Research Fellow: Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) and Coproduction Lead

This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to leading and shaping the PPIE/Coproduction strategy for an ambitious new five-year, multi-project, piece of funding designed to strengthen mental health research capacity and capability across the South West Peninsula (SWP). This includes developing outstanding mental health research Patient and Public Involvement, ideally reaching Coproduction standards. The SWP region faces high and complex mental health needs, and our research programme seeks to generate solutions that are responsive, equitable, and grounded in lived experience. This work is in partnership with King’s College London and the University of Exeter, working on a broad “system balance” programme of research, which focuses on improving equity and sustainability in mental health care systems.

About the role: Alongside the Working With People and Communities lead, the PPIE co-applicants, and others with lived experience of mental health problems, you will be supported to co-design, coordinate and evaluate PPIE activities across multiple projects. This will include the recruitment, coordination, and pastoral support of the overarching lived experience advisory group. It will also include working with the Working With People and Communities lead to advise and liaise with research project leads regarding the involvement of people with lived experience in existing and potential future projects. Supported by the Working With People and Communities lead, you will empower project leads to design and undertake good PPIE in‑line with the overarching PPIE policies and national standards, upskilling and advising project teams on appropriate PPIE, with the aim of achieving co‑production where possible. You will be supported by administrative assistance from our experienced professional services team. The Working with People and Communities Lead will also work closely with you to develop experience in PPIE strategy design and evaluation.

This position is advertised at both Research Fellow (Grade 7) and Associate Research Fellow (Grade 6) levels, with role‑specific personal specifications aligned to each grade. There is one post available, and appointment will be made at the level most appropriate to the successful candidate’s knowledge, skills, and experience. Applicants are therefore advised to apply for the level that best reflects their suitability. Candidates who wish to be considered at both levels must submit separate applications for each role.

This post is funded initially for five years, covering the development of the research group and the five research projects that will form part of our initial work. It is our ambition that the initial five years of work leads to other projects, creating an ongoing self‑sustaining research group that exceeds the initial funding window. As part of our capacity building plan, we will encourage and support researchers in contributing to funding bids that support this ambition. Therefore, we are particularly interested in receiving applications from those who wish to build a career in PPI&E and coproduction approaches in research. We welcome and value applications from people with lived experience of mental health problems, but do not see disclosure of this lived experience as essential to this post. Our team includes many staff members with disclosed and non‑disclosed lived experience, which forms part of their overall skills and experience they bring to the team. It is important to us that researchers feel safe to make individual choices regarding whether they wish to disclose their own experiences, in whichever way is right for them as an individual.

This role will require travel in order to meet with lived experience collaborators. This role is based at the Plymouth University North Campus office, with expected attendance approximately once a week for team meetings/team days. You will also need to travel to sites in Plymouth, Cornwall and Somerset, and elsewhere, as required by the needs of the projects.

For an informal discussion to find out more about the role then please contact Charley Hobson Merrett.

This post is a part‑time post working 29.6 hours per week, on a fixed‑term basis for 5 years from May 2026 onwards.

About us: The Faculty of Health holds four Silver Athena Swan awards, which recognise our commitment to supporting gender equality within higher education. The University of Plymouth has a strong interdisciplinary research ethos which is supported by our two strategic Research Institutes; the Marine Institute and the Sustainable Earth Institute. As a member of our academic community, you’ll be expected to contribute to our recognised research strengths. Working holistically across the University, you will be challenged to innovate, collaborate and deliver impactful research contributions as part of a systems thinking approach to addressing today’s global challenges.

Application Process: Please apply online, demonstrating how you meet the essential criteria outlined in the knowledge, qualifications, training, skills and experience elements of the job description in your supporting statement. Following the closing date of the vacancy, you will be notified on the outcome of your application in due course.

Our Offer: Staff appointed within the Faculty of Health may be able to join the NHS pension scheme subject to eligibility criteria. We have a wide range of staff benefits available to employees, depending on eligibility.