"Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Consumer & Community Involvement in RCTs"

Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Consumer & Community Involvement in RCTs

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Location: Herston Campus

Time type: Part time

Posted on: 5 days ago

Job requisition ID: R-51338

UQ Centre for Clinical Research

Part-time (0.5 FTE), fixed term position for 12 months

Base salary: $80,448–$133,381 + 17% superannuation (Academic Level A or Level B)

Location: Herston Campus

About this opportunity

Join a nationally significant program driving innovation in clinical trial methodology at one of Australia’s leading research institutions. The University of Queensland invites applications for a unique and rewarding opportunity within the ULTRA program – a flagship initiative dedicated to transforming the way clinical trials are designed, conducted, and translated into practice.

We are seeking a passionate and motivated early-career researcher to take on the role of postdoctoral research fellow (Level A) or research fellow (Level B), with a focus on consumer and community involvement in randomised controlled trials (RCTs). You will contribute to a growing and dynamic team at the UQ Centre for Clinical Research, working at the forefront of participatory research methods that shape the future of healthcare delivery and policy.

In this role, you will collaborate with esteemed researchers nationally and internationally, advance impactful clinical trial research, and play a key part in embedding consumer perspectives into health research. Whether you are just beginning your postdoctoral journey or looking to step into a more senior role, this is an opportunity to build a meaningful academic profile while improving how healthcare evidence is generated and used.

Key responsibilities include

Research

Contribute to ULTRA’s research program by advancing consumer and community involvement in clinical trials. Publish in leading journals, collaborate with interdisciplinary teams, and support the design and conduct of impactful studies. Build your research profile and help shape inclusive, evidence-informed trial methodologies.

Supervision and researcher development

Support the supervision and development of Honours and HDR students. Provide effective guidance, feedback, and coaching to foster researcher growth. Contribute to a positive research culture and, where appropriate, manage research support staff in line with university policies.

Citizenship and service

Demonstrate UQ values through active participation, collaboration, and service. Support team operations, contribute to committees and internal processes, and engage in service activities beyond the immediate unit. Begin building external partnerships with industry, government, and the wider community.

This is a research-focused position. Further information can be found by viewing UQ’s Criteria for Academic Performance.

For further information, please click here to view the information booklet.

About UQ’s Centre for Clinical Research

Our focus is to achieve excellence in health-centred research to improve quality of life. We offer state-of-the-art facilities and bring together leading health professionals, clinicians, and scientists from around the globe to facilitate innovation and knowledge translation.

University of Queensland Clinical Trials Capability (ULTRA) Program

Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) are a critical component of the healthcare system, providing gold-standard evidence about the comparative effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of interventions. Evidence from RCTs transforms healthcare, shapes decisions about healthcare expenditure, and, most importantly, improves population health.

However, RCTs are often expensive, slow to recruit, and take too long to impact clinical practice. Innovation in trials is urgently needed. Embedding qualitative research before, during, and after RCTs helps address these challenges. The University of Queensland’s ULTRA program has been created to build capability in innovative trial design, conduct, analysis, and translation. The program’s interdisciplinary team of methodological specialists leads and collaborates to create an end-to-end pipeline from ideation through to close-out and translation of investigator-led innovative RCTs.

About you

• Completion or near completion of a PhD in social science, health sciences, or a related discipline.
• Experience involving consumers and community members in health and medical research, ideally clinical trials. Experience researching innovative methods of consumer and community involvement (CCI) would be well regarded.
• A developing publication record and experience presenting at academic conferences.
• Strong communicator with the ability to engage interdisciplinary teams and articulate co-design principles.
• Demonstrated success in contributing to research funding and managing projects.
• Committed to mentoring others, collaborating across sectors, and contributing to a values-led research culture.

The successful candidate may be required to complete several pre-employment checks, including right to work in Australia, criminal check, and education verification.

Work rights: You must maintain unrestricted work rights in Australia for the duration of this appointment. Employer-sponsored work rights are not available for this appointment.

Questions?

For more information about this opportunity, please contact Dr Bec Jenkinson at r.jenkinson@uq.edu.au. For application inquiries, please contact the Talent Acquisition team at talent@uq.edu.au, stating the job reference number in the subject line.

Want to apply?

All applicants must upload the following documents for their application to be considered:

• Resume
• Cover letter
• Responses to the 'About You' section

Other information

UQ is committed to a fair, equitable and inclusive selection process. We understand that some applicants may face barriers that impact their career trajectory. Candidates who don’t meet all criteria are encouraged to apply and demonstrate their potential. The selection panel considers both potential and performance relative to opportunity when assessing suitability.

We recognise that one of our greatest strengths lies in our diverse community. We are committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion, and fostering an environment that reflects our society. We encourage candidates of all backgrounds to apply. For accessibility support or adjustments, please contact talent@uq.edu.au.

Applications close Wednesday, 25 June 2025 at 11:00 pm AEST (R-51338).

Interviews are tentatively scheduled for 2 July 2025.