Research Assistant – Health Communications and Social Media: Young People and Eating Disorders (EDIFY programme) (Fixed term)

Modern Languages & Cultures

The School of Cultures, Languages and Area Studies is seeking to appoint a Research Assistant at The University of Nottingham. This is an exciting opportunity to be part of an UKRI-funded research programme on eating disorders and young people (Eating Disorders: Delineating Illness And Recovery Trajectories To Inform Personalised Prevention And Early Intervention - EDIFY).

Our School thrives through the different ideas and experiences of colleagues, who come from a mix of cultures and backgrounds. We strive to foster a welcoming, inspiring, and supportive workplace. We are seeking applications from candidates whose background, experience and identity broadens and enhances the diversity of our existing team and would especially welcome applications from members of groups who are currently underrepresented in the School, particularly Black, Asian and minority ethnic scholars. We understand that having a mix of perspectives, lived experiences and approaches to teaching and research enhances our day-to-day work and enriches our School community.

The EDIFY project aims to foreground voices of Young People with lived experience of eating disorders in research and treatment. The successful candidate will contribute to furthering research and impact regarding the role of social media in understanding, developing, sustaining and/or recovering from an eating disorder and how it engages audiences in communications about eating disorders.

The successful candidate will work with the EDIFY team, delivering world-class, collaborative research. The role holder will contribute to the EDIFY Lived Experience of eating disorders by young people, using qualitative and quantitative methods to analyse the role of social media in communications about and the broader discourse of eating disorders, focusing on diverse and under-represented groups. They will co-produce a range of messages and activities tailored to different audiences to raise awareness and stimulate change in policy and practice.

The successful candidate will have experience of working in the field of health communication. Experience of researching social media in theory and practice in qualitative and/or quantitative analyses of social media content, is important, with good knowledge of social media communications about health, social care and/or wellbeing. The role-holder will have good knowledge and understanding of ethical considerations and best practice related to capturing and analysing social media discourses and managing personal data.

We are seeking candidates confident to engage in person with young people and other audiences about the role of social media in communications about eating disorders. Assisting in organising and running meetings with stakeholders and some travel within the UK will be expected.

This full-time post (36.25 hours) is offered on a fixed-term basis from 1st September 2023 to 4th July 2025. Arrangements for job share may be considered.

Requests for secondment from internal candidates may be considered on the basis that prior agreement has been sought from both your current line manager and the manager of your substantive post, if you are already undertaking a secondment role.

Further information about the School is available at https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/clas

Informal enquiries may be addressed to Heike Bartel, email Heike.Bartel@nottingham.ac.uk. Please note that applications sent directly to this email address will not be accepted.

It is a condition of this post that satisfactory enhanced disclosure is obtained from the 'Disclosure and Barring Service'.