Senior Research Fellow in Participatory Health Research – Pharma & BioPharma

Applications are invited for the following position:

Title of Post: Senior Research Fellow in Participatory Health Research – Pharma & BioPharma

JOB SYNOPSIS

This is a Senior Research Fellow role in UL's RINN Pharma and Biopharma Centre. The job involves building capacity for participatory health research in the Centre and supporting new research collaborations.

Faculty of Education & Health Sciences

School of Medicine

Contract Type: Specific Purpose

Salary Scale: €81,760 - €87,743 per annum pro rata (maximum starting salary €81,760) p.a. pro rata

University of Limerick is a research-led, energetic and enterprising institution with a proud record of innovation and excellence in education and scholarships. We value creativity, curiosity and excellence in our inclusive community which is committed to social good. Our motto Eagna chun Gnímh translates as Wisdom for Action reflecting our mission to contribute to the discovery of new knowledge for a better world.

Informal enquiries regarding the post may be directed to:

Professor Anne MacFarlane

Primary Healthcare Research

School of Medicine

University of Limerick

Email: [email protected]

The closing date for receipt of applications is Tuesday, 27th October 2026

Applications must be completed online before 12 noon, Irish Standard Time on the closing date.

Please note your application must include:

A letter of introduction and a current CV indicating how you meet the criteria outlined in the Job description.

A completed online application form.

Please email [email protected] if you experience any difficulties

Applications are welcome from suitably qualified candidates.

Further information for applicants and application material is available online from: University of Limerick Vacancies

We are committed to upholding the principles of fairness, equality, and transparency in pay, in line with the EU Pay Transparency Directive (Directive (EU) 2023/970)

Many thanks for your interest in this role.

TITLE OF POST: Senior Research Fellow in Participatory Health Research – Pharma & BioPharma LOCATION: University of Limerick REPORTS TO: Project Leader CONTRACT TYPE: Specific Purpose SALARY SCALE: €81,760 - €87,743 per annum pro rata (maximum starting salary €81,760) p.a. pro rata

JOB DESCRIPTION

JOB SYNOPSIS:

This is a Senior Research Fellow role in UL's RINN Pharma and Biopharma Centre. The job involves building capacity for participatory health research in the Centre and supporting new research collaborations.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• A Doctoral Degree (level 10NFQ) in a discipline relevant to participatory pharma (bio) pharma: basic science, clinical, social science.

OVERALL PURPOSE OF JOB:

UL is leading a Research Ireland funded RINN Pharma & BioPharma Centre. The Centre has been established to address some of the most significant healthcare, societal, and environmental challenges of our time. Rinn Pharma & Biopharma will drive excellence in pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical research and innovation. Through pioneering science, collaboration, and talent development, the Centre aims to contribute to the next generation of positive societal, economic, and environmental transformation in Ireland and globally. The Centre is part of the Rinn network, which enables a systemic and strategic approach that aims to deliver solutions with real world impact. Rinn empowers radical collaboration that operates across multiple research bodies in partnership with industry, government and wider stakeholders to create a unique research and innovation ecosystem of international significance and scale. The RINN Pharma & Biopharma Centre will address two critical challenges facing modern drug development: patient-centred medicines and sustainable pharmaceutical innovation. The work programme requires someone with excellent knowledge and experience of Participatory Health Research, who has an ability to lead and develop new research collaborations and ideas and who can work effectively with partners in community, academic, health and industry settings.

DESCRIPTION:

The post holder will be an experienced and established engaged researcher who has a track record to acquire research funding, manage research projects and budgets and deliver high-quality research outputs.

Senior Researcher Fellows will be expected to carry out the below responsibilities together with any additional duties requested by the Principal Investigator/Head of Academic Unit.

Research

• Define research objectives and carry out substantive, original and significant research producing excellent research outputs to the highest standards in a variety of settings. • Develop methods and techniques appropriate to the type of research pursued that add to the intellectual understanding of the field. • Play a leading role in national and international collaborative research projects. • May be responsible for the overall leadership and management of a funded research project. • Organise and conduct meetings with research staff to clarify objectives, develop teamwork plans/timetables for research and support staff, communicate progress. • Participate in the selection of staff working on their own projects. • Play a leadership role in mentoring junior colleagues and coordinating the work of research staff. • Assist in training of research students and research staff colleagues. • May be involved in contractual/financial administration in conjunction with appropriate parties (UL Legal, Research Finance, responsible parties as per the UL Signing Authority Policy) for research projects.

