"Professor of Psychiatry - Psychology - 49506"

Position Details 

School of Psychology and Institute for Mental Health 

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK 

Competitive salary for an outstanding candidate

Professorial Salary

Full Time

Closing date: 16 September 2024

This position is also available as an Associate Professor, via vacancy 5005

Background and Role Summary 

The Institute for Mental Health and the School of Psychology wishes to appoint a leading senior clinical academic psychiatrist (CCT or equivalent in either adult psychiatry or child and adolescent psychiatry). We are particularly keen to hear from applicants with an excellent track record of leading major initiatives and/or an appetite and credibility for taking on substantive leadership roles in mental health research in Birmingham and the Midlands. 

We wish to attract a psychiatrist with research and research leadership expertise which aligns with of our key IMH research themes of early intervention and prevention; mental health data science and epidemiology; multidisciplinary approaches to the neuroscience of mental health. 

We have a global reputation for our research and education in mental health, bolstered by significant recent investments from the UK Mental Health Mission, including the Midlands Translational Research Centre, and the Oxford Health NIHR Biomedical Research Centre.

This investment has brought increasing capacity in mood disorders, early psychosis, the mental health of children and young people, clinical trials, data science and experimental medicine. Further expansion in these areas would be particularly welcome. The IMH is housed in a new Wolfson Research Unit and is a key part of the Wellcome Trust-funded Midlands Mental Health and Neurosciences PhD Programme for Healthcare Professionals.

As well as these strengths within the Institute for Mental Health, we would also welcome colleagues whose research plans would connect with Applied Health Research (public health, epidemiology, health economics) and/or the Birmingham Clinical Trials Unit in the College of Medical and Dental Sciences.

Post-holders will have an appetite and aptitude for academic leadership and a significant track record of achievement. Experience leading and /or developing centres and multidisciplinary teams is desirable. The post-holder will be at a level where they will be able to take on substantial responsibilities for supporting leadership of the Midlands Translational Centre in Mental Health Mission, and/or Institute for Mental Health

This post will enhance world-leading activity in mental health research and bring additional senior academic leadership capacity to the Institute for Mental Health (IMH) and the School of Psychology. The successful applicant will be a senior clinical academic with research and education expertise in a domain that complements research priorities and strengths in the IMH and aligns with Mental Health Mission priorities (e.g., mood disorders, psychosis, children and young people’s mental health, clinical trials, data science). They will be recognised internationally for the quality and impact of their research and will have an outstanding track record of successful grant capture and experience of managing large awards to completion. They will add value through collaborative interdisciplinary research across as well as outside the University of Birmingham.

Clinical opportunities

The clinical component of the role will ideally align with the candidate’s research interests and will include one day of clinical work within a local Trust. The specific opportunity will be guided by candidate expertise and preferences and fit within clinical services. Across local trusts, a variety of clinical sessions are available including community or inpatient/PICU CAMHS, eating disorders, mood disorders, neurodevelopment, early intervention in psychosis, perinatal psychiatry, liaison psychiatry, neuropsychiatry, addiction services, and general adult (inpatient or community).

In your clinical role as a consultant psychiatrist, you will have opportunities to provide direct psychiatric care through comprehensive assessment, diagnosis, care plan and treatment formulation, with a focus on evidence-based treatment and effectiveness, and physical healthcare monitoring and interventions as necessary.

The Trusts which will provide clinical sessions are Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Trust (https://www.bsmhft.nhs.uk/) or Forward Thinking Birmingham (https://forwardthinkingbirmingham.nhs.uk/).

Jointly they provide the full range of mental health services locally, and regionally, and with some as national provision. Both Trusts have very active research and development departments, host existing clinical academics and are keen to expand their specialist provision. Both Trusts partner closely with the Mental Health Missions Midlands Translational Centre and are actively engaged with the University of Birmingham in research, teaching and training future clinical academics. 

Your Trust will support you with appropriate training, CPD activities, annual appraisal and revalidation. 

Main Duties 

Enhance world-leading activity in Mental Health research and teaching.

Add senior academic leadership capacity in the IMH and the School of Psychology.

Contribute to leadership of the IMH at a senior level, and to the Mental Health Mission as appropriate. 

Research

To pursue sustained research activity through original research and scholarship, including other research-related contributions through conference papers and presentations and/or consultancy projects and advice, including (as appropriate):

• contributing to the management of research activities and/or supervising other research staff;
• leading successful funding bids;
• consistently publishing internationally excellent research, with some research regarded as world leading, that results in a sustained, highly respected reputation of international quality;
• supervising and examining PhD students, both within the institution and externally;
• providing expert advice internally and externally;
• peer reviewing articles for peer reviewed academic journals and grant applications by research councils and/or other major funding bodies; 
• leading sustained impact activity including public engagement and makes a significant contribution to policy development at a national and international level;.
• supervising and examine PhD students, both within the institution and externally;
• as appropriate, managing research activities and/or supervising other research staff;
• developing novel methodologies and techniques appropriate to the type of research being pursued.

