Secondment opportunities: Versus Arthritis
Are you a PhD student or post-doctoral researcher interested in research engagement? Would you like to gain experience showcasing the impact of research to a wide audience?
Translate MedTech is offering the opportunity to work with Versus Arthritis. They are seeking two PhD students or post-doctoral researchers to work with their Research Engagement team. The team showcase the impact of research funded by Versus Arthritis and their main functions are communication, public engagement, data analysis and managing the network of research volunteers.
Secondment 1: Research Involvement Team
It is anticipated that the candidate would support the researcher element of the Involvement review. This would include helping to plan and run insight gathering activities to determine how researchers want to be supported in involving patients in their research and what their expectations of the charity are. It would also include analysis and report writing and working with colleagues on the wider review. Versus Arthritis are keen to offer a wide experience to align with candidate interests so there could also be opportunity for other work such as volunteer communications or website content creation.
Secondment 2: Research Evaluation Team
The successful candidate will carry out a variety of tasks related to deriving insight from the research portfolio. Versus Arthritis are keen to match tasks to the skills and interests of the candidate so examples of tasks could be:
• Investigations into Versus Arthritis’ research portfolio generating insight and information for a range of audiences and for charity reporting purposes. This could be to answer specific queries about the projects we are funding or to report on trends and future directions.
• Analysing researcher reported outcomes and impacts of their research projects and providing clear summaries for a general audience in a range of formats
• Woking with Research Engagement colleagues to produce communication materials, such as blogs and webpage content, to share insights and stories gained from analysing our research activities.
These opportunities can be fully flexible, full or part-time, up to a maximum of three months starting in August 2021. It is expected that these secondments will be delivered remotely with potential to meet face-to-face as COVID restrictions ease. The successful candidates will be provided with the equipment needed to perform their roles.
The successful secondees would be required to demonstrate the following skills:
• An undergraduate qualification in a relevant discipline
• ability to summarise scientific and technical detail in an accessible format
• ability to engage with patient- expert, scientific and medical community at all levels
• excellent organisational and time management skills
• attention to detail and high standards of accuracy
• excellent inter-personal skills
• ability to work on own initiative
• good excel and general IT skills
• ability to work effectively as part of a team and individually
• a sensitive attitude when dealing with confidential information.
Completed applications should be sent to hello@translate-medtech.ac.uk by 12pm Monday 28 June.
About Versus Arthritis
We are Versus Arthritis. We are volunteers, healthcare professionals, researchers and friends, all doing everything we can to push back against arthritis. We’re reaching out to everybody with the information and support they need, funding vital research and changing the way society sees arthritis. Together we’ll keep running, researching, influencing, volunteering, advising, chatting, baking, listening. We won’t stop until no-one has to tolerate living with the pain, fatigue and isolation of arthritis.
Join us and use your skills, knowledge, passion and energy to help us defy arthritis.
If you have any questions, please contact Kelly Broadbent (K.L.Broadbent@leeds.ac.uk)
