Research Assistant (Research Nurse or Allied Health Professional TILDA)

About Trinity:

Trinity is Ireland’s leading university and is ranked 75th in the world (QS World University Rankings 2026). Founded in 1592, the University is steeped in history with a reputation for excellence in education, research, and innovation, which has been inspiring generations of thinkers for over 400 years. Trinity’s Current strategic place: Thrive: Trinity College Dublin's Strategic Plan 2025 - 2030

Post Summary:

The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) is seeking Research Assistants from nursing and allied health backgrounds who wish to contribute to a well-established study with a strong reputation for producing high-quality, policy-relevant research on ageing. This role offers health professionals the opportunity to combine their existing clinical skills with hands-on experience in one of Ireland’s largest and longest-running studies of ageing, while developing specialist research skills and retaining substantial face-to-face contact with older adults.

Hours Of Post: 39 hours per week

Contract: Specific Purpose Contract, Full Time

Salary: Appointment will be made on the relevant HSE Staff Nurse pay scale at a point in line with Government Pay Policy [€38,166 to €54,956 per annum], appointment will be made no higher than point 5, €44,213

Closing Date: 9th November 2026 at 12:00 noon (Irish Standard time)

How to Apply: Applicants should submit a full Curriculum Vitae (max 3 x A4 pages) and Cover Letter (max 1 x A4 page) to include the names and contact details of 2 referees (including email addresses), to:

• Name: Sarah Hughes

• Email Address: [email protected]

Informal enquiries about this post should be made to Ms Mary O’Shea, Research Nurse Manager at [email protected], Ms Judy Sweeney, Research Nurse Manager at [email protected] or Project Manager, Dr Ann Monaghan at [email protected].

Values - putting our words into action

Values matter. They are key to the success of our Strategic Plan. We centre our behavioural values around the importance of belonging. We recognise that the university will thrive by each of us respecting and caring for one another. We know we can achieve much more through working together. We know too that we must take responsibility for our actions and be accountable. We must, and will never stop, imagining. And through being nature positive we connect not just with the environment but with our ambitions for a sustainable future

At Trinity, we are committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion. Trinity welcomes applications from all individuals, including those applicants with disabilities, those who may have had non-traditional career paths, those who have taken time out for reasons including family or caring responsibilities. We also welcome international applicants including those whom have been displaced due to war.

Trinity College Dublin is Ireland’s premier University. We are an EU Sustainable Gender Equality Champion and we hold an Athena Swan Silver award, recognising our ongoing work to advance gender equality both within Trinity and in the Higher Education sector. Trinity is committed to supporting work-life balance and to creating a family-friendly working environment.

Post Specification

Post Title: Research Assistant – Research Nurse/Allied Health Professional TILDA. Post Status: Specific Purpose Contract – Full-time. Research Group / Department / School: TILDA, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin Location: TILDA, Trinity Central, Pearse Street, Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin College Green, Dublin 2, Ireland Reports to: Project Manager, TILDA Salary: Appointment will be made on the relevant HSE Staff Nurse pay scale at a point in line with Government Pay Policy [€38,166 to €54,956 per annum], appointment will be made no higher than point 5, €44,213. Hours of Work: 39 Closing Date: 12 Noon (GMT), 09 NOVEMBER 2026

Please note that Garda vetting will be sought in respect of individuals who come under consideration for a post. The successful applicant will be expected to take up the post in the first week of February 2027. Interviews are expected to take place from 16th to 18th November 2026. Candidates are encouraged to keep these dates available. TILDA will host an Open Day for individuals interested in the role on Wednesday, 4 November 2026. The Open Day will provide an opportunity to visit the TILDA Health Assessment Centre on Pearse Street, meet members of the TILDA team, and attend short talks and tours outlining the work of TILDA, the Wave 8 Health Assessment programme and what the Research Assistant role will involve.

