About

• Position Details
• Department of Applied Health Sciences, School of Health Sciences, College of Medicine and Health
• Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK
• Full time starting salary is normally in the range £36,636 to £46,049 with potential progression once in post to £48,822
• Grade: 7
• Full Time, Fixed Term contract up to February 2027
• Closing date: 25th February 2026
• Background
• Painful Diabetes-related Peripheral Neuropathy (PDPN) affects 20-26% of Diabetes Mellitus patients and is associated with impaired quality of life, insomnia, and high healthcare costs. A clear treatment gap exists for a safe, non-invasive, clinically effective, and cost-effective third-line treatment for PDPN, as at least 50% of patients do not respond to first- or second-line pharmacotherapies recommended by NICE. The Frequency-Modulated Electromagnetic Neural Stimulation (FREMS) trial aims to assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of FREMS, a non-invasive electrical pulse treatment, for patients with PDPN who have not responded to standard NICE treatments.
• The appointed health economics research fellow will work with the wider research team to evaluate the costs and cost-effectiveness of Frequency-Modulated Electromagnetic Neural Stimulation alongside the trial.
• Role Summary

We are looking to appoint an enthusiastic researcher who will assess the costs and cost-effectiveness of Frequency-Modulated Electromagnetic Neural Stimulation, a non-invasive electrical pulse treatment, for patients with PDPN who have not responded to standard NICE treatments. The post-holder will be based in the Health Economics Unit, Department of Applied Health Sciences and will

• Work within specified research grants and projects and contribute to writing bids
• Operate within area of health economics
• Analyse and interpret research findings and results
• Contribute to generating funding
• Main Duties
• To review and critically appraise relevant economic literature
• To identify and collect appropriate resource utilisation data and identify appropriate costs
• To extract relevant data from published economic studies. Such data is likely to include costs, outcomes, assumptions and other parameters
• To estimate costs and conduct an economic evaluation (both model and trial-based)
• Develop research objectives and proposals for own or joint research, with assistance of a mentor if required
• Analyse and interpret data
• Apply knowledge in a way which develops new intellectual understanding
• Disseminate research findings for publication, research seminars etc
• Contribute to developing new models, techniques and methods
• Undertake management/administration arising from research
• Contribute to Departmental/School research-related activities and research-related administration
• Contribute to enterprise, business development and/or public engagement activities of manifest benefit to the College and the University, often under supervision of a project leader
• Present research outputs, including drafting academic publications or parts thereof, for example at seminars and as posters
• Provide guidance, as required, to support staff and any students who may be assisting with the research
• Deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines
• To a limited degree, to support the HEU teaching programme, particularly in relation to the Masters programme in Health Economics and Health Policy/Econometrics
• To support any other appropriate activities that will help to achieve the objectives of the Health Economics Unit
• Promotes equality and values diversity acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture.
• Person Specification
• A degree in Health Economics
• High level analytical capability
• Ability to communicate complex information clearly
• Fluency in relevant models, techniques or methods and ability to contribute to developing new ones
• Ability to assess resource requirements and use resources effectively
• Experience of using statistical analysis software such as STATA and SPSS
• Understanding of and ability to contribute to broader management/administration processes
• Contribute to the planning and organising of the research programme and/or specific research project
• Co-ordinate own work with others to avoid conflict or duplication of effort
• Knowledge of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010, and how to actively ensure in day to day activity in own area that those with protected characteristics are treated equally and fairly
• Further particulars can be found here
• Informal enquiries to Raymond Oppong, email: r.a.oppong@bham.ac.uk
• Use of AI in applications: We want to understand your genuine interest in the role and for the written elements of your application to accurately reflect your own communication style. Applications that rely too heavily on AI tools can appear generic and lack the detail we need to assess your skills and experience. Such applications will unlikely be progressed to interview.
• We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website.