About

• Position Details
• School of Social Policy and Society
• 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 October 2026
• Closing date: 13th October 2025
• Background
• The Centre for Care is a flagship multi-disciplinary centre (2021-2026) funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) with support from National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and set within an extensive UK and international research network. It is administered by University of Sheffield and led with investigators in five universities, three major charities and the Office for National Statistics, in close partnership with a large network of partners. Its overarching objective is to codesign impactful research to improve understandings and redress inequalities in care experiences and systems in the UK and internationally.
• The School of Social Policy and Society at the University of Birmingham - one of the partners in the centre for Care - is recognised as one of the main centres of excellence for social care and health research in the UK. We are seeking to immediately recruit a research fellow to work full-time until 31st October 2026. The post holder will be the primary researcher on one of the research groups of the Centre for Care: Care Data Infrastructure. They will undertake research under the supervision and guidance of the research group lead, Professor Matt Bennett. The post holder will work closely with colleagues across the consortium, particularly those located at the lead institution (University of Sheffield).
• The overarching objective of the Care Data Infrastructure team is to apply cutting-edge data analytics to novel data sources to improve understandings of inequalities and inform evidence-based practice within the care system. The team takes an intersectional, collaborative, interdisciplinary and policy-focused approach to investigate the diversity of experiences of care. The team coproduces it’s work, embedding the lived experience of people who draw on support, and stakeholders within the care sector, from start to finish.

The post holder will focus on two main objectives

• How administrative data can be used to inform evidence-based decision making.
• Analysis of client-level data to understand health inequalities.
• Role Summary
• The post holder will work individually and as part of a wider team at the ESRC Centre for Care. They will be the primary researcher on the “Care Data Infrastructure” team. They will have experience of R or Stata and a strong grasp of statistical methods, data analysis and regression modelling. You will have experience in using large complex datasets, data linkage, data cleaning, and good research writing skills with the capacity to write high quality journal articles and communicate your findings in an engaging and relevant way. They will undertake research under the supervision and guidance of Professor Matt Bennett. The primary role of the researcher will be to use administrative data to 1) improve understandings of social care for decision makers; and 2) employ advanced quantitative methods to understand health inequalities for people who draw on social care support. The purpose of the role is to develop and deliver high quality research that supports the delivery of the specified project outputs. The post holder will be expected to work closely with other colleagues in Birmingham and at the partner universities (notable the lead: University of Sheffield). The post is based at the University of Birmingham and regular attendance is expected.
• Main Duties
• Working on a day-to-day basis with the line manager.
• Develop research objectives and proposals for own or joint research, with assistance of a mentor if required.
• Contribute to writing bids for research funding.
• Analyse, link and interpret quantitative data, including administrative and panel datasets using advanced methods.
• Apply knowledge from quantitative analyses that develops new intellectual understanding.
• Disseminate research findings for publication, research seminars, and stakeholders, etc.
• Contribute to developing new quantitative models, techniques and methods, including data visualisation.
• To undertake management and administration arising from research.
• Contribute to impact and public engagement activities, including stakeholders and the public.
• Collect research data through a variety of research methods, such as literature reviews and research interviews.
• Present research outputs and draft academic publications at seminars and conferences.
• Provide guidance, as required, to support staff who may be assisting with the research.
• Deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines.
• Promotes equality and values diversity acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture.
• Person Specification
• A Degree and normally, a higher degree in economics or health economics, politics, statistics, social policy, sociology, gerontology or a related discipline, with demonstrable evidence of training in advanced quantitative methods.
• High level of advanced quantitative analytical ability, including large-scale panel data.
• Ability to communicate complex information clearly.
• Fluency in relevant advanced quantitative models, techniques or methods and ability to contribute to developing new ones (including visualising findings).
• Ability to assess resource requirements and use resources effectively.
• Understanding of and ability to contribute to broader management and administration processes.
• Contribute to the planning and organising of the 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.
• Informal enquiries to Matthew Bennett, email: m.r.bennett@bham.ac.uk
• 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.