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Post Summary

The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) is seeking Research Assistants from nursing and allied health backgrounds who wish to contribute to a well-established study with a strong reputation for producing high-quality, policy-relevant research on ageing. This role offers health professionals the opportunity to combine their existing clinical skills with hands- on experience in one of Ireland’s largest and longest-running studies of ageing, while developing specialist research skills and retaining substantial face-to-face contact with older adults.

The key responsibility of the role will be to assist the project team with the health assessment of TILDA participants during Wave 8 data collection. As part of Wave 8 data collection, TILDA participants are invited to complete a comprehensive health assessment in our dedicated health centre in Trinity College Dublin or in the participant’s own home. The TILDA research assistant will be responsible for collecting objective measures of cardiovascular, cognitive, mobility, bone health, vision, hearing, anthropometry, and biological samples from the TILDA participants in the dedicated health centre located on Pearse Street. Previous research experience or experience in all of these assessment areas is not required. Successful applicants will receive up to 6 weeks of intensive practical training on the delivery of all health assessment tests using TILDA-specific protocols, requirements for data protection, and study- specific health and safety protocols.

Research assistants will also attend regular study days which will include areas relating to continuous professional development, interaction with the wider TILDA research team and exposure to most recent findings from the study. They will join a vibrant inter-disciplinary team - including epidemiologists, biostatisticians, economists, social scientists, biomedical engineers and clinicians - working toward the promotion of successful ageing. This post will provide detailed insights into how and why ageing research is conducted, the principles of data collection, and how health, social and economic circumstances influence the ageing process. This is a unique opportunity for a health professional to gain valuable training,

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knowledge and experience in a combined clinical and research setting that is rarely available and will enhance the career progression of all who take up the position.

Background to the Post TILDA is the largest and most ambitious study of ageing ever conducted in Ireland and is collecting detailed information on all aspects of the lives of people aged 50 years and over in a nationally representative sample. The first seven waves of data collection are complete, and main data collection for the eighth wave is due to commence in 2027, with pilot fieldwork beginning in November 2026. The study is closely harmonized with other international longitudinal studies such as the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) and the US Health and Retirement Study (HRS). At baseline Wave 1 (2009-2011), 8,175 individuals aged 50 and over and 329 partners younger than 50 were interviewed and were invited to participate in a health assessment including world-leading cutting-edge cardiovascular investigations, a comprehensive battery of cognitive tests, eye examinations and analysis of gait speed under different conditions. At wave 6, 4,228 computer-assisted telephone interviews (CATI) were completed, achieving a 76% response rate, alongside 104 proxy interviews and 174 End-of- Life interviews. A total of 3,262 participants completed either a comprehensive health assessment or a detailed cognitive assessment sub-study (HCAP). At Wave 6, the study also introduced a replenishment cohort of adults aged 45–64 years, with 2,193 new participants recruited to support the continued representativeness of the study sample. Data collected during the TILDA health assessments have been used to influence health policy and practice in Ireland. For example, the collection of blood pressure data highlighted that 64% of community-dwelling adults aged 50 and over have hypertension, with almost half being unaware that they have the condition; two-thirds of adults with atrial fibrillation, a leading contributor to stroke, heart disease and dementia, are either undiagnosed or mistreated – this data informed an awareness campaign by the Irish Heart Foundation and was used by the HSE to develop its National Clinical Guidelines and recommendations for the care of people with stroke. Additionally, walking speed data highlighted that two-thirds of adults aged 65 and over would have difficulty crossing the road at pedestrian light crossings, leading to a collaboration with Dublin City Council to review the pedestrian light settings. Finally, TILDA has played a key role in Ireland’s National Frailty Education Programme, working with the

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National Clinical Programme for Older People (NCPOP) to translate ageing research into clinical practice. Through the “Recognising Frailty: Insights from TILDA” initiative, TILDA has supported the training of over 621 healthcare professionals nationally in frailty recognition and management using a multidisciplinary train-the-trainer model.

