NORWICH MEDICAL SCHOOL AND HEALTH AND SOCIAL SCIENCES RESEARCH

							NORWICH MEDICAL SCHOOL AND HEALTH AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
RESEARCH INSTITUTE AT UEA, AND UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE

RESEARCH ASSOCIATE IN HEALTH ECONOMICS • REF: RA723

This is a full time post offered on a fixed-term basis, available immediately until
31/12/2015.

The Post

The Health Economics Group at the University of East Anglia is seeking a research
associate in health economics up until 31/12/2015. The post holder will undertake
the economic evaluation components of an NIHR funded programme grant awarded
in collaboration with the General Practice & Primary Care Research Unit of the
University of Cambridge. The collaboration is a part of the East of England Strategic
Health Authority funded research programme in Public Health Economics as well as
the Centre for Diet and Activity Research (CEDAR), which is funded by the UK
Clinical Research Collaboration (UKCRC).
CEDAR is a collaboration between Medical Research Council (MRC) units in
Cambridge and the Universities of Cambridge and East Anglia, and it is one of five
new centres of excellence in public health research funded by the UKCRC.

The programme grant comprises the development and evaluation of very brief
interventions in primary care to increase physical activity. The major components of
the post will be to build upon previous work developing a model of the long term cost
and consequences of obesity, and to undertake economic evaluation alongside a
clinical trial as well as value of information analyses. A particular interest in decision
modelling, and familiarity with either Excel or programming languages such as 'R'
would be advantageous.

Job Description

A job description is attached as Appendix A. The precise duties will be agreed in
discussion with the Principal Investigator, and where appropriate the Research
Institute Director and the Head of School.

Person Specification

A full person specification is attached as appendix B, but the post holder will
possess:-

 an undergraduate first degree in economics (or a related combination with
  economics) or in public health, epidemiology or related discipline
 a very good post graduate qualification in either economics with some public
  health / epidemiology component, or in public health / epidemiology with some
  economics component
 strong quantitative skills (decision analytic modelling)
 good writing and communication skills
 a strong interest in multi-disciplinary research.


Informal Discussions

If you would like to discuss this post further, please contact either Professor Marc
Suhrcke (email: m.suhrcke@uea.ac.uk) or Mr Ed Wilson (ed.wilson@uea.ac.uk).


The Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMH)

In support of its strong research strategy, the Faculty has three Research Institutes,
each lead by a Research Director, to provide research leadership, performance
manage research, co-ordinate research activity, oversee special research facilities
and recruit research staff, in the following themed areas:

 Biomedical and Clinical Sciences
 Health and Social Sciences
 Education in Health

All members of FMH academic staff with a strong or appropriate emerging research
profile, FMH research (RA) staff, and research students registered within the FMH,
are members of the appropriate institute.

The Faculty also has strong research links with the Norwich Research Park,
comprising the Institute of Food Research (IFR), the John Innes Centre (JIC), and
the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, see
http://www.worldclassnorfolk.com/work/future-science.

Teaching is organised through the Faculty’s three Schools of study, comprising
Allied Health Professions (AHP); Norwich Medical School (NMS); and Nursing and
Midwifery (NAM), assisted by a Centre for Inter-professional Practice (CIPP).

The Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences is led by the Dean of Faculty,
Professor Ian Harvey, working closely with Associate Deans who share responsibility
for the areas of Research; Enterprise and Engagement; Learning and Teaching;
Admissions; and Advancement; the Research Institute Directors; and the Heads of
School. These senior academics, together with the Director of Faculty
Administration, the Faculty Human Resources Manager, and the Faculty Finance
Manager, form the Faculty Executive.

The post-holder will have an appropriate level of research skills, experience and track
record in an area that complements the existing skill mix of the team, in order to
support the research strategy within the Faculty.

Researchers within the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences benefit from:

 a dedicated Associate Dean of Research, Enterprise and Engagement;
 membership of the relevant FMH Research Institute with appropriate support in all
  aspects of their research activity;
 a well-resourced Research Office to support the process of submitting research
  grant applications;
 our collaborative approach and close links with practitioners in a wide range of
  clinical specialities across the region;
 strong collaboration within the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and across
  other professional schools and academic disciplines across the University;
 exposure to expertise in both qualitative and quantitative paradigms of research,
  and
 support for appropriate conference and course attendance.

The successful appointee will be based in the Norwich Medical School and be
a member of the Health and Social Sciences Research Institute.


The Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences Research Institutes

The Biomedical and Clinical Sciences Research Institute
Director Professor Tom Wileman; BCSR has the following research areas

 Food, diet and healthy aging (led by Professor Aedin Cassidy)
 Infection and Immunity (led by Professor Paul Hunter)
 Gastrointestinal health (led by Professor Simon Carding)

The Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Science encourages cell biologists,
immunologists, nutritionists and epidemiologists to generate multidisciplinary
research programs to study infectious diseases and the role played by diet in
optimising health and healthy ageing. Research benefits from strong collaborative
links with Schools of Biological Science, Pharmacy and Chemistry at UEA, and
fosters links with consultants from the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.
Work ranges from fundamental mechanistic research in the Biomedical Research
Centre at UEA and the Institute of Food Research, to intervention and community-
based studies carried out in the Clinical Trials Research Unit. The Institute aims to
combine scientific excellence with impact by generating knowledge which contributes
to the development of novel approaches to therapy and diagnosis, and to reducing
the incidence of disease.

The Health and Social Sciences Research Institute
Director Professor; Max Bachmann HSS has the following research areas:

 Health Economics (led by Professor Ruth Hancock)
 Medical Statistics (led by Professor Lee Shepstone)
 Mental Health and Psychological Sciences (led by Professor David Fowler and
  Professor Shirley Reynolds)
 Public Health and Health Services Research (led by Professor Max Bachmann)
 Stroke and Rehabilitation (led by Professor Valerie Pomeroy and Professor John
  Potter
 Shared Decision Making (led by Professor Richard Gray)

The Health and Social Sciences (HSS) research institute provides a stimulating
environment for internationally excellent clinical and methodological research aimed
at enhancing human health and functioning. The majority of research addresses the
‘whole person’, complementing that conducted within other FMH Research Institutes.
The Health and Social Science research institute has interdisciplinary expertise in
complex interventions for acute conditions, rehabilitation and management of long-
term conditions. It has specific expertise, and a track record, in conducting clinical
trials and economic evaluations in these areas.

Members of HSS are organised into component Research Units with distinctive
programmes and specialisms. However, most research activity involves staff from
more than one research unit. Indeed some research overlaps with either the
Biomedical and Clinical Sciences or the Education in Health, and more widely with
researchers across UEA, the UK and internationally.

The Education in Health Research Institute
Co-directors Professor Jacqueline Collier and Dr Jill Robinson), EHR has the
following research areas:

 Clinical education and curriculum innovation
 Interprofessional learning
 Developing professional identity

The Education in Health Research Institute builds on and expands existing research
activity in the fields of medical education, interprofessional education, and education
theory. Its focus is on high quality, multidimensional research and knowledge
transfer relating to education in its widest sense. It includes work on the nature of
professional knowledge and its transmission as well as on modes of teaching,
learning and assessment. In addition to achieving national and international
recognition for its research activity, this Institute also fosters, evaluates and
disseminates innovative practice in curriculum development and delivery.


The Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences Schools of Study

The School of Allied Health Professions
Head of School: Professor Jacqueline Collier

The School has been part of the university since 1990 and occupies high quality
purpose built accommodation. It developed as an inter-professional venture with a
distinctive and innovative approach to education and research. Reflecting UEA’s
ambition as a research-led institution, the School is committed to the development of
evidence-based practice wherein research and practice are integrated through
clinical reasoning and reflective practice within a framework for lifelong learning. This
philosophy is embodied in all pre- and post-registration programmes and is a feature
of the scholarly output of educators within the School. Additionally, the commitment
to innovation in practice and interdisciplinarity in health and social care, including
education, is expressed through the School’s enterprise and engagement activities,
incorporating consultancy, community engagement and widening participation
initiatives.

The School provides pre-registration programmes in Speech & Language Therapy
(BSc), Occupational Therapy (BSc / MSc) and Physiotherapy (BSc / MSc) with all
programmes incorporating profession specific and shared units of teaching. The
School also provides a range of post-graduate programmes primarily linked to the
Faculty’s research programmes, and a wide portfolio of post-registration / continuing
professional development activity. All programmes are student centred, with students
supported through a variety of learning and assessment media. Clinical experience
is highly valued and is central to the student experience on all programmes where
appropriate. The School works closely with clinical colleagues in the region to
maintain and develop clinical experience for students as well as providing a
mechanism for incorporating their role as clinical educators into lifelong learning.

