NIHR Maternity Disparities Consortium Evaluation & Impact Fellow - Department of Applied Health Scie

Position Details

Department of Applied Health Sciences, School of Health Sciences, College of Medicine and Health 

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £47,389 to £56,535 with potential progression once in post to £63,606

Grade: 8

Part time (22.5 hours per week)

Fixed Term contract up to July 2030

Closing date: 8th November 2026

UK travel may be required for this role

Background

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Inequalities Challenge: Maternity Disparities Consortium is a £50million national programme which brings together a diverse range of organisations with expertise in research, capacity building and working with people and communities to deliver a step change in maternity and neonatal outcomes. The research carried out by the consortium focuses on inequalities before, during and after pregnancy. The programme is underpinned by an innovative and transformative capacity building programme of career development awards and opportunities, linked and embedded within the consortium’s research areas to support the next generation of researchers working to address maternity inequalities.

We are seeking a mixed-methods researcher who thrives in multidisciplinary environments to play a pivotal role in improving health outcomes and reducing maternal inequalities. The Evaluation & Impact Fellow at the University of Birmingham will lead the design, coordination and delivery of the programme-level evaluation of the NIHR-funded Maternity Disparities Consortium (MDC), assessing implementation, research outputs, outcomes, equity, influence, environmental sustainability and wider real-world impact. The fellow will work in close collaboration with the Evaluation & Impact Fellow at Newcastle University.

In Newcastle, the fellow will evaluate the capacity development programme, and the impact of our work in PPIE and co-production, research inclusion and engagement with and impact on policy makers. In Birmingham, the fellow will evaluate scientific and programme impact, implementation and integration across themes, intervention progression, methodological innovation, adoption and scale-up, NHS and service influence, environmental sustainability, external leverage and the Consortium’s contribution to reducing maternity inequalities.

You will co-design evaluation frameworks and apply a full range of mixed-methods approaches, including realist and other theory-driven evaluation methods, rapid evidence reviews, qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis, and synthesis of findings into clear, actionable insights. You will lead the development of the Consortium-wide Evaluation and Impact Framework, including programme theory, logic models, theory of change processes, common programme-level indicators and approaches to assessing the added value of the Consortium model. You will synthesise evidence across themes, workstreams and core functions to identify what works, for whom, in which contexts and why, and support evidence-informed decisions about what should continue, change, stop or scale.

You will also contribute to drafting high-quality reports, peer-reviewed publications, horizon-scanning and developing competitive research and evaluation proposals.

The Fellow will contribute to the MDC Innovation strategy and engagement with industry partners, including identifying opportunities for responsible adoption, scale-up and wider impact.

You will bring substantial experience of mixed-methods, theory-driven and/or implementation-focused evaluation, with the ability to integrate quantitative and qualitative evidence from multiple sources. Experience of realist evaluation, programme evaluation, impact evaluation, sustainable healthcare or environmental impact assessment, and engagement with industry or other external partners would be advantageous.

Role Summary

• Initiate and conduct original research which has measurable outcomes and is reflected in a growing national and often incipient international reputation
• Plan, design and co-ordinate research and evaluation activities and programmes
• Contribute to the development of research strategies
• Publish results of own research
• Contribute to supervision and mentorship of doctoral and early career researchers where appropriate
• Contribute to the Department/School through management/leadership 
• Develop and make substantial contributions to knowledge transfer, enterprise, business engagement, public engagement activities, widening participation, schools outreach or similar activities at Department/School level or further within the University

Main Duties

To plan and carry out research, using appropriate methodology and techniques. This may include, where appropriate to the discipline:

• Pursue personal research including developing research ideas and winning support, including financial support
• Plan, publish and/or execute high quality research
• Project manage research activities, and/or supervise other research staff
• Present high-quality findings in publications and conference proceedings 
• Develop novel methodologies and techniques appropriate to the type of research being pursued
• Supervise and examine PhD students, both within and out with the University
• Provide expert advice to colleagues and students within discipline
• Contribute to the administration/management of research across the Department/School
• Develop and make substantial contributions to knowledge transfer, enterprise, business engagement, and public engagement activities of manifest benefit to the College and the University
• Contribute to some administrative activities within the University, typically relating to research
• Apply knowledge in a way that develops new intellectual understanding
• Actively manages equality, diversity and inclusion through monitoring and evaluation and actively challenging unacceptable behaviour in line with university policies
• Other relevant criteria from our equality and diversity duties document.

Person Specification

• A PhD relevant to the research area in public health, health services research, implementation science, evaluation science, social science, quantitative or mixed-methods research, or a closely related subject, or equivalent PhD-level qualification
• Extensive research experience and scholarship within subject specialism, including experience of qualitative and quantitative methods, mixed-methods synthesis, logic models, theory of change processes, programme or complex intervention evaluation, and translating findings into actionable recommendations
• Experience and achievement reflected in a growing reputation 
• Extensive experience and demonstrated success in planning, undertaking and project managing research to deliver high quality results
• Extensive experience of applying and/or developing and devising successful models, techniques and methods
• Extensive experience and achievement in knowledge transfer, impact, enterprise, policy or service engagement, or similar activity; knowledge of environmental sustainability, sustainable healthcare or environmental impact assessment is desirable
• Ability to identify issues with the potential to impact on protected groups and take appropriate action
• Other relevant criteria from our equality and diversity knowledge, skills and experience document.

Informal enquiries to Rebecca Ward, email: [email protected] 

Use of AI in applications: We want to understand your genuine interest in the role and for the written elements of your application to accurately reflect your own communication style. Applications that rely too heavily on AI tools can appear generic and lack the detail we need to assess your skills and experience. Such applications will unlikely be progressed to interview.

We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website.