The domains captured from the TILDA study reflect the multi-factorial causes of successful ageing and their interactions. These include but are not limited to:

• Health (physical, cognitive, and mental health, disability, health behaviour, service needs and usage) • Biology (genetics, epigenetics, molecular and physiological biomarkers) • Social relationships (quality of relationships and frequency of contacts, formal and informal care, social participation). • Wellbeing (quality of life, loneliness, perceptions of ageing) • Economics (wealth and income, pensions, employment, financial transfers),

The diversity of the TILDA research group reflects the multi-disciplinary nature of the study and includes world-leading researchers in geriatrics, psychiatry, psychology, social science, bioengineering, biostatistics, economics, and health care management. There are over thirty full-time members in the current TILDA team, which is comprised of researchers and administrative staff. TILDA has established a wide network of collaborators both within Ireland and internationally, which ensures that TILDA remains on the cutting edge of research into ageing. The study is closely harmonized with other international longitudinal studies such as the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) and the US Health and Retirement Study (HRS).

Informal enquiries about this post should be made to Ms Mary O’Shea, Research Nurse Manager at [email protected], Ms Judy Sweeney, Research Nurse Manager at [email protected] or Project Manager, Dr Ann Monaghan at [email protected].

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Standard Duties and Responsibilities of the Post • Adhere to clinical and nursing policies and procedures for Trinity College Dublin • Promote a safe clinical environment for participants, visitors and staff with due regard to Health and Safety and Risk Management issues • Work within the standard operating procedures and research protocols associated with academic clinical research activities in accordance with Good Clinical Practice • Conduct detailed health assessments which adhere to standardised TILDA protocols, both in the TILDA health centre and in participants’ homes • Conduct peer assessments as part of ongoing quality control procedures • Ensure that participants are fully informed of all relevant details pertaining to TILDA health assessment • Function as an education resource, where appropriate, for participants • Provide clinical expertise and care to participants in the study • Ensure participant confidentiality and dignity are assured and maintained at all times during the study and adhere to all data protection regulations • Maintain up-to-date, accurate and complete clinical research documentation • Work with a Multidisciplinary Team within TILDA • Perform research and administrative duties as required, including filing research documentation, managing clinical consumables, updating expenses and data entry • Ensure prompt management of all study-related correspondence • Carry out other duties as appropriate to the post as may be assigned from time to time by the Research Nurse Manager or Project Manager

Funding Information This post is funded by the Health Research Board and Department of Health.

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Person Specification Qualifications • Current registration as a general nurse with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland OR • Current registration as an allied health professional with CORU • Display evidence of a high level of competency in Microsoft Office, in particular PowerPoint, Word, Excel, and Outlook, including diary management. • Postgraduate qualification in ageing or a related area (desirable)

Knowledge & Experience (Essential) • Minimum of 1 year post-registration experience • Experience in a patient- or participant-facing role • Availability to work on a shift basis, which will include evenings and Saturdays • Polite and confident with the ability to work confidentially and discreetly. • Excellent interpersonal, organisational and communication skills, both oral and written.

Knowledge & Experience (Desirable) • Experience in translational “bench to bedside” research • Certificate in Good Clinical Practice (ICH-GCP) • Good IT skills including Microsoft Office, in particular Excel • Certificate in Basic Life Support or Advanced Cardiac Life Support • Previous experience working within a research environment • Phlebotomy qualification and/or experience

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Skills & Competencies • Good interpersonal skills required to integrate as part of a diverse research team and the ability to relate to a broad spectrum of research participants • Ability to effectively work both independently and as a member of a team • Self-motivated, showing strong leadership and initiative • Ability to communicate findings to specialists from other research disciplines • Excellent written and oral communication skills – requires attention to detail and meticulous record-keeping

Application Procedure Applicants should submit a full Curriculum Vitae (max 3 x A4 pages) and Cover Letter (max 1 x A4 page) to include the names and contact details of 2 referees (including email addresses), to:-

Name: Sarah Hughes Email Address: [email protected]

Further Information for Applicants

URL Link to Area www.tcd.ie URL Link to Human Resources https://www.tcd.ie/hr/ URL Link to TILDA www.tilda.ie

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GARDA CLEARANCE

Police vetting will be sought in respect of individuals who come under consideration for a post.