The Norwich Medical School
Acting Head to 31/12/2010: Professor Andrew Coats
From 1/1/2011: Head of School Professor David Crossman

The Medical School at UEA was established in 2001 (Inaugural Head of School:
Professor Sam Leinster) and has over 160 members of academic, research and
support staff - and a large number of active NHS secondees and honorary
appointees - from a wide range of disciplines (including medical specialties,
biological sciences and a range of social and statistical disciplines, including health
economics, psychology, epidemiology, and medical statistics). The School has
grown with a current entry each year of 168 students. Its first students graduated in
2007 and in 2008 the Medical degree programme came sixth out of the 32 UK
medical schools in the national Student Satisfaction Survey.

The School promotes interdisciplinary teaching and learning and offers a wide range
of programmes including:

 an innovative and highly integrated five-year MB/BS programme commenced in
  2002 with an initial intake of 110 students per year, now 168 students per year
 a one year research intensive Masters degree in Health Research (MRes)
  supplying research experience and transferrable skills
 the modular MSc programme in Health Sciences for the continuing professional
  development of a wide range of health care professionals (currently attracting
  over 100 registered students including GPs and junior hospital doctors)
 a Masters in Clinical Education (MClinEd) degree
 a doctoral programme (ClinPsyD) in clinical psychology (with over 60
  postgraduate students on the programme)
 the degrees of PhD, MPhil and MD, awarded by thesis or by portfolio of published
  work.

There are a growing number of clinical academics in the areas of stroke and ageing;
respiratory medicine; gastroenterology; clinical pharmacology; cardiology; surgery;
primary care; public health and epidemiology; rheumatology; diabetes and
orthopaedics. The Medical School has recently received an allocation of Walport
academic training posts amounting to four new Academic Clinical Fellowships and
two new clinical lectureships for each of the next three years. There is particular
strength within the Medical School in epidemiology, statistics and health economics
and exciting possibilities for appointees to develop clinical trials within the Clinical
Trials Unit as well as experimental medicine within the seven bed Clinical Research
Facility (CRF). The School is committed to appropriate multi-disciplinary working and
the post holder will find excellent on-going collaborations across a wide range of
disciplines.
The School of Nursing and Midwifery
Head of School: Professor Valerie Lattimer

The School of Nursing and Midwifery (NAM) was established in April 1995 and has
approximately 60 academic and 28 support staff located at the Edith Cavell Building,
Norwich. The Edith Cavell building is a modern purpose built
accommodation forming part of the University campus, and benefits from being
adjacent to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

The School of Nursing and Midwifery (NAM) has been a leader and major
provider of Nurse and Midwifery education in East Anglia for many years and has an
established programme for Operating Department Practice (ODP). It offers offer a
wide range of both pre- and post- registration courses at certificate, diploma,
degree and masters level. There are also opportunities for research active staff to
supervise students at doctoral level through their membership of the Faculty
Research Institutes. The School has an excellent reputation for the quality of its
provision and, in partnership with local placement providers, has been widely
commended by professional bodies and external reviewers.

The School provides state of the art teaching accommodation for around 700 full-
time student nurses and midwives and ODPs studying for courses that lead to
professional registration and approximately 1000 part-time students studying for
post-qualifying awards and specialist modules.

The School works closely with other Schools in the Faculty of Medicine and Health
Sciences and local NHS Trusts to enhance existing provision and develop new
opportunities in the field of post-qualifying study, including the development
of modules at Masters level within the MSc in Health Sciences and MSc Advanced
Practitioner.

The School is committed to the development of clinical research which
enhances patients' health and their experience of health care and works closely with
the Faculty Research Institutes to ensure that the education offered within the
School benefits from the involvement of its staff in world leading research.


HEALTH ECONOMICS

The Health Economics Group

The Group, which currently comprises 18 members of academic staff, researchers
and support staff, has developed over the last 10 years to be one of the most
significant in Europe, with well over £10 million in grants and over 300 peer-reviewed
publications during that period. The strength of the Group was instrumental in the
successful UEA bid for undergraduate medical education.

The Group has strong links both with other economists at UEA (including those in
our Schools of Economics, Environmental Sciences, and International Development)
and with colleagues in other disciplines in the Faculty of Health, as well as with other
Faculties.
The Group is committed to developing and providing a comprehensive range of
educational opportunities in health economics to economists and non-economists
and contributes to postgraduate (taught and research) programmes and the
undergraduate medical (MB/BS) degree.

