Medical Geography jobs

Position Details

Department of Applied Health Sciences, School of Health Sciences, College of Medicine and Health

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

Part Time (22.5 hours per week)

Fixed Term contract up to one year (extendable up to two years depending on performance).

Closing date: 8th November 2026

Background

We are seeking a highly motivated Research Fellow to join an established National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)-funded global health research programme investigating how to improve preparedness and response for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) during flood disasters in India ( The FUSION Project - University of Birmingham ).

India has one of the highest global burdens of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and the continuity of care for people living with chronic conditions is often disrupted during floods. This can lead to interruptions in access to medicines and healthcare, worsening health outcomes, and increased hospital admissions. Working in flood-prone communities in the states of Bihar and Kerala, the programme aims to co-develop, implement and evaluate primary care and community-based interventions that strengthen health system and community preparedness for NCD management during flood emergencies.

The project is jointly led by the University of Birmingham and the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, India, in collaboration with academic, healthcare and community partners across the UK, India and the USA. The successful candidate will contribute to the implementation and mixed-method evaluation of the programme, working closely with an international multidisciplinary team. The role is part-time and offers an exciting opportunity to contribute to high-quality global health research that will generate evidence to inform policy and practice for climate-resilient health systems.

Role Summary

The post-holder with experience in, mixed-methods research will join our multidisciplinary team consisting of climate/geography, epidemiology/statistics, qualitative/sociology, clinical sciences, etc., based at the University of Birmingham. The Research Fellow will contribute to the scientific delivery of the NIHR-funded global health research programme, working closely with collaborators in the UK and India.

The postholder will contribute to the delivery of several work packages, supporting the design, implementation and evaluation of research activities, data analysis, and dissemination of findings through publications and presentations. They will also be expected to lead agreed scientific outputs, contribute and work collaboratively with investigators and partner organisations across the consortium.

The role may involve occasional overseas travel to India and other locations for project meetings, research activities and scientific dissemination. The successful candidate will also contribute to the wider academic activities of the Institute, including supporting the development of future research funding applications, supervision of students and teaching, and other related activities such as with other projects funded within this Global Health team, such as Africa and on wider topics such as maternal-child health and nutrition. The candidate needs to have demonstrable clear writing skills though publications and experience of writing of grants. This role will last till December 2028

Main Duties

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

• Participating in the planning of various parts of the project, designing research instruments (both qualitative and quantitative), data collection and data analysis
• Contributing to research outputs, including drafting academic publications, policy briefs and presenting at conferences and stakeholder meetings
• Help co-ordinate research activities and outputs between UK and India or other international teams and dealing with challenges that might arise
• Training, supervising and providing guidance, as required, to research staff, students, and support staff on daily basis in the UK and India, including co-supervising and guiding PhD and masters students
• Contributing to methodological research in general as related to the project
• Together with Project Manager and other team members, contribute to development and implementation of the Dissemination/Impact and Capacity Building/Training Plans for the overall project as a whole which may include working with UN agencies and international NGOs
• Developing research objectives and proposals for own or joint research, with assistance of a mentor if required, and assisting with writing bids for funding therein
• Contributing to research, enterprise, business development and public engagement activities of manifest benefit to the College and the University, often under supervision of a project leader

Person Specification

• Honours degree and the possession of a PhD (or close to completion) or equivalent experience in a relevant discipline (e.g. allied health sciences, Social Science, Sociology, Politics, Health Psychology, Epidemiology, Public Health or Nutrition)
• Methodological expertise in conducting mixed method research
• Strong demonstrable communication skills, including experience in academic writing (such as peer-reviewed publications, conference abstracts, and grants), and dissemination of written reports and newsletters (including for policy makers, clinicians, and communities)
• Strong communication skills and cross-cultural competency, able to explain complex processes in all settings, ranging from academic conferences to community village meetings
• Proven good team player in multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural setting
• Ability to work independently, organize own workload, and use own initiative
• Ability to meet tight deadlines and deal rapidly with immediate problems as they arise
• Willingness to travel and undertake work placements in LMICs

Desirable:

• Experience in project and/or staff management
• Experience in conducting research in LMICs, including South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa
• Experience of working in international remote teams
• Experience of teaching and supervision of students
• Experience of training staff in data collection and analysis methods
• Experience or familiarity with advocacy and working with international organisations, NGOs or UN agencies
• Publications as a first author
Availability and interest to apply for the parallel position as project manager in this same study assisting with impact and capacity building plan activities and assisting with other project management work.

Further particulars can be found here

Informal enquiries to Tanvir Ahmed, email: t.ahmed.3@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.

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