Research Associate (NIHR Undergraduate Internship) in Birmingham

Salary: As this vacancy has limited funding the maximum salary that can be offered is Grade 6, salary £34,610 (pro rata).

Hours: Full Time

Contract Type: Fixed Term contract up to September 2026

Role summary: We are looking for a motivated undergraduate student to join our team on a fixed-term basis and support our research on NHS staff. This is an exciting opportunity for someone studying a health- or science-related subject to explore a future career in research. You will be based in the Health Services Management Centre and will work on an NIHR-funded realist evaluation exploring how to prevent and reduce unprofessional behaviour between NHS staff. Unprofessional behaviour (such as incivility, bullying and sexual harassment) negatively impacts staff wellbeing and the clinical care provided to patients. This study aims to understand how and why strategies and interventions to reduce and prevent unprofessional behaviour work, for whom and in what circumstances, in order to produce evidence-based learning for the wider NHS.

The role can be undertaken full-time over 8 weeks or spread over a longer period part-time. You can be a student at any UK university but must be in your penultimate year of study during the internship. Remote working can be supported and funding may be available to support the costs of commuting or temporarily relocating to Birmingham.

Main responsibilities:

• You will conduct analysis of qualitative data collected from NHS staff and Trusts (e.g. documents, interview transcripts), with guidance from the supervisory team.
• There will be scope to explore topics you are interested in, if these align with the study aims.
• You will have the opportunity to contribute to academic journal publications as a co-author and to other research outputs, such as presentations and resources for NHS staff.
• You will gain broader experience of applied health research through attending regular team meetings with collaborators from other universities and supporting core study activities such as patient and public involvement.
• There will be the possibility of attending conferences and other academic events.

Person specification:

Essential:

• Current undergraduate student studying a priority area subject, for example: Nursing or midwifery, Allied health professions, Pharmacy, Biomedical or healthcare science, Social care, Psychology, Mathematics, Public health, Research methods or data science, Another subject related to one of the above.
• In penultimate year of study during the internship.
• Interest in exploring a future research career in health or social care.
• Knowledge of qualitative research methods.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to organise time and work independently.
• Ability to work as part of a team.
• Understanding of the importance of equality and diversity in the workplace.

Desirable:

• Experience working, studying or volunteering in a health or social care setting.
• Experience conducting qualitative data collection and/or analysis.

Please feel free to contact the lead supervisor, Dr Tommer Spence, with any questions or for an informal conversation before applying: t.spence@bham.ac.uk

Valuing excellence, sustaining investment: We value diversity and inclusion at the University of Birmingham and welcome applications from all sections of the community and are open to discussions around all forms of flexible working.