Research interests in the Group focus on a number of methodological and empirical
streams clustered around the central theme of decision-making in health-care, ie:

   Resource use measurement and cost valuation
   Benefit valuation in health and health care
   Research synthesis and critical appraisal methodology
   The political economy of health and health care.
   Public health economics and modelling

Work within these streams takes place in the multidisciplinary environment within the
wider UEA faculty and the health system, and the Group also provides support,
consultancy and advice at local, national and international level to various public and
private health care related organisations.

For more details see the website:
http://www.med.uea.ac.uk/research/research_econ_home.htm


Public Health Economics at UEA

The explicit focus on Public Health Economics is a new focus for UEA and indeed for
the UK and Europe more generally. This focus has been made possible by funding
from the East of England Strategic Health Authority and through funding from the UK
Clinical Research Collaboration (UKCRC) for UEA’s contribution to the Centre for
Diet and Activity Research (CEDAR). CEDAR is a collaboration between Medical
Research Council (MRC) units in Cambridge and the Universities of Cambridge and
East Anglia, and it is one of five new centres of excellence in public health research
funded by the UKCRC. The Centre, which is hosted by the Institute of Public Health
in Cambridge, promotes excellence in public health research related to diet and
physical activity.

UEA has recently established one full Chair in Public Health Economics (held by
Professor Marc Suhrcke) and a 30% Chair in Public Health Economics Modeling
(held by Professor Louis Niessen). The area of work comprises, but is not
necessarily limited to, (1) economic consequences of ill health and risk factors, (2)
the economic rationale for public policy intervention to address healthy behaviour, (3)
the economic evaluation of public health interventions as well as interventions
outside the health care system, (4) social determinants of health and health
inequalities. The work covers both developing and developed countries.
GENERAL

Salary

Salary will be £29,853 to £35,646 per annum, on Grade 7/Academic 2 on the single
salary spine. The normal expectation is that the starting salary will be at the
minimum of the advertised salary scale. The appointment will be in accordance with
the terms and conditions for Research and Analogous staff.

Starting date

The post is available immediately on a full time, fixed-term basis until 31/12/2015

Terms and Conditions of appointment

Full details of terms and conditions of employment for Research & Analogous Staff
will be made available to the candidate to whom the appointment is offered, but
attention is drawn at this stage to the following conditions:

Joint Venture

As a member of the Norwich Medical School, the appointee will be accountable to
the University as employer via the Head of School (NMS) and the Joint Venture
Management Board (of which both the Head of School (NMS) and the Dean of the
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences are members, along with the Chief
Executives of all NHS partners).

Annual Leave Entitlement

There is an annual holiday entitlement of six weeks plus statutory (8 days) and
customary (6 days) holidays.

Superannuation

The post is superannuable under the Universities Superannuation Scheme or (for
staff already in membership) the NHS pension scheme while employed as a member
of the Norwich Medical School.

This appointment will be subject to:

   Proof of Qualifications

    The person specification for this post lists qualifications that are essential and/or
    desirable and you may hold some or all of these qualifications. Please note that if
    you are offered the post you will be asked to provide original certificates of these
    educational and professional qualifications. Please DO NOT provide these with
    your application.

   Entitlement to Work in the United Kingdom

    If you are shortlisted for interview you will be asked to bring to interview original
    documentary evidence of permission to work in the UK. Candidates invited to


                          Further Particulars
    interview will be provided with a list of appropriate documents that can be
    provided as evidence. Please DO NOT provide this with your application.

    Due to the nature of this role and the level of qualifications required, please note
    that immigration legislation allows the University to apply for a sponsorship
    certificate for this post. However, due to the interim limit of sponsorship
    certificates which has been imposed on the University by the UK Border Agency,
    it is necessary to alert applicants from outside of the EU that the University is not
    currently able to issue any further sponsorship certificates under Tier 2 (General)
    of the points based system without an exceptional case being upheld by the
    UKBA. Further details are available at http://www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/ .

   Pre-Employment Health Check

    Appointment will be subject to a satisfactory Pre-Employment Health Check to be
    carried out by the University’s Occupational Health Service.