PLEASE NOTE: Applicants will be required to complete and return a Garda vetting form should they come under consideration for appointment. In some cases they may be requested to complete the form on the day of interview. This form will be forwarded to An Garda Síochána (Irish Police) for security checks on all Irish addresses at which they have resided. An Garda Síochána will make enquiries with the Police Service of Northern Ireland with respect to addresses in Northern Ireland. If an applicant is not successful in obtaining the post for whatever reason, this information will be destroyed. If an applicant, therefore, subsequently comes under consideration for another position, they will be required to supply this information again.

While applicants must complete information in relation to all addresses at which they have resided, the vetting is only done on addresses on the island of Ireland.

If an applicant has resided/studied in countries outside of Ireland for a period of 6 months or more, it is mandatory for them to furnish a Police Criminal Records Check/ Police Certificate from those countries stating that they have no convictions recorded against them while residing there. Applicants will need to provide a separate Police Criminal Records Check/ Police Certificate for each country in which they have resided. The Police Criminal Records Check/ Police Certificate must be dated after the date the applicant left the relevant country. Applicants should provide documentation in the English and/or Irish language. Translations must be provided by a registered translation company/institute in the Republic of Ireland; all costs will be borne by the applicant. Only original version documents will be accepted.

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Applicants should be aware that any information obtained in the Garda Vetting process can be made available to the employing area.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to seek security clearances in a timely fashion as they can take some time. No applicant will be appointed without this information being provided and being in order.

The following websites may be of assistance in this regard:

www.disclosurescotland.co.uk www.psni.police.uk

This website provides information on obtaining a national police clearance certificate for Australia www.afp.gov.au

This website provides information on obtaining police clearance in New Zealand. www.courts.govt.nz

For other countries not listed above, applicants may find it helpful to contact the relevant embassies who could provide information on seeking Police Clearance. Original Police Clearance documentation should be forwarded to Human Resources, where it will be copied and the original returned to the applicant by post. Any cost incurred in this process will be borne by the Applicant.

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Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin

Trinity is Ireland’s leading university and is ranked 108th in the world (QS World University Rankings 2020). Founded in 1592, the University is steeped in history with a reputation for excellence in education, research and innovation.

Located on an iconic campus in the heart of Dublin’s city centre, Trinity has 18,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students across our three faculties – Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences; Engineering, Mathematics and Science; and Health Sciences.

Trinity is ranked as the 17th most international university in the world (Times Higher Education Rankings 2020) and has students and staff from over 120 countries.

The pursuit of excellence through research and scholarship is at the heart of a Trinity education, and our researchers have an outstanding publication record and strong record of grant success. Trinity has developed 19 broad-based multidisciplinary research themes that cut across disciplines and facilitate world-leading research and collaboration within the University and with colleagues around the world. Trinity is also home to 5 leading flagship research institutes: - Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute (TBSI) - Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience (TCIN) - Trinity Translational Medical Institute (TTMI) - Trinity Long Room Hub Arts and Humanities Research Institute (TLRH) - Centre for Research on Adaptive Nanostructures and Nanodevices (CRANN)

Trinity is the top-ranked European university for producing entrepreneurs for the past five successive years and Europe’s only representative in the world’s top-50 universities. (Pitchbook Universities Report).

Trinity is home to the famous Old Library and to the historic Book of Kells as well as other internationally significant holdings in manuscripts, maps and early printed material. The Trinity Library is a legal deposit library, granting the University the right to claim a copy of

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every book published in Ireland and the UK. At present, the Library’s holdings span approximately 6.5 million printed items, 400,000 e-books and 150,000 e-journals.

