Research Associate (Lived Experience) - School of Social Policy and Society - 105540 - Grade 6

Position Details

School of Social Policy and Society, College of Social Sciences

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £33,002 to £35,608 with potential progression once in post to £39,906

Grade: 6

Part Time, Fixed Term contract up to December 2026

Closing date: 1 March 2026

This role is also open as an internal secondment opportunity which would need to be agreed by your current line manager.

We are part of the Intellectual Disabilities Research Institute (IDRIS). IDRIS is a group of researchers at the University of Birmingham. IDRIS does research to help people with learning disabilities and their families. Our research aims to make things better for people with learning disabilities and their families.

IDRIS works with services (like schools and hospitals) and in partnership with people with learning disabilities. Partnership means making choices together. The ideas that people with learning disabilities have are important.

People with learning disabilities help IDRIS with research in lots of ways:

• Choosing the right questions to ask in research.
• Planning the research.
• Doing the research.
• Sharing what we learn from the research in ways that are easy to understand.

IDRIS wants somebody who has a learning disability to join our group of researchers. You will share your experiences of having a learning disability. In this job, you will speak up for people with learning disabilities and work together with others to do research. You will lead a group of people with learning disabilities who give advice to researchers.

You do not need a school or university qualification to do this job. You must have done work like this before:

• Shared your experiences of having a learning disability to help others in a paid or unpaid job.
• Worked in advocacy (speaking up for people), policy (helping make rules), or research (helping find out new information).

This position has a genuine occupational requirement under paragraph 1, Schedule 9, Equality Act 2010, that only applicants with a learning disability can be considered. This is due to the nature of the role, which involves sharing lived experiences as a person with a learning disability and working together with researchers in a way that is called co-production.

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.