Research Fellow

Up to two locations available with hybrid working

London or Nottingham with hybrid working (remote working may be considered)

Annualised hours contract: 7 hours per week over 12 months (Up to 395 hours)

Salary per annum pro rata: £50,754.00

At the Royal College of Nursing we’re an optimistic organisation. And we’ve got good reason to be. We all share the same voice when it comes to changing the shape of the health policies of the future. And as the largest trade union of nursing staff and students in the UK – with over half a million members – all we can see are the infinite possibilities for a brighter future. Join us and you will too.

The role

As a Research Fellow, working on a grant-funded project, you will be expected to lead on the design, delivery, analysis and reporting of a study examining ‘racial inequities in access to doctoral education for nurses and midwives’. The study will include a UK-wide survey with embedded qualitative components. The Research Fellow will be expected to write a full report documenting key findings and evidence-based recommendations to impact policy and develop targeted workplace interventions.

As the study is a collaboration between the RCN Foundation, RCN and Nottingham Trent University, the role holder will receive regular support and supervision from all three organisations, whilst being responsible for project management, meeting key milestones and regular reporting in line with funding agreements

The person

To join us, you will have the skills and experience to work independently to design, deliver, analyse and report on a high-quality national survey, to impact policy and systemic change. You will be expected to meet agreed key milestones and report at regular intervals to meet the funding requirements for the study.

You will have skills and expertise in survey design and mixed methods research. Experience of working with underserved populations, researching sensitive topics and building key relationships with key national stakeholders will be essential. You will ideally have lived experience of the topic and demonstrate allyship, with a strong personal commitment to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion, in line with the ethos of the study.

To succeed at the Royal College of Nursing all you need to do is think bigger, better and brighter. And with an attitude like that, anything’s possible.

What we offer you

We expect you to look after our members. And we expect you to be rewarded for it. We offer an impressive range of benefits, a broad range of learning development opportunities and an award-winning health and wellbeing programme.

We are a diverse organisation and understand everyone has different needs and many of our employees enjoy flexible working enabling them to deliver results whilst having a good work life balance. Our hybrid working model allows for up to 60% of your working time to be carried out from home. At least 40% of your working time will be spent working in person.

Contact details

For more information or for an informal discussion about the role please contact Dr Ada Hui, Head of Nursing Research, via email: ada.hui@rcn.org.uk

For more information about the recruitment and selection process please contact recruit@rcn.org.uk

Opening date: 11 February 2026

Closing date: 11.59pm on 8 March 2026

If we receive many applications after a week of advertising, we may close this vacancy earlier

Selection dates:

Interviews (online): Wednesday, 25 March 2026