Research Fellow - School of Education - 107452 - Grade 7 in Birmingham

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £36,636 to £46,049 with potential progression once in post to £48,822

Grade: 7

Full Time, Fixed Term contract up to June 2028

Closing date: 8th June 2026

Background

Working directly with the 125th Anniversary Chair – Professor of Inclusion (Susana Castro-Kemp), the post-holder will support the development and implementation of a programme of research and knowledge exchange on Inclusion within the School of Education (DISN) and in collaboration with other departments and colleges as needed.

Role Summary

• Supporting the research carried out by the 125th Anniversary Chair, including activities related to funded research projects where the Anniversary Chair plays a key role (e.g. ScopesEND funded by Nuffield Foundation, RESIDE funded NIHR and What Works in SEND funded by DfE); these include:
• Contribution to systematic evidence reviews and programme evaluations
• Development of accessible resources and professional development for school staff, parents and young people with SEND
• Management of surveys and both qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis
• Activities leading to new funding awards (by, for example, Nuffield Foundation, ERC and DfE), as planned by the Anniversary Chair
• Smaller unfunded pieces of work leading to co-authored outputs
• Support with the plans for implementing and growing the Birmingham Inclusion Academy, in line with the School of Education strategy and under the supervision of the Anniversary Chair
• Support with dissemination activities and knowledge exchange with partners of the School of Education (including schools, local authorities, third sector and Government)

Main Duties

The responsibilities may include some but not all of the responsibilities outlined below.

• Manage elements of ongoing research (funded and unfunded) led by the Anniversary Chair and her team; these may include data collection through a variety of methods, data analysis (qualitative and quantitative) and knowledge exchange initiatives with partners of the School of Education across policy, education practice, general public and third sector
• Proactively prepare and co-author outputs as needed (scientific as well as practice and policy-oriented papers; presentations; blog posts)
• Manage and organise dissemination, impact and co-production events, as needed in line with the School of Education strategy for the Birmingham Inclusion Academy and in support of the Anniversary Chair’s research programme
• Contribute to writing bids for research funding
• Supervise students on research related work and provide guidance to PhD students where appropriate to the discipline
• Contribute to Departmental/School research-related activities and research-related administration
• Present research outputs, including drafting academic publications or parts thereof, for example at seminars and as posters
• Provide guidance, as required, to support staff and any students who may be assisting with the research
• Deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines
• Promote equality and value diversity acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture in research, knowledge exchange and when working with others

Person Specification

• A PhD relevant to the research area (or near completion), or equivalent PhD-level qualifications
• High level analytical capability in both qualitative and quantitative methodologies
• Ability to quickly acquire new knowledge regarding new methodologies and/or software
• Ability to communicate complex information clearly and efficiently
• Fluency in relevant models, techniques or methods and ability to contribute to developing new ones
• Ability to understand and contribute to broader management/administration processes within the department and beyond
• Flexibility in adapting the workload to potentially prioritise new awards/initiatives as needed
• Co-ordinate own work with others to avoid conflict or duplication of effort
• Knowledge of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010, and how to actively ensure in day to day activity in own area that those with protected characteristics are treated equally and fairly

Informal enquiries to Susana Castro-Kemp, email: s.castro-kemp@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.