Hours
35 hours per week (1.0FTE)
Contract Basis
21 months (with potential for extension)
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 contexts. The Institute has become a leader in the field of refugee resettlement and integration with a programme of research, policy engagement and innovative practice addressing integration, mental health and psychosocial wellbeing in diverse contexts of displacement. This role will be central to building on the 'Indicators of Integration' framework originally developed at IGHD (Ager & Strang, 2008). It will directly contribute to a research programme exploring the development of social connections and their role in integration, social cohesion and mental health, supported by the refinement of a tool for measuring social connections in research and practice settings.
The Institute provides a vibrant working environment, pursuing work of major social relevance in a multicultural, collaborative and supportive team. 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. The postholder will join a group of ten Research Fellows, Assistants and Officers working on range of social science studies related to health and well-being.
Over the coming 2 years, the Institute will undertake a mixed methods research programme to build knowledge of how new refugees' social networks develop and the role of these patterns of social connection in key aspects of integration. This research will support an integration programme led by the British Red Cross (BRC) for families arriving in the UK through refugee family reunion. Working with national, academic, grassroots partners, and BRC will deliver a holistic integration programme across England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, empowering 3,000 people in reunited families across 8 cities. Operational and research data will facilitate a pioneering capacity building programme benefiting integration strategies and statutory, voluntary and community services.
Role Purpose
For IGHD, Dr. Alison Strang's team will bring in expertise on refugee integration, and within that, the role and measurement of social connections. The IGHD team will work closely with BRC and partners in 8 locations across the UK supporting the integration of 900 reunited families. The project will target refugee sponsors and families that have arrived in the UK via the Refugee Family Reunion route. Intervention locations will be England (Birmingham, Leicester, Plymouth, Sheffield, Leeds), Scotland (Glasgow), Northern Ireland (Belfast), and Wales (Cardiff).
The research team will design and implement a mixed methods study examining the development of social connections by family groups and the individuals within them. It is anticipated that the research team will train local project staff to collect data using a research tool currently being developed at IGHD. The tool combines participatory workshops with individual survey data (collected using an app currently under development). Quantitative data on social connections will be used to study patterns of social connections and may be combined with other data collected by the BRC team to link these with key aspects of integration identified within the theory of change underpinning interventions. Qualitative data will be collected in selected locations to gather a rich picture of refugee families' experiences. This research will help address important challenges faced by the sector nationally, and inform policy and practices aimed at enabling reunited families embed better in their new communities. The study - which has a high profile with the UK Home Office and links to a global research agenda on refugee integration - will also more broadly support growth in the knowledge base on refugee integration and the development of social connections.
This position provides a unique opportunity to substantially shape an applied field study of national and international policy relevance. You will manage the project under the direction of Dr. Strang, and will be responsible for the organisation and coordination of the delivery of the work programme and supervision of a junior researcher. Your will play a key role in the design, implementation and dissemination of this research, working closely with the IGHD research team and British Red Cross colleagues. You will be responsible for the timely completion of research protocols, supervision of field data collection, analysis of data and all other project deliverables. With the supervision and support of Dr Strang you will take the lead in developing internal and external relationships and - in due course - disseminating the research outcomes for academic, policy and practice audiences. Travel within the UK will be required including periodic field site visits over several days..
This role is part funded by the EC and will be central to building on the 'Indicators of Integration' framework originally developed at IGHD (Ager & Strang, 2008).
Main Duties / Responsibilities
Principal duties:
- Design and plan the research project under the direction of Dr Strang and in liaison with partners
- Ensure the timely and effective delivery of each stage of the project deploying the research assistant as appropriate
- Supervise, support and collaborate with the Research Assistant to:
Undertake literature and database searches, in order to produce literature reviews in support of the research programme
Collect data using a variety of qualitative methods including participant and stakeholder interviews, participatory group work and the collection of case study data
Contribute to the development, implementation and refinement of the new social connections measurement tool and associated app
Maintain effective data management and secure storage systems in line with university standards
Undertake statistical data analysis of quantitative data and contribute to interpretation and analysis of qualitative data
- Work closely and collaboratively with project staff implementing the integration programmes, including consultation, the development and delivery of training and preparing joint outputs
- Effectively deal with problems affecting achievement of research objectives and deadlines
- Develop and deliver (with the supervision and support of Dr Strang) a research impact strategy to maximise the contribution of the research (process and outcomes) to improving policy and practice
- Lead the research team in:
Presenting information on research progress to research team or other groups
Produce research reports and papers for publication and dissemination to national and international academic, practice and policy audiences
Liaise with research colleagues, support staff and BRC to support the research activities of the department
Plan own workload on a daily/weekly basis
Support and mentor the professional development of the research assistant
Key objectives:
- Support and mentor the professional development of the Research Assistant
Person Specification - Essential
Breadth of knowledge on refugee integration, health and wellbeing
Excellent communication skills, both spoken and written
Experience of effective project management and the potential to develop leadership skills
Track record of rigorous, innovative and impactful research design and implementation
Experience of reference management and literature searching
Competence in group facilitation, training and interviewing for research data collection
Competence in basic statistics and use of appropriate IT statistics packages
Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office packages
Good organisational skills, with attention to detail and accuracy
Ability to work independently and as part of a team
Person Specification - Desirable
Postgraduate degree with components relevant to migration and refugee health and wellbeing research
Knowledge or experience of social capital and social network assessment methods
Experience of working with practice partners to co-create knowledge
Experience of influencing policy
Commitment to the field of migration and refugee health and wellbeing