Job description

An experienced and highly motivated Research Associate is required for the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) National Priorities Programme in mental health, including children and young people. The aim of the programme is to catalyse and evaluate the co-produced implementation of high impact, evidence-based mental health interventions, at key stages of the life course, supra-regionally or nationally within 3 years.

The Mental Health Implementation Network is led by NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) South London, working closely with NIHR ARC East of England  as well as the other 13 ARCs nationally.

The MHIN launched a scoping exercise in April 2021 to identify specific areas of mental health care in England where there is a high level of unmet need, and which could be addressed through existing evidence-based solutions at scale. There was an excellent response to the scoping exercise, with mental health trusts, charities, social and educational services, and research organisations, helping to identify more than 90 mental health needs in England.

MHIN researchers then aligned these needs with those identified by other studies in England since 2015 and a review of national policy documents. Using this approach, the researchers have identified seven broad areas of mental health need and their accompanying solutions in England: Children and young people; substance abuse and mental illness; Inequalities; integrated physical and mental health care. Working under the four areas, the team have identified 22 mental health solutions that meet the needs of patients and health systems, may be ready for implementation, and are supported by evidence of effectiveness, including NICE guidance.

The next stage will be to prioritise key interventions in each of the four topic areas, followed by implementation and evaluation. This post is based in the solution development team (workstream 3) and is led by Professor Peter Littlejohns (King’s College London) and Programme Manager Dr Shalini Ahuja (King’s College London) and will study the prioritisation, design and dissemination of mental health interventions across England.

Under the guidance of MHIN Workstream Leads, the post holder will work collaboratively with MHIN project groups, workstreams and other stakeholders to plan and deliver high quality, applied research aimed at improving mental health services.

This post will be offered on a fixed-term contract for 12 months (which can be extended to end September 2023)

This is a full-time post - 100% full time equivalent

Key responsibilities

• Work effectively with members of the MHIN consortium and other collaborators to deliver research and evaluation activities and outputs.
• To conduct systematic and scoping reviews and collect and analyse qualitative and/or quantitative data, utilising mixed-methods approaches
• To use participatory approaches to work with MHIN staff, project groups partner organisation, collaborators and communities to co-produce research, and to research participation within interventions.
• Disseminate findings from projects through writing papers for publication in peer reviewed journals and blogs for the MHIN website and presenting research at local, national and international meetings
• To contribute to data management for the research studies.
• Contribute to and attend appropriate meetings and events, as required

The post holder will be required to:

• Contribute to proposals for high-quality research activity.
• Contribute to reports and research publications based on the work of the programme.
• Contribute to the educational activity offered by their Department, the IoPPN and public engagements.
• Undertake and successfully complete the mandatory training required by the School appropriate to the role.
• Serve within the Centre for Implementation Science as directed by the Head of Department and required by the College’s standard procedures.

The above list of responsibilities may not be exhaustive, and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks and responsibilities as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post.

Skills, knowledge, and experience

Essential criteria 

A post-graduate degree in mental health research (e.g, health services research, implementation science, anthropology, social psychology, or epidemiology, statistics in a mental health-related topic area).Research experience at predoctoral level in the field of mental health preferably in any of the following areas;

• children and young people’s mental health

• addictions,

• mental health care inequalities,

• integrated mental and physical health care.

• Proven expertise and experience in qualitative data collection, analysis and in conduction literature reviews. Please provide evidence of extent of experience and level of expertise, as well as details of specific analysis methods

• Advanced knowledge of mental health issues

• Evidence of excellent academic writing preferably published in peer-reviewed journals as expected by the subject area/discipline in terms of types and volume of outputs

• Proven ability to work independently, to collaborate effectively as part of a multidisciplinary and culturally diverse team, and proven ability to meet research deadlines.

• Evidence of excellent interpersonal skills, including the ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing to different audiences, including evidence of ability to produce clear, non-technical writing (e.g. for non-academic audiences

• Evidence of good organisational skills, including effective time management.

• Evidence of excellent attention to detail.

• Track record of working with stakeholders in different organisational structures including patients, services users and carers.

• General flexibility in working hours, with willingness to travel on project business when required.

• Good quality PhD in behavioural or social sciences, mental health, or in a discipline with a mental health-related orientation

• Post-Doctoral level training in applied health research methods, excellent data collection and analysis skills, and experience of conducting and reporting mixed-methods research or evaluation projects

• Experience of conducting evidence syntheses (e.g. systematic reviews, meta-analyses) and evidence appraisal.

Desirable criteria 

1. Experience of data management and protection
2. Experience of leading or contributing to high impact publication
3. Experience in conducting multi criteria decision analysis