APPLICATION AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS

 Your completed application form should quote reference code RA723 and be
  returned by no later than 12 noon on 21 January 2011 in one of the following
  ways:

     accessed via the relevant vacancy details at http://www.uea.ac.uk/hr/jobs/
      then downloaded in Word format to be completed electronically then saved
      and sent as an email attachment to hr@uea.ac.uk or
     accessed via the relevant vacancy details from http://www.uea.ac.uk/hr/jobs/
      then downloaded in Word format to be completed electronically, then printed
      and posted to the Human Resources Division, University of East Anglia,
      Norwich, NR4 7TJ, or
     accessed via the relevant vacancy details from http://www.uea.ac.uk/hr/jobs/
      and downloaded in PDF format and printed, to be completed by hand and
      returned by post to the Human Resources Division at the address shown
      above or
     forms received by post from the Human Resources Division should be
      completed by hand or typed and returned by post to the above address.

 Postal applications will not be acknowledged unless a stamped addressed
  envelope/postcard is supplied.

 For paper submissions please ensure you add the correct postage to your
  application pack as failure to do so will considerably delay receipt by this office
  and may jeopardise your application for this post.

 Please note that applications received after the closing date will not normally be
  accepted. If you are submitting an application by post immediately prior to the
  closing date please contact the Human Resources Division on 01603 593034 to
  let us know that your application has been posted, and if possible also send a
  copy by fax to 01603 593522 or by email to hr@uea.ac.uk in order that we receive
  these by the closing date.
 Applicants for posts with a reference code beginning RA must ensure they
  submit a covering letter and three paper copies of their curriculum vitae, or
  one copy if submitting the application by email, along with their completed
  application form.

Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form

Please note that an Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form must be completed and
returned with ALL applications, whether submitted by post or by email. If submitted
by email, the Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form must be sent as a separate
document/attachment to the Application Form.

The Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form will be detached from the received
application before short-listing takes place and will not form any part of either the
short-listing or decision making process.

Referees

In naming referees in your application, you are requested to give only those who can
immediately be approached and one of these must be your current employer, or if
not employed your most recent employer.

Interviews

It is anticipated that interviews and tests will take place in February 2011 and
candidates who have not heard by the end of February should assume their
application has been unsuccessful.

Successful shortlisted candidates may be notified of their interview times by
telephone and/or e-mail and it is therefore essential you include both of these in your
application.


This document is available in alternative formats e.g. large
print, disc and on-line. If you need this document in an
alternative format please contact us on 01603 593034, fax
01603 593522, or email hr@uea.ac.uk
                                                                           Appendix A

Job Description

Research Associate in Health Economics (Ref: RA723)
The post holder will be required to undertake the economic evaluation component of
the recently awarded programme grant. This includes:

     design and execution of a systematic review of evidence on the cost-
      effectiveness of brief interventions aimed at increasing physical activity. This
      will complement the main review of evidence of effectiveness to be
      undertaken as part of the programme.
     development of initial decision analytic model using appropriate software
      (preferably R) to include probabilistic sensitivity analysis
     population of the model with data from the literature and other reviews.
     where relevant data do not exist, organisation and facilitation of an elicitation
      exercise with relevant experts using a recognised tool (e.g. SHELF).
     undertaking value of information analysis to inform design of a clinical trial
      with piggyback economic evaluation to be conducted as part of the
      programme grant.
     development and piloting of resource use data collection instruments for the
      piggyback study.
     undertaking analysis of economic data from piggyback study.
     revision and updating the decision model with data acquired in the piggyback
      study
     providing written reports and manuscripts for publication at key stages in the
      programme grant.
 
                                                                      Appendix B

                          PERSON SPECIFICATION

Title:       Research Associate in Health Economics • Ref: RA723
School:      Medical School
Date:        October 2010

                 Essential                            Desirable
Education,           Undergraduate degree in            PhD in economics,
Research               economics or related                 health economics
Experience,            combination with                     with a focus on
Achievements           economics, or in a related           economic evaluation
                       quantitative discipline.             alongside trials
                     a very good postgraduate              and/or decision
                       qualification in health              modelling
                       economics or similar
                       areas

Teaching                                                  Teaching experience
Experience                                                 at undergraduate
                                                           level

Skills and           Excellent quantitative              Experience of
Knowledge             skills                               programming in R or
                     Excellent writing skills             similar software or
                     Demonstrable                         willingness to learn
                      communication skills in
                      English Language
                     Experience in cost-
                      effectiveness modelling
                     Very good familiarity with
                      Microsoft Excel

Personal             Excellent interpersonal             Strong interest in
Attributes            skills.                              multi-disciplinary
                     Ability to work in a                 research
                      multidisciplinary team.
                     Experience working in
                      cross-disciplinary
                      environment.

Special              Willing to travel for regular
Circumstances         meetings in Cambridge
                     Willing to travel abroad for
                      meetings/workshops/
                      conferences