The Rosalind Franklin Institute (the Franklin) is a technology institute established by the UK Government as a unique centre committed to advancing tools that are needed to transform healthcare in the future.
The Institute brings together researchers in life and physical sciences, and engineering, to develop a spectrum of tools which we will use to image, interpret and intervene in biological systems. These insights will speed up the discovery of new medicines, help find new diagnostics and contribute to a deeper understanding of human health and disease. Our Science Strategy seeks to focus the Franklin’s research and unite our researchers around our Technology Innovation Challenges and Life Science Challenges. For more information on the Franklin’s Challenges click here.
Every 16 seconds a family suffers from a stillbirth, and the rate of unexplained stillbirth is trending upward. Stillbirth often occurs because of an issue with the amount of oxygen that the developing fetus receives. However, the combination of drivers in each case is unique, and current technologies for predicting stillbirth do not take into account the interactions between the mother, fetus, and placenta when determining risk. As such, prediction of stillbirth falls short. Our team has developed a new way to integrate clinical data to predict how much oxygen is available to a fetus in pregnancy; this tool is called SADIE. Early testing shows the capabilities of SADIE are promising. This research fits within wider product development/design workflows by seeking to understand the care pathways that SADIE will engage with in the NHS through stakeholder engagement and qualitative research approaches. We anticipate future commercialisation of this technology will enable a step-change in a clinician’s ability to take the right steps at the right time to both reduce the occurrence of stillbirth and the short and long term costs associated with preterm birth and neonatal intensive care.
This project will be completed in collaboration with the University of Manchester and will entail spending time there. This working pattern is flexible (including part-time hours, minimum 18.75 per week) and will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate.
Key Responsibilities
As a Research Associate at the Franklin, you will bring scientific knowledge and skills to deliver a specific research project and/or you will bring independent, creative science, or specific skills to a team delivering a project or program. Through this work, you will build scientific independence, develop new science and leadership skills, and establish a growing reputation externally.
In this particular role, you will:
- Design and conduct interview with stakeholders across the NHS care pathway, including maternal fetal medicine clinicians, midwives, sonographers, digital health experts, information technology experts and patient group representatives.
- Identify and document current pain points associated across the maternity care pathway.
- Analyse interview data to Identify opportunities, capacity and staff motivations to embed SADIE in NHS workflows, and technological synergies/parallels that may help enable this.
- Based on stakeholder engagement, generate user requirement documentation to ensure SADIE is developed to meet the users/use-case.
- Work to complete these requirements will take place either in person at the Franklin, the University of Manchester or remotely via online meetings.
- Plan and conduct research, analyse and interpret results and supervise delivery of outputs (e.g. research report, patent application) in a scientific/technology area of interest.
- Work within a project team, contributing to wider projects around Franklin's key Challenges.
- Lead major contributions to outputs from research including papers, patents and both internal and external presentations.
- Support and develop others including day-to-day supervision of students or visitors in areas related to own research.
- Have supervised, staged progression to first stages of scientific independence with opportunities to further develop science and skills/experience.
- Enhance your research through collaboration with other researchers and make active contributions to exchanging of ideas through your own network.
- Be able to understand, interpret, create and communicate appropriately within a research context.
- Develop search and discovery skills and techniques.
- Be supervised by a Scientist/Senior Scientist in delivery of research outputs, either in the context of a project or Challenge or as an early career development fellow.
Before submitting your application please ensure you read the Job Information Pack for full details of this role on our website.
This job description sets out the skills and experience we believe are needed to be able to do this job but, research also tells us women are much more likely than men to take this list of requirements as absolute and self-select out of the process. If you think you can deliver this role then we want to hear from you, regardless of the boxes you did not tick.
Whilst the role requires candidates to hold a PhD/DPhil (or equivalent), we may consider candidates who have submitted their PhD/DPhil thesis, in which case the initial appointment will be made at £38,500 per annum (to be increased on completion of the PhD/DPhil qualification).
In return we offer:
- 25 days holidays plus bank holidays and Christmas holiday shutdown
- Generous pension scheme (employer’s contribution currently up to 18%)
- Group Life Assurance (also known as Group Life Insurance or Death in Service)
- Buying and Selling Annual Leave
- Workplace Nursery Salary Sacrifice Scheme
- Hub building with state-of-the-art laboratories
- Hybrid and flexible working
- Training and development opportunities for staff at all levels
- Bus pass discount scheme and good transport links to Oxford and surrounding areas
- Cycle to Work Scheme
- Access to employee discount platform (Perkbox)
- Occupational Health and wellbeing support including Employee Assistance (24/7 support and counselling)
- Health Cash Plan
- Subsidised canteen and food outlets on campus
- Free on-site parking
- Campus location in beautiful countryside with social and sports clubs open to staff
The Franklin’s underlying aim is to produce the best science for research today, and this means resolutely embracing a diverse team, who have a wide range of experiences, skills and knowledge to push forward on the innovative work our institution delivers. Both our work and our institution are better for it. For further information, view our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy.
We are committed to creating an inclusive environment where every applicant has an equal opportunity to showcase their talents and abilities. This includes making adjustments for candidates with specific needs. Please contact us at recruitment@rfi.ac.uk to discuss your requirements confidentially.
At the Rosalind Franklin Institute we also welcome applications from all around the world!
How to Apply
To be considered for this role, please upload a CV and cover letter explaining why you think you are the right person for this job on our website.
Closing date: The closing date for applications is 23:59 on Sunday 8th November 2026.