With over 120,000 alumni, Trinity’s tradition of independent intellectual inquiry has produced some of the world’s finest, most original minds, including the writers Oscar Wilde and Samuel Beckett (Nobel laureates), the mathematician William Rowan Hamilton and the physicist Ernest Walton (Nobel laureate), the political thinker Edmund Burke, and the former President of Ireland Mary Robinson. This tradition finds expression today in a campus culture of scholarship, innovation, creativity, entrepreneurship and dedication to societal reform.

Rankings Trinity is the top-ranked university in Ireland and ranked 108th in the world (QS World University Rankings 2020). Trinity ranks in the top 50 in the world on 6 subjects and in the top 100 in 20 subjects (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2019). Full details are available at: www.tcd.ie/research/about/rankings.

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The Selection Process in Trinity

The Selection Committee (Interview Panel) may include members of the Academic and Administrative community together with External Assessor(s) who are experts in the area. Applications will be acknowledged by email. If you do not receive confirmation of receipt within 1 day of submitting your application online, please contact the named Recruitment Partner on the job specification immediately and prior to the closing date/time.

Given the degree of co-ordination and planning to have a Selection Committee available on the specified date, the University regrets that it may not be in a position to offer alternate selection dates. Where candidates are unavailable, reserves may be drawn from a shortlist. Outcomes of interviews are notified in writing to candidates and are issued no later than 5 working days following the selection day.

In some instances, the Selection Committee may avail of telephone or video conferencing. The University’s selection methods may consist of any or all of the following: Interviews, Presentations, Psychometric Testing, References and Situational Exercises.

It is the policy of the University to conduct pre-employment medical screening/full pre- employment medicals. Information supplied by candidates in their application (Cover Letter and CV) will be used to shortlist for interview.

Applications from non-EEA citizens are welcomed. However, eligibility is determined by the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation and further information on the Highly Skills Eligible Occupations List is set out in Schedule 3 of the Regulations https://dbei.gov.ie/en/What-We-Do/Workplace-and-Skills/Employment- Permits/Employment-Permit-Eligibility/Highly-Skilled-Eligible-Occupations-List/ and the Ineligible Categories of Employment are set out in Schedule 4 of the Regulations https://dbei.gov.ie/en/What-We-Do/Workplace-and-Skills/Employment- Permits/Employment-Permit-Eligibility/Ineligible-Categories-of-Employment/ . Non-EEA candidates should note that the onus is on them to secure a visa to travel to Ireland prior to interview. Non-EEA candidates should also be aware that even if successful at interview, an appointment to the post is contingent on the securing of an employment permit.

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Equal Opportunities Policy

Trinity is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to employment policies, procedures and practices which do not discriminate on grounds such as gender, civil status, family status, age, disability, race, religious belief, sexual orientation or membership of the travelling community. On that basis, we encourage and welcome talented people from all backgrounds to join our staff community. Trinity’s Diversity Statement can be viewed in full at https://www.tcd.ie/diversity-inclusion/diversity-statement.

Pension Entitlements

This is a pensionable position and the provisions of the Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2004 will apply in relation to retirement age for pension purposes. Details of the relevant Pension Scheme will be provided to the successful applicant.

Applicants should note that they will be required to complete a Pre-Employment Declaration to confirm whether or not they have previously availed of an Irish Public Service Scheme of incentivised early retirement or enhanced redundancy payment. Applicants will also be required to declare any entitlements to a Public Service pension benefit (in payment or preserved) from any other Irish Public Service employment.

Applicants formerly employed by the Irish Public Service that may previously have availed of an Irish Public Service Scheme of Incentivised early retirement or enhanced redundancy payment should ensure that they are not precluded from re-engagement in the Irish Public Service under the terms of such Schemes. Such queries should be directed to an applicant’s former Irish Public Service Employer in the first instance.

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Application Procedure

Application Procedure

Applicants should submit a full Curriculum Vitae (max x A4 pages) and Cover Letter (max 1 x A4 page) to include the names and contact details of 2 referees (including email addresses), to:- Name: Sarah Hughes Email Address: [email protected]