Organisation/Company NORTHUMBRIA UNIVERSITY Research Field Educational sciences Researcher Profile Established Researcher (R3) Country United Kingdom Application Deadline 5 Oct 2025 - 00:00 (UTC) Type of Contract Other Job Status Full-time Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No
Offer Description
ABOUT THE ROLE
We are seeking a motivated and skilled candidate with expertise in Public Health, specifically in the area of drugs and alcohol
As part of a multi-disciplinary research team, you will work closely with the Principal Investigator to support the delivery of a project focused on developing culturally appropriate programmes for South Asian and Muslim (SAM) communities.
Key responsibilities:
* Lead the planning, coordination, and execution of fieldwork, including visits to at least two drug and alcohol addiction recovery services across the UK
* Lead on participant recruitment and conduct qualitative research using participatory methods and semi-structured interviews
* Analyse data, contribute to co-design workshops, write reports, and contribute to academic papers. Where required, public involvement (PI) activities
* Make independent decisions to ensure timely and effective completion of task
Ideally the candidate will have a strong understanding of the language, cultural norms, and lived experiences within South Asian communities
This is a 12-week full time fixed term role. Part-time will also be considered.
ABOUT THE PROJECT
The overall cost to UK society in 2020 was more than £36 Billion when drug related harms and services are taken into account - of which drug treatment and prevention cost £553 million (HMG Review of Drugs -- evidence pack), or approximately £350/year per capita (From Harm to Hope). At the regional level, hospital admissions relating to substance use have increased in Newcastle in recent years and are typically higher than the national average.
Ambulance callouts related to alcohol, place time and resource pressure on the emergency services, as well as having potential to impact workers physically and emotionally. The impact of illicit drugs on the ambulance service is yet to be fully understood. The rate of deaths related to drug misuse in Newcastle is higher than the national average and is continuing to increase (Drug Market Profile. Project Adder 2023). While the Project Adder report for drug use in the region is comprehensive, it does not consider demographics outside of age and gender, emphasising the challenge at the cultural level.
The project will capture best practice to inform and establish workable frameworks to improve support for D&A services aimed at the SAM community. It will identify where further work is needed to ensure equivalence of services for the SAM D&A addict community to reduce health inequalities for this population. The outcome of the project aims to provide a framework for a 12 step programme and the necessary business case justification to make future decisions on investment. It will consider the religious framing, individual accountability, stigma and shame, language and cultural norms. It will explore how faith-based D&A services can support recovery for the SAM community, capturing best practice to develop guidance and frameworks to improve support for SAM communities across the UK.
ABOUT THE TEAM
This project is being delivered by the School of Community Wellbeing, part of the Faculty of Health and Wellbeing at Northumbria University.
ABOUT YOU
Applicants should hold aPhDand have demonstrable specialist expert knowledge inPublic Health, preferably in the drugs and alcohol area.
To apply for this vacancy please click 'Apply Now'. Your application should include a covering letter and a CV.
With over 37,000 students from 140+ countries, we offer world-leading research, award-winning partnerships, and an outstanding student experience. We empower our exceptional staff, promoting a positive work-life balance and offering great benefits, including excellent pension schemes, flexible working, generous holiday entitlement andmore .
Our Northumbria Values, co-created by our team, define who we are: Academic Excellence, Innovation, Inclusivity, Collaboration, and Ambition. Our Behavioursshape our work culture: We listen and learn, support one another, respect everyone, trust each other, and are bold.
Based in Newcastle upon Tyne and London, we are an on-campus organisation and offer flexible hours and location where the role allows. We pride ourselves on diversity and inclusivity, holdingnumerousawards for gender and race equality, disability confidence, and research excellence.We also hold the HR Excellence in Research award for implementing the concordat supporting the career Development of Researchers and are members of theEuraxess initiative to deliver information and support to professional researchers.The University has implemented a range of flexible working arrangements, and we are happy to explore candidate requirements as part of the recruitment process.
#J-18808-Ljbffr