RECRUITMENT ROLE PROFILE FORM

UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAMRECRUITMENT ROLE PROFILE FORM

Job Title:Research Assistant in Tinnitus (fixed term)

School/Department:School of Medicine, Division of Clinical Neuroscience in association with the National Institute for Health Research Nottingham Hearing Biomedical Research Unit)

Salary:25,769 to 28,143 depending on skills and experience. Salary progression beyond this scale is subject to performance

Job family & level:Research and Teaching Level 4a

Contract Status:This post is available from 1 March 2016 and will be offered on a fixed-term contract for six months.

Hours of Work:Full time, 36.25 hours per week

Location:Ropewalk House, 113 The Ropewalk, Nottingham, NG1 5DU

Reporting to:Director and Research Fellow in Tinnitus

The Purpose of the Role:

The successful candidate will join a multi-disciplinary research team whose role is to create new knowledge that can underpin evidence-based practice for people with tinnitus.

The main project will be to create a long list of outcome domains followed by a Delphi survey of multiple stakeholders across Europe including research professionals, clinicians, industry, charity sector and patients. The survey will seek to collect and support the emergence of a consensus position on standardised views or outcomes for evaluating therapeutic benefit in clinical trials of tinnitus. The role holder will support the Director and a research fellow in delivering this project within the 6-month timescales. The Delphi survey is to be conducted in collaboration with a European network of clinical and academic experts in tinnitus who are funded through the EU COST Action programme until 2018. This is an important study with potential for major international input.

The candidate will be involved in all aspects of research including development, design and implementation and dissemination of research findings.

Main Responsibilities

% time per year

1.

To co-ordinate the creation of a long list of outcome domains. Grouping together similar items and recoding variable names, where necessary.

20%

2.

Providing administrative assistance for the Delphi survey, to include but not restricted to the following tasks: Assisting in the ethics application process for the Delphi survey; Assisting with the recruitment of Delphi survey participants across stakeholder groups, managing any translations of materials, where necessary; Supporting the BRU Public and Patient Involvement manager to recruit patient representatives onto the Steering group; Collating items and questions for each round of the Delphi survey; Summarizing responses and creating reports after each round. Planning and managing ones own activity and resolving problems in collaboration with others, in order to meet ones own and team objectives and deadlines.

70%

3.

Contribute to Nottingham Hearing BRU activities more generally:

Maintain effective communication with all colleagues within the BRU and partner collaborators.

Work co-operatively as part of an interdisciplinary team, liaising with key stakeholders.

Contribute to public and media awareness of research.

Contribute to research activities directly involving patients and the public.

Any other duties appropriate to the grade and role of the person appointed.

10%

Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications and Experience

Essential

Desirable

Qualifications/ Education

First degree in qualitative research or in information systems or other subject related to this role, or the equivalent in a professional qualification and relevant experience in the research environment.

MSc in subject relevant to health research

Skills/Training

Excellent IT skills to use databases (e.g. Microsoft Access), spreadsheets (e.g. Excel), word processing, email and the internet.

Ability to provide and receive research information which can be complex.

Experience

Experience of recruiting members of the public to participate in research studies

Data collection and manipulation

Proven track record of database projects

Experience of supporting complex projects

Experience in preparation of reports

Evidence of effective relationship building across organisations, disciplines and professions

Evidence of team working

Experience of the NHS Ethics and R&I application and approvals process

Statutory/Legal

Eligible to apply for relevant research clearances that may be required

Personal Attributes

Excellent organisational and planning skills.

An attention to detail.

The ability to work flexibly under pressure, be self motivating and prioritise unscheduled as well as scheduled work

Ability to work independently and in a multi-disciplinary team.

Excellent written and oral communication skills.

Good interpersonal and communication skills with colleagues and members of the public.

Broad interest in hearing impairment.

Broad interest in patient and public engagement and involvement.

Other

Must be willing to travel between sites in Nottingham, and potentially in Europe.

Decision Making

i)Taken independently by the role holder;

Working on own initiative

Prioritising own workload

Making a decision in line with the issue at hand and information available, where there is more than one possible action and the options may require analysis.

ii)Taken in collaboration with others;

Proposing policy changes for own area, which can impact beyond immediate area

Coordinating and organising activities of the unit with other internal and external agencies

iii)Referred to the appropriate line manager by the role holder;

Resolving conflicting priorities where the incumbent has insufficient time available to meet all demands

Authorising revenue or capital expenditure (eg for IT equipment / database use)

Additional Information

In 2008, the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) established 16 Biomedical Research Units (BRUs) to improve the pathway of translating basic research findings into clinical benefit. The BRU in Deafness and Hearing Problems has since established itself as a flagship research unit addressing major clinical issues in the ENT and audiological management of hearing loss and tinnitus. Our key partners are the University of Nottingham, Nottingham University Hospitals Trust and the MRC Institute of Hearing Research. Nottingham has a long established critical mass of staff working in fundamental hearing research, translational hearing research, ENT and Audiology, with the UKs largest programme in cochlear implantation. We have strong collaborative links across this partnership. The BRU tinnitus team also has excellent relations with industry and with other NIHR organisations and in the past year we have attracted over 2 million in external funding.

In August 2011, NIHR awarded the BRU in Deafness and Hearing Problems a further 6.25 million to develop and expand our research portfolio through to March 2017. Research areas take advantage of exciting new scientific opportunities and closer alignment to the research strengths of the partnership enhances collaborative possibilities. Five primary research areas (Tinnitus etiology and management, Habilitation for hearing loss, Sensorineural plasticity and rehabilitation, Cochlear implantation, and Paediatric ENT/Audiology) are underpinned by methodology-based research (Large-scale studies, Advanced imaging), and also by patient involvement and technology-based tools. As part of our expansion, we are committed to developing the next generation of researchers with NIHR funding for PhD students, research fellows and clinical secondments.

We are one of the UKs largest and most productive research groups in tinnitus, collaborating with researchers and clinicians across the UK and world-wide.

Our vision is to make sure that the NHS provides the best, most innovative and most effective hearing healthcare for people of all ages (from babies to the elderly).

Projects will be led by Prof Deb Hall (Director of NHBRU). Deb is an internationally recognised hearing scientist with a track record of publications on tinnitus and works closely with one of the main UK organisations representing the Audiology profession, The British Society for Audiology, and the British Tinnitus Association.

Background to the research project:

TINNET COST Action BM1306: an international standard for outcome measurements in clinical trials of tinnitus

Deborah Hall (Working Group chair), Alain Londero (Working Group co-chair), Winifred Schlee (Action Chair)

Over 70 million people in Europe experience tinnitus, for 7 million it creates a debilitating condition. In spite of its enormous socioeconomic relevance, research funding is somewhat limited. The European Union has approved funding for a COST Action TINNET (2014-2018) to create a pan-European tinnitus research network. One of the Working Groups will address outcome measurement; building upon the 2006 consensus meeting organised by the Tinnitus Research Initiative (Langguth et al., 2007). This Working Group seeks to embrace inclusivity and brings together clinicians, experts on clinical research methodology, statisticians, and representatives of the health industry. The primary objective is to establish an international standard for outcome measurements in clinical trials of tinnitus. (see Hall et al, 2015)

The first steps towards the obj