Job description and person specification
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Summary details
Unit name: Social and Public Health Sciences Unit
Division/Section: Measuring Health
Job title Career Development Fellow
*Salary range: £26,022 to £31,758
*Band (Grade): 4
*Contract type (e.g. Open/Fixed term): 3 years fixed term
*Hours (e.g. full or part time): Full Time
Detailed job description
Overall purpose:
This post provides an excellent opportunity as an early postdoctoral appointment to progress your
research career in a stimulating environment at a leading social and public health research
organisation. The person we are looking for will have a good degree (1st or 2:1) and PhD or
equivalent postgraduate research experience in Statistics or Epidemiology or in a subject with a
large quantitative component.
You will contribute to a stream of research that is focused on developing our understanding of the
health of the Scottish population and of inequalities in health. You will apply a variety of statistical
techniques (possibly including multilevel modelling or Bayesian modelling) to large routinely
collected datasets. As such you will discover the joys of developing and applying cutting edge
methodology in an area of research of great importance to the people of Scotland and in which you
can make a difference! The fellowship will involve examining how various health outcomes in
Scotland are patterned according to educational status. This will include analysing large routine
and survey datasets including death records, hospital admissions, the Scottish Longitudinal Survey
of linked Census records and the Scottish Health Surveys. You will write up your research for
publication in leading peer-reviewed academic journals. For details of the current research being
undertaken in the programme visit our website http://www.sphsu.mrc.ac.uk/research-
programmes/mh/.
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The health of individuals varies according to socio-economic characteristics reflecting, at least in
part, different exposures to factors that influence health.
Since populations comprise groups of individuals, and these groups tend not to be random, e.g.
groups defined by geography or on the basis of occupation, there are differences between the
health of different populations. As an example, the health of the Scottish population is poorer than
that of the UK population as a whole. Understanding such health inequalities plays an important
part in improving the health of the population.
Core funded by the Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Government Health Directorates, the
principal focus of the programme is on the health of the Scottish population. The programme seeks
to improve the methods used to measure population health and its determinants.
More specifically, the aims of the programme are:
to improve our understanding of the health of the Scottish population, and of the inequalities
in health between particular subgroups
to consider the importance of different contexts, e.g. school, workplace, area of residence,
at different stages in life on subsequent adult health
to ensure that the statistical methods needed to address complex public health research
problems are developed and disseminated
to evaluate the effects of Sure Start Local Programmes, an area-based intervention for
young children and their families.
The programme has a number of specific projects that capitalise on our expertise with the analysis
of routinely collected data, such as death records, Census records and hospital discharge records
or cancer registrations, and existing survey data. We also benefit from our location in Scotland
which offers access to linked hospital and mortality records covering over 25 years.
Main duties / key responsibilities:
You will work with the Programme Leader and other members of the Measuring Health team. You
will largely be responsible for determining the exact focus of your research, with direction and
guidance provided when required. You will be expected to conduct appropriate analyses with
minimal supervision and will take a lead in writing papers for publication. You will present your
research to a range of audiences, in the UK and internationally. As a training post the Fellowship
comes with a generous training allowance; you will be expected to identify and undertake training in
areas related to the project that will enhance your research skills.
Working relationships:
You will report to Professor Alastair Leyland, Head of the programme “Measuring Health, Variations
in Health and Determinants of Health”. You will also work with other members of the team as
appropriate.
About the Social and Public Health Sciences Unit:
The aim of the Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, directed by Professor Sally Macintyre, is to
promote human health via the study of social and environmental influences on health. Our more
specific objectives include:
Studying how people‟s social positions, and their social and physical environments,
influence their physical and mental health and capacity to lead healthy lives;
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Designing and evaluating interventions aiming to improve public health and reduce social
inequalities in health; and
Influencing policy and practice by communicating the results and implications of research.
Current research programmes are (programme leader in brackets):
Measuring health, variations in health and determinants of health (Alastair Leyland).
Ethnicity and health (Seeromanie Harding)
Evaluating the health effects of social interventions (Lyndal Bond)
Gender and health (Kate Hunt)
Neighbourhoods and health (Anne Ellaway)
Sexual health and families (Danny Wight)
Social patterning of health over the lifecourse (Michaela Benzeval)
Understandings and use of public health research (Shona Hilton)
The Unit is centrally located in the Glasgow University campus and has its own specialist library
and librarian, a network of PCs running a wide range of software, access to e-mail and the internet,
and skilled in-house computing, statistical and clerical support. We use standard Microsoft
packages and more specialised software. There are currently around 45 researchers, 15 support
staff and 12 full-time PhD students in the Unit.