Management/administration

Lead activities in the Institute/ School and represent the School on College/ University committees or working groups. Where appropriate to the discipline, this is likely to include some but not all of the responsibilities listed below: 

• making an important contribution to the development and running of the Institute or School, for example, leading activity on research and/or teaching assessment 
• leading a successful international engagement at School or College level;
• developing and managing staff and resources in support of major research and/or teaching activities
• making important contributions to the development of the Institute’s research and/or learning and teaching strategy
• contributing significantly to the development and delivery of knowledge transfer, enterprise, business engagement and public engagement activities with sustained high value impact of manifest benefit to the College and the University;
• promoting a culture (including policies and procedures) that embeds equality and values diversity and inclusion
• leading, serving on and assisting the work of committees and task and finish groups beyond School/ Research Institute, e.g., Senate, Council, University Education or Research Committee etc.;
• leading external committees, e.g., those associated with public/professional bodies or delivery of activities for an external body at an appropriate level, e.g., chairing sub committees associated with large elements of work;
• leading/project managing a team to devise and implement a new and/or revised process (e.g. a new research initiative, or a recruitment drive);
• making a sustained contribution to widening participation, schools outreach and/or public understanding of the discipline;
• contributing to administrative activities within the University (e.g., appeals panels, working groups).

Education 

You will contribute across the range of teaching and learning activities:

• making a significant contribution to the pedagogical knowledge base of the subject that advances teaching through the enhancement of practice, the development of teaching resources and/or through practice-based research; 
• leading on the management and the development of approaches to teaching and learning, including designing innovative approaches to digital resources/environments and supporting colleagues to use them that are innovative to the subject area or institution;
• leading on curriculum design at module and programme level to ensure it is contemporary, inclusive, engaging and academically challenging;
• actively engaging students in curriculum design and sharing evidence of “what works”;
• making an impactful, high-quality contribution to debates about education policy, methods and practices through internal and external publications, subject societies and conference activity;
• developing an external profile evidenced through engaging in external quality assurance activities related to teaching, eg. external examining and engaging with/supporting education in other institutions;
• playing an important and sustained role in the recruitment and admission of students; 
• co-supervising doctoral students to completion; 
• leading the development of teaching, learning and assessment policies and strategies;
• acting as an education mentor to colleagues in the School/Institute/College or more widely;
• leading the development of new and appropriate approaches to learning and teaching. This may be underpinned by research and evaluation of teaching methods and systems 
• leading sustained high value impact in knowledge transfer and enterprise (including business engagement, public engagement) that enhances the student experience and/or or employability, and is of manifest benefit to learning and teaching in the College and the University
• undertaking own teaching, which will include teaching and examining courses at a range of levels, planning and reviewing own teaching approaches, developing programme proposals, supervision, marking and examining. You will ensure that your teaching practice is informed by discipline-based research, through participating in the research culture of the School. 

Citizenship

• taking collective ownership of challenges faced by the School or College and working with colleagues to develop solutions;
• mentoring and coaching of colleagues, particularly those in the early stages of their career

Person Specification or Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience 

• A higher degree relevant to the research/teaching area (usually PhD) or equivalent qualifications.
• GMC registration and entry on the specialist register
• CCT or equivalent in either adult psychiatry or child and adolescent psychiatry

Demonstrated excellence in at least Research, with competence in Learning and Teaching and Management and Administration.

Learning and teaching requirements

An excellent teaching profile and performance in terms of both impact and quality. The teaching quality demonstrated to be informed by an appropriate level of scholarship.

Where appropriate, evidence of success under the following headings:

• High reputation for the development of teaching and learning excellence within the discipline
• Successful and sustained use of a range of appropriate teaching methods, and assessment strategies that promote high quality learning, including learning that is flexible, distinctive and current and stimulates learners’ natural curiosity
• Significant and sustained contribution to one or more of the following: strategic development of new programmes; approaches to learning; the development of learning resources
• High quality and sustained contributions to fostering excellence in teaching activities more widely, i.e. in the Institute/School or College and/or externally
• Track record of substantial and sustained high value impact on the enhancement of the student experience, and/or employability
• Mentoring and expert advice which develops the skills of colleagues in teaching and in fostering learning

Research requirements

An excellent national reputation and a developing international profile through significant original research work and a clear record of impact. Evidence of success under the following headings, as appropriate to the discipline:

• High level peer esteem as evidenced by
• Excellent reputation in the UK and often internationally, reflected in sustained high quality output, level of innovation, impact on subject and recognition
• An excellent and sustained record of peer reviewed research publications
• Track record of leading clinical trials in mental health research or other translational research with NHS partners
• A sustained track record of winning substantial grant income from a range of funding bodies.
• Experience of working with NIHR research infrastructure e.g., ARC, CRN/RDN, BRC
• Successful and sustained supervision of doctoral students
• Substantial and sustained research income generation, e.g. through research grants, contracts, research consultancy or other external funding
• Sustained high value impact knowledge transfer and enterprise that is of manifest benefit to the College and University

Management and administration-related requirements

Demonstrated significant achievement in management and administration-related activities, which may include leadership of activities/initiatives. Evidence of success under the following headings

• Experience of administrative/managerial role (s) (e.g. exams officer)
• Innovative contributions to the management/administration of the Institute/School/College or University
• Contribution to the corporate life of the School/College/University, displaying willingness to contribute actively to committees, collaborative teaching and administrative tasks
• Actively promotes equality and diversity to internal and external stakeholders
• Able to use data to identify equality and diversity issues
• Experience of developing interventions to address equality and diversity issues

The University is committed to safeguarding and we promote safe recruitment practice, therefore all associated pre-employment checks will be undertaken before any appointment is confirmed. Due to the nature of the work undertaken in this role all successful applicants will be subject to a satisfactory Occupational Health and/or DBS clearance prior to appointment. 

Informal enquires to Professor Matthew Broome  m.r.broome@bham.ac.uk

Professor Steven Marwaha s.marwaha@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.