Research Associate
| Posting date: | 20 March 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £34,610 to £38,784 per year, pro rata |
| Hours: | Part time |
| Closing date: | 09 April 2026 |
| Location: | Bristol, South West England |
| Remote working: | Hybrid - work remotely up to 2 days per week |
| Company: | University West of England |
| Job type: | Temporary |
| Job reference: | R09200 |
Summary
Shared decision making (SDM) is vital in the management of people with chronic diseases, including Vasculitis About Vasculitis Disease and the Various Types of Vasculitis - Vasculitis UK.
SDM helps to ensure that patients can make informed decisions about their care in collaboration with their medical teams. This qualitative research project will help us explore how shared decision making could be undertaken in practice – for example educational patient needs, timing and nature of shared decision making, use of patient reported outcome measures and digital technologies.
The UWE Bristol Rheumatology Research team have an international reputation in patient focused Rheumatology research – particularly in qualitative research, the management of fatigue and the international development and validation of patient reported outcome measures, using qualitative and quantitative research methodologies e.g., ANCA-Associated Vasculitis Patient-Reported Outcome (AAV PRO) - Oxford University Innovation.
As part of this role, you will work with a wide range of stakeholders (patient charities, clinicians and researchers nationally) within a vibrant and interesting research area. You’ll be fully supported by a local team and national steering committee.
About you
You’re an experienced Research Associate in qualitative research, with practical experience in focus groups, including ethics application, recruitment, facilitation and analysis. You’ve got experience in drafting research abstracts, lay summaries, reports and manuscripts. You will be given support from the local team and national steering committee in all tasks but encouraged to take ownership of the project as appropriate. You will be a self-starter who can work well within a team. You will not need to have any experience or knowledge of vasculitis or rheumatology but experience of patient-focused research would be useful.
Why UWE Bristol?
You will be working at the Bristol Royal Infirmary, in the UWE Research rooms adjacent to the NHS Rheumatology department. The UWE Research team at the BRI includes qualitative and quantitative researchers in health psychology, nursing, PROs methodologists, study co-ordinators working on range of patient-focused research projects. Bristol Royal Infirmary - What We Do | University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust.
You’ll spend most of your time within the Rheumatology research offices, typically 1 or 2 days per week, with the opportunity to work from home on the remaining 1 or 2 days, (i.e. total of 3 days per week).
We offer a wide range of employee benefits including progressive pay rates, very generous annual leave and career average pension schemes as well as retail savings, onsite nursery and opportunities for training and personal development.
We also provide a tailored professional programme to support our academic colleagues in delivering the highest in professional teaching standards.
We particularly encourage applications from global majority candidates as we are currently under-represented in this area, however all appointments are made strictly on individual merit.
As a Disability Confident employer, we encourage applications from disabled or neurodivergent candidates.
Further information
If you would like to speak to us to find out more about this role, please contact Associate Professor Jo Robson, email: jo.robson@uwe.ac.uk
Interviews are scheduled to take place online, on the afternoon of Thursday 23rd April.
This is a fixed term post until June 30th 2027, and is part-time working on a 0.6 FTE contract.
This post is not available on a job share basis as it is already a part time post.
This post requires enhanced DBS clearance.
Salary offers are made in line with the University’s salary assessment guidelines, reflecting your relevant skills and experience in parity with colleagues.
Right to Work in the UK
If offered a role, you will need to provide valid documentation confirming your right to work in the UK before employment begins. Guidance on acceptable documents is available via the Home Office Right to Work Checklist. This role is not eligible for Skilled Worker visa sponsorship.
SDM helps to ensure that patients can make informed decisions about their care in collaboration with their medical teams. This qualitative research project will help us explore how shared decision making could be undertaken in practice – for example educational patient needs, timing and nature of shared decision making, use of patient reported outcome measures and digital technologies.
The UWE Bristol Rheumatology Research team have an international reputation in patient focused Rheumatology research – particularly in qualitative research, the management of fatigue and the international development and validation of patient reported outcome measures, using qualitative and quantitative research methodologies e.g., ANCA-Associated Vasculitis Patient-Reported Outcome (AAV PRO) - Oxford University Innovation.
As part of this role, you will work with a wide range of stakeholders (patient charities, clinicians and researchers nationally) within a vibrant and interesting research area. You’ll be fully supported by a local team and national steering committee.
About you
You’re an experienced Research Associate in qualitative research, with practical experience in focus groups, including ethics application, recruitment, facilitation and analysis. You’ve got experience in drafting research abstracts, lay summaries, reports and manuscripts. You will be given support from the local team and national steering committee in all tasks but encouraged to take ownership of the project as appropriate. You will be a self-starter who can work well within a team. You will not need to have any experience or knowledge of vasculitis or rheumatology but experience of patient-focused research would be useful.
Why UWE Bristol?
You will be working at the Bristol Royal Infirmary, in the UWE Research rooms adjacent to the NHS Rheumatology department. The UWE Research team at the BRI includes qualitative and quantitative researchers in health psychology, nursing, PROs methodologists, study co-ordinators working on range of patient-focused research projects. Bristol Royal Infirmary - What We Do | University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust.
You’ll spend most of your time within the Rheumatology research offices, typically 1 or 2 days per week, with the opportunity to work from home on the remaining 1 or 2 days, (i.e. total of 3 days per week).
We offer a wide range of employee benefits including progressive pay rates, very generous annual leave and career average pension schemes as well as retail savings, onsite nursery and opportunities for training and personal development.
We also provide a tailored professional programme to support our academic colleagues in delivering the highest in professional teaching standards.
We particularly encourage applications from global majority candidates as we are currently under-represented in this area, however all appointments are made strictly on individual merit.
As a Disability Confident employer, we encourage applications from disabled or neurodivergent candidates.
Further information
If you would like to speak to us to find out more about this role, please contact Associate Professor Jo Robson, email: jo.robson@uwe.ac.uk
Interviews are scheduled to take place online, on the afternoon of Thursday 23rd April.
This is a fixed term post until June 30th 2027, and is part-time working on a 0.6 FTE contract.
This post is not available on a job share basis as it is already a part time post.
This post requires enhanced DBS clearance.
Salary offers are made in line with the University’s salary assessment guidelines, reflecting your relevant skills and experience in parity with colleagues.
Right to Work in the UK
If offered a role, you will need to provide valid documentation confirming your right to work in the UK before employment begins. Guidance on acceptable documents is available via the Home Office Right to Work Checklist. This role is not eligible for Skilled Worker visa sponsorship.
Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme
Disability Confident
About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.