Our researchers and students have backgrounds in statistics, epidemiology, psychology, sociology,
anthropology, medicine, economics, history, geography and human sciences. We are the largest
concentration of health social scientists in the MRC‟s intramural programme, and have an active
PhD programme.
We are jointly funded by the MRC and the Chief Scientist Office at the Scottish Government Health
Directorate, and receive grant funding from Government Departments, charities and other
Research Councils (eg DfID, CRUK, ESRC).
For further information about the Unit, including details of the research programmes, visit
http://www.sphsu.mrc.ac.uk/
MRC Mission Statement
(a) To promote and support, by any means, high-quality basic, strategic and applied research and
related post-graduate training in the biomedical and other sciences, with the aim of maintaining and
improving human health.
(b) To advance knowledge and technology (including the promotion and exploitation of research
outcomes), and provide trained researchers, which meet the needs of users and beneficiaries
(including the providers of health care, and the biotechnology, food, health-care, medical
instrumentation, pharmaceutical and other biomedical-related industries), thereby contributing to
the maintenance and improvement of human health, the economic competitiveness of Our United
Kingdom, and the quality of life.
(c) In relation to the activities as engaged in by the Council under (a) and (b) above and in such
manner as the Council may see fit:
(i) to generate public awareness;
(ii) to communicate research outcomes;
(iii) to encourage public engagement and dialogue;
(iv) to disseminate knowledge; and
(v) to provide advice.
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Background Information
The Medical Research Council (MRC) is a not for profit organisation at the forefront of national and
international medical and related scientific investigation. The MRC leads the way in promoting and
supporting high quality research designed to find ways to maintain and improve the health of
people. The Council employs and works with the world‟s most eminent researchers and scientists,
some of whom have won prestigious awards, including the Nobel Prize, for their pioneering and
innovative work. The Organisation is highly successful as a result of the talent and hard work of its
employees who are passionate about what they do and who keep the organisation at the leading
edge of innovation and discovery.
Since it was established in 1913, the MRC has been responsible for many of the most significant
discoveries and achievements in medicine in the UK and on a world-wide scale. Achievements
include the production of artificial haemoglobin, the discovery of the gene for Huntington‟s disease,
the use of folic acid to reduce the risk of spina bifida, new treatment for malaria and the
development of revolutionary DNA chip technology. The MRC continues to build on its past
achievements, engaging in new research to address major health challenges of the 21st Century.
Currently, research is underway on a wide spectrum of key issues including mental health,
cardiology, autism, diabetes and cancer. In addition, the MRC works closely with other research
councils in areas such as technology development, bioinformatics, gene function research, and
economic and social research. For further information visit www.mrc.ac.uk.
Equality & Diversity
The MRC values the diverse skills and experience of its employees and is committed to achieving
equality of treatment for all. Our objectives are that all individuals shall have equal opportunities for
employment and advancement on the basis of their skills, aptitudes and abilities. The MRC is
committed to the engagement and retention of the best possible talent and to creating an
environment that encourages excellence in scientific research through good equalities and diversity
leadership and management.
Corporate/Local responsibilities & requirements
The job holder must at all times carry out their responsibilities with due regard to the MRC‟s:
Code of Conduct
Equality and Diversity policy
Health and Safety policy
Data Protection and Security policy
Job descriptions should be reviewed on a regular basis and at the annual appraisal. Any changes
should be made and agreed between the post holder and their manager.
The above lists are not exhaustive and the job holder is required to undertake such duties as may
reasonably be requested within the scope of the post. All employees are required to act
professionally, co-operatively and flexibly in line with the requirements of the post and the MRC.
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Person requirements
Education/qualifications/training
Essential: A good honours degree (1st or 2:1) and a PhD or equivalent postgraduate research
experience in Statistics or Epidemiology or in a subject with a large quantitative component.
Subject knowledge required
Essential: Experience of regression modelling (linear, logistic, etc).
Desirable: Experience of multilevel modelling; understanding of health inequalities.
Statistical software
Essential: Knowledge of standard statistical packages e.g. SAS, SPSS, R, Stata.
Data handling
Essential: Experience of file handling.
Desirable: Experience of merging data from different sources; experience of working with large
and complex datasets.
Communication skills
Essential: Evidence of good written and oral communication skills; ability to communicate complex
ideas to non-technical audiences.
Desirable: Experience of giving presentations to various audiences; publications in peer-reviewed
academic journals.
Self direction
Essential: Ability to direct own work in an efficient and productive manner and to respond to
constructive criticism; willingness to work independently and to contribute to a research team.
Time management
Essential: Ability to prioritise and meet deadlines in a time-constrained environment.
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