Contribution to Research Group and University

• Engage in the wider research and scholarly activities of your research group, centre or unit and contribute to its profile by participating in promotional activity. • Participate in internal/external networks for the exchange of information and to form relationships for future research collaboration.

Personal Development

• Engage in appropriate professional training and development opportunities to develop own transferable skills, career, and reputation. • May participate in limited teaching in furtherance of your own development and contribute to your unit’s teaching and tutoring approaches where appropriate. The extent of this must not adversely impact the primary research role and must be with the agreement of your manager and Head of Department/School.

Experience

• The appointed candidate will generally have at least 6 years postdoctoral research experience. • An established reputation built upon a body of excellent research outputs.

Knowledge and Expertise

• Demonstrates sufficient breadth or depth of specialist knowledge in the discipline and to be able to project manage major research projects. • Demonstrates the ability to generate new ideas and link and build upon existing ideas to generate unique concepts and solutions with integrity. • Demonstrates knowledge and understanding of the policy, practices and procedures that are relevant to the role. This will include knowledge and understanding of Good Research Practice (including but not limited to ethics, research integrity, data management), and may also include broader University, sector, and external sponsor or funder policies. • Demonstrates experience of the operational and management requirements of a successful research project. • Has an international reputation based on research excellence in their field. • Publishes and presents influential papers and other research outputs as appropriate, serves on workshop and conference committees, editorial boards of journals and delivers invited talks

Research Environment

• Demonstrates evidence of research activity and a commitment to ongoing research and publications. • Demonstrates a thorough understanding of the research environment both nationally and internationally and the ability to contribute substantially to grant applications. • Demonstrates an understanding of research impact/commercialisation as appropriate to their discipline.

Personal Skills and Effectiveness

• Demonstrates an ability to manage self, time, resources, and people to enable a high level of personal effectiveness. • Demonstrates good communication, mentoring, and interpersonal skills with the capability of working within a project team to achieve results.

Career Development

• Demonstrates a commitment to develop own transferable skills, profile, and reputation to advance own career after the end of the contract period. • The researcher will be responsible for engaging in and availing of appropriate professional training and development opportunities to develop their own transferable skills, career, and reputation.

Essential Criteria:

• A Doctoral Degree (level 10NFQ) in a discipline relevant to participatory pharma (bio) pharma: basic science, clinical, social science. • Six years Post Doctoral relevant research experience. • High-quality publication outputs with evidence of senior authorship. • Experience of conducting research in partnership with members of the public/patients/community orgs An established reputation built upon a body of excellent research outputs. • Evidence of research excellence (publications) • Experience of supporting/leading competitive successful funding applications. • Research supervision. • Excellent interpersonal & communication skills.

Desirable Criteria:

• Experience of participatory methodologies • Experience of capacity building in engaged/participatory research in pharma & biopharma. • Experience/expertise relevant to equality diversity and inclusion goals in research.

Please include the following information in your application:

• PhD Thesis Title: Full title of your PhD thesis, highlighting its significance in your field. • Publications: List of publications, including web links, with a focus on their impact and relevance. • Conference Presentations: List of academic conference presentations, emphasizing their contribution to advancing the field. • Grants: List of previously written grants, detailing the funding received and the contributions made through those projects • Narrative CV: We encourage submitting a narrative CV that offers a deeper, qualitative insight into your research journey. A narrative CV may include: o Context & Impact: Describe the broader context and outcomes of your publications, projects, and collaborations, emphasizing their significance in your field. o Personal Reflection: Reflect on how key experiences have shaped your growth as a researcher, detailing any challenges or pivotal moments in your development. o Skills & Competencies: Provide an overview of the skills you've developed and how they have been applied to drive meaningful outcomes in your research.

Further Information for Candidates:

RESEARCHER CAREER FRAMEWORK AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LIMERICK

Researchers employed on a Researcher Career Framework Contract will have dual goals in terms of a particular research project and their own career development. The training and development relevant to this position will be completed within the period of the contract in which time the researcher will continue to develop skills and competencies with respect to the role and their future career options.

