Description Position Details Department of Applied Health Sciences, School of Health Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK Full time starting salary is normally in the range £47,389 to £56,535 with potential progression once in post to £63,606 Grade: 8 Part Time, 0.6 FTE (22.5 hours per week) Fixed Term contract up to September 2028 Closing date: 4 th May 2026 Background To create and disseminate knowledge through initiating and conducting original research and through publication, as appropriate to the disciplinary area. Working on behalf of the National Institute for Health & Care Research (NIHR) Research Support Service (RSS), the role will provide expert methodological advice to researchers nationwide who request support from RSS. The NIHR RSS provides support and advice to researchers developing funding applications at all stages of the research pathway - from pre-application through to post-award support through collaboration with our clinical trials units (CTUs) and partners. Our service is delivered by eight ‘Hubs’, each a partnership of research groups, organisations and clinical trials units (CTUs) with expertise in applied health and care research. Some of these Hubs also host Specialist Centres for either social care or public health research, and there is also specialist support for industry research. The postholder will be a lead Expert Methodologist at the NIHR RSS Hub delivered by the University and Partners (Keele and Warwick). To work across all units within the Hub to deliver the remit of the RSS, working with research clients nationally, to develop the service in line with national initiatives and act as expert operational lead in the areas of PPIE and KMb to advise researchers on methods to incorporate these areas into the design of research applications The postholder will also be expected to develop Impact/Knowledge Mobilisation/Implementation Science resources to be used nationally across the RSS Network – internally to upskill RSS Advisors and externally for the wider research community. Role Summary Initiate and conduct original research which has measurable outcomes and is reflected in a growing national and often incipient international reputation Plan, design and co-ordinate research activities and programmes Contribute to the development of research strategies internally within the RSS and supporting external researchers through RSS activities Publish results of own research if appropriate Supervise PhD students Develop and make substantial contributions to knowledge transfer, enterprise, business engagement, public engagement activities, widening participation, schools outreach or similar activities within the NIHR RSS locally and nationally and at Department/School level or further within the University if appropriate Main Duties To plan and carry out research, using appropriate methodology and techniques. This may include, where appropriate to the discipline: Pursue personal research including developing research ideas and winning support, including financial support Plan, publish and/or execute high quality research Project manage research activities, and/or supervise other research staff Present high quality findings in publications and conference proceedings Develop novel methodologies and techniques appropriate to the type of research being pursued Supervise and examine PhD students, both within and out with the University Provide expert advice to researchers who request support from the NIHR RSS Communicate with researchers at all stages of their career, representing the RSS at national meetings, interacting and influencing key stakeholders and policy makers as appropriate Contribute to the administration/management of research across the NIHR RSS Hub Develop and make substantial contributions to knowledge transfer, enterprise, business engagement, and public engagement activities of manifest benefit to the RSS, the College and the University Contribute to some administrative activities within the University, typically relating to research Apply knowledge in a way that develops new intellectual understanding Actively manages equality, diversity and inclusion through monitoring and evaluation and actively challenging unacceptable behaviour Person Specification Normally, a higher degree relevant to the research area (normally PhD) or equivalent qualifications Have extensive experience in the fields of Impact/Knowledge Mobilisation/Implementation Science to lead the development of these areas within the Hub and nationally across the RSS. Extensive research experience and scholarship within subject specialism Experience and achievement reflected in a growing reputation Extensive experience and demonstrated success in planning, undertaking and project managing research to deliver high quality results Extensive experience of applying and/or developing and devising successful models, techniques and methods Extensive experience and achievement in knowledge transfer, enterprise and similar activity Experience of championing Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in own work area Ability to monitor and evaluate the extent to which equality and diversity legislation, policies, procedures are applied Ability to identify issues with the potential to impact on protected groups and take appropriate action Further particulars can be found here Informal enquiries to Lindsey Cooke, email: l.humphreys@bham.ac.uk Use of AI in applications: We want to understand your genuine interest in the role and for the written elements of your application to accurately reflect your own communication style. Applications that rely too heavily on AI tools can appear generic and lack the detail we need to assess your skills and experience. Such applications will unlikely be progressed to interview. We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website .