"Research Fellow"

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Research Fellow to work on a National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Research for Patient Benefit (RfPB) funded grant: EMPoWER Effectiveness of a Multi-modal intervention to Promote Independence and WEllbeing among oldeR adults of South Asian heritage: a feasibility study.

The proportion of older adults from South Asian heritage who are frail is growing and culturally adapted interventions tailored to meet their needs are required. Multi-modal interventions, incorporating exercise, nutritional advice, and social support, are effective in slowing the progression of frailty however, there is a lack of data on the effectiveness of these for South Asian older adults.

In this research study, we aim to adapt existing multi-modal interventions involving exercise, nutrition, and peer support so that it is culturally sensitive. We plan to examine the feasibility of delivering this adapted intervention among South Asian older adults who are pre/mildly frail. This feasibility study will inform the design of a larger trial with an internal pilot study and embedded economic evaluation that aims to assess the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of this intervention. The study will include a systematic review of multimodal interventions for frailty, the development and delivery of a bespoke intervention designed for South Asian communities. The research will use a mixed methods approach to this feasibility study including quantitative, qualitative and health economic evaluation

Candidates should have a PhD, in a Social or Health Science related discipline and demonstrate relevant experience in applied health research and successful completion of research activities and projects. The successful candidate will be a researcher with knowledge and experience of relevant conditions affecting older adults, review methodology, quantitative and qualitative research methods, and experience of successful ethical approval processes. Experience recruiting and conducting research with diverse communities and commissioning groups would be particularly beneficial. Candidates will need to demonstrate an ability to organise their own workload, plan research activities to a high standard, ensuring agreed deadlines are met, and have excellent oral and written communication and interpersonal skills. Knowledge and demonstrable experience of mixed methods research, and trial or implementation initiatives in clinical practice would be an advantage.

The post is available on a 0.4 FTE basis for 30 months and will be based at the School of Health Sciences, Highfield Campus, Southampton, working with the wider project team. The successful candidate may be given the opportunity to join the NIHR Academy and access further training and networking activities. The employing organisation is the University of Southampton, which offers a competitive salary, pension scheme, and other benefits.

For an informal discussion about the post, please contact Dr Dinesh Samuel (ds7@soton.ac.uk).