Research Assistant

Reference
1112915

Branch
University of Surrey

Start date
15/07/2026

Duration
Other - See Job

Hours and days
You will work 245 hours from mid July 2026 to mid February 2027, between 7.5 hours and 15 hours per week (depending on project activities, some weeks will be busier than others).

Dress code
Not Applicable

Rate of pay
-

Holiday rate
-

Role

You will join the ESRC-funded project 'Improving healthcare support for Long COVID patients: Embedding patient experience in clinical education' as a Research Assistant. This project translates social science research on Long COVID patient experiences into clinician-focused educational resources for UK medical schools and General Practitioners. It is led by Dr Sazana Jayadeva (University of Surrey) together with Prof. Nisreen Alwan (University of Southampton), Dr Nina Smyth (University of Westminster), and Prof. Deborah Lupton (UNSW Sydney, Australia). In collaboration with project partners – the Royal College of General Practitioners, the Surrey School of Medicine, and the patient-led charity Long COVID SOS – we will develop teaching materials and Continued Professional Development (CPD) resources to improve medical students’ and GPs’ understanding of the barriers Long COVID patients face in obtaining medical support, reduce stigma in clinical encounters, and support constructive engagement with patient-generated data. 

The role offers an exciting opportunity to participate in an impact-focused project addressing a major social challenge, and to collaborate with an excellent team of academics and stakeholders. 

Open to PhD students pursuing or recently awarded a PhD in medical education, medical sociology, medical anthropology, health psychology, public health or a related discipline.  

Closing date 19th June 2026 , interviews will likely take place at the end of June or start of July. We reserve the right to close this advert early if a high volume of applications is received.  

£19.57 per hour.

£2.36 per hour holiday pay.

You will work 245 hours from mid July 2026 to mid February 2027, between 7.5 hours and 15 hours per week (depending on project activities, some weeks will be busier than others). You will work remotely (apart from participating in a 90-minute pilot session in person at the University of Surrey, if possible for you) and be based in the United Kingdom.

Duties and responsibilities

1. Contribute significantly to the development of the various planned teaching and CPD resources
2. Provide support with the preparation of an ethics application
3. Potentially contribute to a pilot study using the teaching and CPD resources developed at the Surrey School of Medicine
4. Contribute to one or more publications from the project

N.B. The above list is not exhaustive.

Skills and experience

Essential criteria

1. Proficiency in qualitative research methods and working with qualitative data.         
2. Ability to work independently and manage research tasks to deadlines.
3. Excellent written communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex ideas clearly and engagingly to non-specialist audiences. 

Desirable criteria

1. Previous experience working as a Research Assistant on a project or other experience working in teams.  
2. Experience with public engagement or research communication activities.    
3. One or more publications in a journal.      

Location
Remote

How to apply

For any enquiries about the position, please contact Dr Sazana Jayadeva. All enquiries will be treated confidentially and will not inform the selection process in any way.