Recruitment Procedures used at the University of Limerick (UL) The University of Limerick is committed to the Open, Transparent and Merit- Based Recruitment (OTM-R) of Researchers. The University of Limerick Policy for the Recruitment of Staff which reflects the principals of OTM-R is available on the UL Policy Hub. Full information on OTM-R at the University of Limerick is available here.

The University of Limerick uses a three-stage recruitment procedure: screening, shortlisting and interview.

Screening: Initially applications for an advertised position are screened to determine if applicants have met the ‘Essential Criteria’ as outlined in the advertised job description. Only candidates who meet the ‘Essential Criteria’ will progress beyond this stage.

Shortlisting: Depending on the number of applications remaining, it may not be possible to interview every candidate who has passed the screening process. Therefore, at this stage the Selection Board for this position may review the applications which have passed screening and will select a final shortlist of candidates who in their view were most closely aligned to the post as advertised.

Interview: Once a shortlist has been finalised, all applicants will be notified of the status of their application. The final shortlist of candidates will then be invited to interview. We aim to provide at least one week’s notice to all candidates. The interview process may take the format of a standard interview and will include a presentation –you will be provided with details of this in your invitation to interview letter. Candidates may interview in person or also via video link – Microsoft Teams.

General Recruitment Timelines Please note that applications for all vacancies must be submitted online at www.ul.ie/hrvacancies in advance of 12 noon Irish Standard Time on the advertised closing date. We aim to complete the screening process within one week of the closing date, and the shortlisting process within a further week. Therefore, we aim to be in touch with all candidates within one month of the closing date.

Please note these timelines may vary based on various factors including the number of applications received.

Benefits at the University of Limerick Employees of the University of Limerick receive a variety of benefits including: • Supported professional development under the Researcher Development Programme and Staff Training Programmes.

• Membership of the Public Sector Single Public Service Pension Scheme.

• Membership of the Income Continuance Plan

• The opportunity to join the University’s Additional Life Cover plan.

• Coverage in the UL Sick Leave Scheme (available under “S” on the HR A- Z)

• Flexible working practices such as the Shorter Working Year Scheme.

• Preferential rates for health insurance.

• Employee wellness is a priority and a number of initiatives take place each year for the benefit of UL employees, see more at Be Well at UL.

• Preferential rates for access to the UL Arena swimming pool and fitness centre.

Equal opportunities at the University of Limerick

The University of Limerick is an equal opportunities employer, is committed to selection on merit and to the developing and maintaining of a positive working environment, in which all employees are treated with dignity & respect. In pursuit of this, it is the policy of the University to provide all employees with an environment, which is free from bullying, harassment or victimisation of any form. You can read more about UL’s commitment to equality diversity and inclusion here.

Researcher Development The University of Limerick Researcher Development Programme gives researchers an opportunity to develop and enhance the skills, knowledge and attributes necessary to complete their research and longer term career ambitions.

Additional Links: Link to Human Resources Research Staff Webpage: Research Staff | UL - University of Limerick Link to the University of Limerick’s Strategic Plan UL@50 - UL Strategic Plan 2019-2024 Link to website for new staff New To UL - Staff Roadmap

Pension Abatement

If an appointee has previously been employed in the Civil or Public Service and that appointee is entitled to or in receipt of a pension from the Civil or Public Service or where a Civil/Public Service pension comes into payment during the appointee’s re-employment that pension will be subject to abatement in accordance with Section 52 of the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and other Provisions) Act 2012. Please note: In applying for this position you are acknowledging that you understand that the abatement provisions, where relevant, will apply. It is not envisaged that the employing Department/Office/Body will support an application for an abatement waiver in respect of appointments to this position.

Culture Charter: The values and behavior’s outlined in the Culture Charter should guide how we act, interact and connect with one another in the challenges and successes of university life.

Qualifications: Please take note of the essential qualifications for this position as listed in the job description, if you are successful in being offered this position, the offer will be made pending the Chair of the selection committee, verifying your qualifications. Therefore, after the interview you will be required to forward your transcripts to the Chair by email. No contract of employment will be issued until all required documentation is received.