Principal Investigator, carry out research activity that contributes to a particular project(s).
  2. Analyse, interpret and evaluate research data and present conclusions on the data to those involved with the research project(s).
  3. Contribute to the dissemination of the research project(s) in the appropriate format (such as a report, papers, book chapters, journals).
  4. Use research resources such as laboratories, workshops and specialised equipment as appropriate to the project(s).
  5. Update knowledge and understanding in own and other relevant disciplines.
  6. Provide support as necessary with other staff for the supervision of undergraduate or postgraduate students and projects, which may involve demonstration or limited teaching.
  7. Undertake appropriate training and staff development.
  8. Provide guidance as required to other colleagues working on related research project(s).
  9. Assist and help informally students working in the same research discipline.
  10. Develop internal and external contacts with other academic staff to begin to form collaborative relationships and assist with their research project(s).
  11. Understand own development needs and, with appropriate input, formulate a personal development plan.
  12. Observe and implement University policies and procedures.

Essential Criteria

Qualifications

  • Undergraduate degree in relevant discipline

Experience

  • Experience of editing and/or writing comprehensive reports / papers / publications
  • Experience of project delivery
  • Experience of working cross culturally

Skills, knowledge & abilities

  • Excellent knowledge of appropriate research methods
  • Ability to collect, analyse and synthesise research data and information
  • Ability to communicate complex information clearly both in writing and presentations
  • Ability to work collaboratively with colleagues
  • Ability to use initiative and creativity to solve problems in a research context
  • Self-motivated and able to work independently and as part of a team
  • Innovative and creative
  • Understanding of cross-cultural work; reflexivity in analytical work

Business requirements

  • Demonstrate competences, core behaviours and supplementary behaviours that support and promote the University’s core value
  • Flexible to the needs of others
  • Committed to ensuring a high-quality student experience
  • Committed to a high-performance culture, fostering continuous improvement and driving quality
  • Able to take a flexible approach to work
  • Some evening and occasional weekend work
  • Annual leave accrual
  • Teacher’s Pension Scheme
  • Suite of holistic wellbeing benefits and support including family-friendly policies and comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme
  • Access to a variety of staff discounts at high street retailers
  • Discounted onsite gym
  • Discounted access to Devonshire Spa
  • A flexible working environment
  • A commitment to personal and professional development

Find out more about rewards and benefitsFind out more about rewards and benefits

For further information and informal enquiries regarding the role, please contact Professor Susan Hogan, Professor of Arts in Health via s.hogan@derby.ac.uk

For enquiries regarding your application and for sponsorship eligibility, please contact the recruitment team via recruitment@derby.ac.uk.

Visa Sponsorship Eligibility

The University is unable to sponsor the employment of international workers under the Skilled Worker route for this role; however, applications are welcome from candidates who are able to demonstrate an alternative right to work in the UK.

Please visit Applying from Overseas for more information.

 

Equity, diversity and inclusion

The University of Derby is committed to promoting equity, diversity and inclusion, regardless of age, disability, trans status, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief (or none), sex and sexual orientation.

We are Disability Confident Employers, demonstrating our commitment to disability inclusion, and invite applicants to highlight adjustments they may require to ensure equitable participation in our recruitment processes.

Further, we are committed to ensuring an environment which is trans and non-binary-inclusive for all our staff, students, partners, and visitors, and continuously review our policies, guidance and training.

When applying to join the University, you can choose your preferred title, including the gender-neutral title 'Mx'. We also ask our candidates if they would like to share their preferred pronouns. This is voluntary but demonstrates our commitment to inclusivity for trans and non-binary candidates. Once employed, you can add pronouns and preferred names onto our system.

The University of Derby undertakes anonymised shortlisting during the staff recruitment process. This means that, when shortlisting, panel members will not be able to see an applicant’s name and will see an applicant number instead. This demonstrates the practical steps we are taking to remove barriers to recruitment by minimising the possible impact of our unconscious bias.

However you identify, we actively celebrate the knowledge, experience and talents each person brings. Our students come from a wide range of backgrounds; therefore we are particularly interested to hear from applicants who will help our leaders and teams be more reflective of our student population.

For more information on equity, diversity and inclusion at the University of Derby, please visit our website.

 

A university that celebrates you

Environmental Sustainability

At the University of Derby, we are passionate about embedding sustainability into everything that we do. We aim to bring environmental sustainability into all aspects of the University, including teaching, research and operational activities. In line with the University's strategic framework, we expect all our staff to embed sustainability into their working practices and support the University's objective to reach net zero carbon by 2040.

 

Environment and sustainability

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How to apply

You can apply by submitting an online application. Once you have signed in or registered with us you will be able to begin your application. If you are creating an account for the first time, please ensure you provide an email address that you access regularly as this will be our main means of contacting you regarding your application.

The University reserves the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications. We encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

If you require any assistance, including the provision of any documentation in an alternative format, please contact the Recruitment team at recruitment@derby.ac.uk.

Please note all applications must be submitted online by Midnight GMT on the closing date of the vacancy.

Further details

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Please find our Safeguarding pages including our Safeguarding Policy.