Hours
21 hours per week (0.6FTE)
Contract Basis
One year fixed term
Location
Musselburgh
Role Context
The Institute for Global Health and Development (IGHD) works to promote critical thinking, practical engagement and social justice on issues of health and development globally, with a particular emphasis on low income and conflict-affected countries. We facilitate learning for students from many nations through courses provided in Edinburgh and, increasingly, through online delivery; conduct research; and advise governments, Ministries of Health and non-governmental organisations on issues of health and social development. The Institute represents one of the 'flagship' areas of work at QMU, with a strong commitment to profiling research of policy and practice relevance.
The Institute provides a vibrant working context, pursuing work of major social relevance in a multicultural, collaborative and supportive environment. We are committed to sustainability and staff development, work in a modern space fostering team-work and use of modern technology, and model flexibility in staff work patterns to support work-life balance.
Staff of the Institute currently hold research funding in excess of GBP 6 million. We structure initiatives within research clusters that maximise synergies between the work of staff. Research clusters evolve over time reflecting emerging opportunities for collaboration and impact. Currently, our clusters are focused on work on health systems, particularly in fragile and low-income settings, and studies on the themes of psychosocial well-being, protection and integration.
In the former area, our cluster has been heavily engaged with the DFID-funded ReBUILD consortium, focused in Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe, Uganda and Cambodia, which we have co-led with colleagues at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. Other recent and ongoing health systems work has been funded by the World Health Organisation (WHO), Medical Research Council (MRC), Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), Wellcome Trust and the US National Institutes for Health (NIH), addressing issues ranging from human resources for health in Africa, through integration of stroke care in China to analysis of health systems resilience in the Middle-East.
Work related to the theme of psychosocial well-being, protection and integration involves studies across diverse settings, with a consistent focus on refugee and other vulnerable or marginalised communities. This includes work in both humanitarian situations (for example, in Nepal, in Malawi post-floods, in the Middle-East) and in contexts of refugee resettlement (including the current settlement of Syrian refugees in Scotland). Our work in this area is not only supported by research funders but also typically by inter-governmental, governmental and non-governmental partners, such as UNICEF and World Vision (which is currently funding a major multi-country study of child protection programming engaging local faith communities).
Role Purpose
In 2017 IGHD was awarded a grant of GBP 3.5 million from the National Institute of Health Research to establish a UK centre of excellence on work supporting health promotion, delivery and care in contexts of fragility. Bringing the work of its two current research clusters together, the NIHR Global Health Research Unit on Health in Fragility (RUHF) at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh seeks to identify sources of resilience within formal health systems and local community processes to facilitate effective provision for health priorities - particularly mental health and non-communicable disease (NCDs) - in situations of fragility. Researchers at QMU, Edinburgh work closely with our collaborative partners the Global Health Initiative, American University Beirut (AUB), Lebanon and the College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences (COMAHS), Freetown, Sierra Leone. With the support of the Unit Director and Deputy Director and designated senior researchers, a team of Research Fellows based at QMU, AUB and COMAHS coordinate field research projects, supported by local researchers and doctoral students funded through the unit.
RUHF is directed by a Programme Management Group comprising Unit Director, Professor Alastair Ager, Unit Deputy Director, Professor Sophie Witter, Unit Manager, Linda Graham, and AUB and COMAHS Research Leads, Professors Shadi Saleh and Mohamed Samai respectively. We are advised by a Strategic Advisory Group (comprising senior academics, policymakers, providers and service users) and supported by Global Technical Networks related to our key foci of fragility, mental health and psychosocial support and NCDs.
Research Unit Officer
This is a key role in RUHF, working under the direction of the Unit Manager and alongside a full-time Research Unit Officer with particular responsibility in the area of communication. The role holder will support the effective and efficient delivery of the Unit's research activities, with specific responsibility in the administration of the Research Development Fund, which forms part of the award from the main funder to the Unit. The role holder will lead - under the direction of the Research Unit Manager - the call for, contracting, reporting and coordination of a number of small projects commissioned within the GBP 200,000 RDF.
Main Duties / Responsibilities
Principal duties:
- Lead - under the direction of the Research Unit Manager - the funding call which will be distributed amongst the Unit's academic networks and partners
- Elicit proposals from partner organisations
- Collate and record bids to the funding call
- Administer the review and selection of the funding bids
- Assist with the contracting process for successful bids
- Support the completion of due diligence checks
- Assist in the reporting on the RDF to the main funder
- Support smooth project administration through the maintenance of effective records, liaising with IGHD staff and other university departments as required
- Manage invoicing, travel bookings and other logistics related to successful RDF projects
- Administer travel claims and reimbursements for staff related to successful RDF projects
- Support, and when necessary cover, the duties of the other Unit Officer in relation to project management, financial claims and reporting, electronic filing, event management, profiling the work of the Institute and other duties as assigned
Person Specification - Essential
Relevant experience in an administrative role
Excellent communication skills, spoken and written
Good organisational skills, with attention to detail and accuracy
Strong IT skills, including use of Microsoft Office and the internet
HNC level qualification or above
Ability to work on own or as part of a team
Person Specification - Desirable
Commitment to the field of global health and development
Experience of financial and administrative project management work
Experience of communication and negotiation with partner organisations
Experience of work with people from diverse cultural backgrounds