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ARC Dementia Fellowships

The NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) North East and North Cumbria (NENC) invites applications for a number of new dementia-focussed post-doctoral fellowships

The roles are funded by the NIHR and Alzheimer’s Society, as part of a £7.5 national investment in dementia research, announced in July.

There are two routes for application: via the ARC NENC for the ARC-based (secondment) posts, and via Newcastle University for the Newcastle University-based research fellow (salaried) posts (more information is below).

The posts will focus on:

• Care and support in socially disadvantaged communities
• Care for dementia and multiple long-term conditions
• Social care to maintain independence and dignity

The role of technology in dementia care will cut across the work programme.

All of the posts will work with our Multi-morbidity, Ageing and Frailty theme, and the successful applicants will join a significant national cohort of early career dementia researchers from across all 15 Applied Research Collaborations, funded as part of the same scheme. They will also join a vibrant regional community of research fellows within the ARC North East and North Cumbria.

To apply, you will need to have a postdoctoral qualification. For the ARCbased posts (secondments), successful applicants’ salaries will be covered. We are happy to consider flexible working arrangements.

Interviews will take place on 1 November, and posts will need to start by January 2023. All posts are two years in duration.

Information about the posts

Newcastle University-based academic research posts

Find out more about the posts based at Newcastle University here – closing date for applications is 16 October.

ARC-based (secondment) posts

We are looking to fund up to 1.5 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) post-doctoral Dementia Research Fellows who will join a cohort of 45 dementia fellows funded by the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR) and the Alzheimer’s Society.

This is an ideal opportunity for individuals who would like to develop their research in the topic area of dementia.

Salary:  0.5-1.0 FTE of your current salary.

Duration: Two years

Closing date:  16 October 2022.

Interview date: 1 November 2022

Start date: 1 January 2023

How to apply: See the information below

Contact email for enquiries: [email protected]

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Person specification and further details

• You should be a practitioner or researcher, from any discipline or professional background; however, an interest in undertaking applied dementia research is essential.
• We are keen to receive applications from a range of disciplines across health and social care including allied health professionals; community and creative arts; engineering; data science; neuroscience; and clinicians who can make innovative and impactful contributions to dementia care. This includes those working in community settings, health and social care settings, arts and culture organisations, voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations, research institutes, local authorities and industry.
• A doctoral level qualification (PhD or equivalent) is essential. Please note that for this opportunity MDs are not applicable due to funder restrictions
  Please get in touch if you have any queries relating to the eligibility of your qualification.
• You will be expected to develop your own research programme in this area as well as work with colleagues on existing research programmes, write for publication, and present at meetings and conferences. You will work across other ARC themes and play an active role in the national cohort of fellows and with colleagues across the North East and Cumbria.
• You will be supported by academic mentors from across our six university partners and work closely with the national dementia network led by ARC Wessex. Our structured mentorship approach affords additional opportunities to work alongside colleagues in research environments and develop your career as a future leader in dementia research.
  
• You should identify an academic mentor from one of our six academic partners in the North East and North Cumbria who you will work alongside during your fellowship (a contract of employment at an academic institution is not required).
• This opportunity is a part-time fellowship (minimum of 0.5 FTE) for a duration of two years.

You will need to discuss this with your employer to determine what time contribution and duration of secondment is possible, before you apply.

Knowledge, skills and experience

• Clear knowledge and experience of leading qualitative and/or quantitative research work
• Interest in developing research in the area of dementia
• Evidence of successfully working across several projects or complex project components at one time
• Evidence of ability to lead peer reviewed publications
• Evidence of ability to work independently and co-operatively with others
• Experience of collaborative working across multi-professional teams
• The ability to communicate well to a wide range of audiences using a range of presentation approaches
• Be able to work flexibly with regard to hours of work including occasional evenings, and travel across the region and nationally
• To have relevant IT skills
• Ability to use initiative, prioritise and show a creative approach to problem solving
• Project management experience
• Knowledge of health and social care policy relating to health and health inequalities and dementia.
• Experience of preparing research proposals for submission to competitive funding organisations (e.g., NIHR, research councils) (Desirable)
• Experience of supervising student projects (Desirable)
• Experience of conducting systematic literature reviews (Desirable)
• Experience of public involvement and engagement in research (Desirable)

Attributes and behaviours

• Ability to work independently and as a member of a team
• Ability to work flexibly and cooperatively with others
• Excellent organisational, communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to maintain confidentiality

Qualifications

• PhD in a relevant subject including (but not limited to) health, applied/health services/social care research, (clinical/health) psychology, data science, creative arts, public health, applied statistics or similar. (essential)
• Have a Masters degree in a relevant subject (Desirable)

How do I apply?

To apply, please send your CV to [email protected] and a covering letter (max. 3 pages) which briefly describes:

• Your proposed area of dementia research – please describe your interest in this research area including any relevant research undertaken.
• How your proposed research addresses our core areas (you can focus this on one or several of these topics): Care and support in socially disadvantaged communities; Care for dementia and multiple long-term conditions; Social care to maintain independence and dignity
• How you will build networks regionally and with the national cohort of dementia fellows
• Your future research plans
• Your chosen host research institution and research team supporting the proposed secondment, including a named academic mentor.
• Your proposed time commitment (minimum 0.5 FTE)
• Details of your current salary and a costing detailing this over the two-year duration of the fellowship *please note we are unable to pay any indirect costs (overheads)*

Additional details

The NIHR ARC North East and North Cumbria is hosted by the Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear (CNTW) NHS Foundation Trust, but you will not be employed or paid by the CNTW NHS Foundation Trust.

If you are successful in being awarded a fellowship, we will arrange for an award letter and funds to be transferred to your employing organisation to cover your salary costs.

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More about the areas of research focus

Care and support in socially disadvantaged communities

Dementia has a disproportionate impact in communities that experience disadvantage, where access to support, quality of healthcare and participation in research are all lower than in more affluent communities. Our capacity building will seek to engage, collaborate and explore ways of ensuring that equitable approaches to dementia care are identified and implemented into practice. We will encourage a focus on disadvantage that arises from the socioeconomic and geographical factors (coastal, rural, and urban) that are pertinent in our region.

Care for dementia and multiple long-term conditions

People living with dementia commonly have other long-term health conditions. Health services designed for single conditions may struggle to provide dignified and appropriate care for the many health problems experienced by people living with dementia. In NENC, capacity building will seek to promote the cross-disciplinary collaboration in research and practice needed to enhance care.

Social care to maintain independence and dignity

Home care and care homes are a critical component of dementia care. Too often the best care is available to those who can afford to pay, and the workforce and funding crisis faced by the sector is most visible in low wage economies. Our focus on inequalities will encompass key research questions around how to produce equitable outcomes from social care in dementia.

If you have any questions, please email [email protected]