University of Newcastle upon Tyne
Senior Research Associate, Stroke Research Group, School of Clinical
Medical Sciences and School of Population and Health Sciences, (RAII scale
£27,116- £35,883)
What is the clinical effect and cost effectiveness of treating upper limb
spasticity due to stroke with botulinum toxin? Funding: Department of
Health, Health Technology Assessment R&D Programme.
Applications are invited for a full time Senior Research Associate to work
on a multi-centre randomised controlled trial and resource utilisation
study to evaluate the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of treating
upper limb spasticity due to stroke with botulinum toxin. Five stroke units
in the north-east of England, the Regional Neurorehabilitation Centre, out-
patient and community based rehabilitation services which care for stroke
patients will be involved. The chief investigator is Dr Helen Rodgers and
other investigators include Prof M Barnes, Prof G Ford, Prof C Gray, Dr C
Price and Ms F van Wijck.
The post holder will have a leading role in co-ordinating and completing
the project and will be responsible for day to day project management.
He/she will also undertake the initial assessment of study participants in
each of the study centres. Training in the assessment and management of
spasticity will be provided at the Regional Neurorehabilitation Centre.
Candidates should have excellent communication and presentation skills, be
able to work within a multidisciplinary team and be able to organise and
motivate others. He/she should demonstrate flair, enthusiasm, innovation
and leadership when faced with challenges and be able to provide strategic,
tactical and operational management skills in the planning and undertaking
of the project.
Applicants should be a physiotherapist, nurse or occupational therapist who
has a PhD and/or previous experience in the management and co-ordination of
clinical trials. Previous experience in stroke and/or rehabilitation
research is desirable.
The post is available for 41 months from 1 April 2005. The Senior Research
Associate will be based in Newcastle but will visit all participating study
centres regularly.
Informal enquiries may be made to: Dr Helen Rodgers, Reader in Stroke
Medicine, School of Population and health Sciences, The Medical School,
Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH [log in to unmask] Tel 0191
2226779.
Closing date: Monday 31st January 2005
Job reference:
Applications, including a curriculum vitae and names of two referees,
should be sent to Mrs Deborah Jones, School of Population & Health
Sciences, Medical School, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH. Tel: 0191 222 6779.
STROKE RESEARCH GROUP,
SCHOOL OF CLINICAL MEDICAL SCIENCES
UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE
SENIOR RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
SALARY £27,116- £35,883 per annum
Information for Applicants
Project: What is the clinical effect and cost effectiveness of treating
upper limb spasticity due to stroke with botulinum toxin?
Funding: Department of Health, Health Technology Assessment R&D Programme.
SUMMARY
Applications are invited for a full time Senior Research Associate to work
on a multi-centre randomised controlled trial and resource utilisation
study to evaluate the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of treating
upper limb spasticity due to stroke with botulinum toxin. Five stroke units
in the north-east of England, the Regional Neurorehabilitation Centre, out-
patient and community based rehabilitation services which care for stroke
patients will be involved.
The post holder will have a leading role in co-ordinating and completing
the project and will be responsible for day to day project management.
He/she will also undertake the initial assessment of study participants in
each of the study centres. Training in the assessment and management of
spasticity will be provided at the Regional Neurorehabilitation Centre.
Candidates should have excellent communication and presentation skills,
together with the ability to organise and motivate others. He/she should
demonstrate flair, enthusiasm, innovation and leadership when faced with
challenges and be able to provide strategic, tactical and operational
management skills in the planning and undertaking of the project.
Applicants should be a physiotherapist, nurse or occupational therapist who
has a PhD and/or previous experience in the management and co-ordination of
clinical trials. Previous experience in stroke and/or rehabilitation
research is desirable.
The post is available for 41 months from 1 April 2005. The Senior Research
Associate will be based in Newcastle but will visit all participating study
centres regularly.
Informal enquiries may be made to: Dr Helen Rodgers, Reader in Stroke
Medicine, School of Population and health Sciences, The Medical School,
Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH [log in to unmask] Tel 0191
2226779.
The project
This multi-centre randomised controlled trial and resource utilisation
study will evaluate the effect of botulinum toxin in the treatment of upper
limb spasticity due to stroke. Three hundred and ninety subjects will be
recruited from five stroke services in the north east of England and the
Regional Rehabilitation Centre. Participants will be randomised to receive
botulinum toxin injection to the upper arm and/or forearm flexors/hand
shoulder girdle plus a four week evidence based upper limb therapy
programme (the intervention group) or the upper limb therapy programme
alone (the control group). Participants will be assessed by a ‘blinded’
researcher at 1,3 and 12 months after study entry. The primary outcome
measure will be upper limb function (Action Research Arm Test) one month
after study entry. We will also compare: upper limb impairment; pain and
spasticity; disability; quality of life; attainment of patient-selected
upper limb goals; and resource utilisation between intervention and control
groups.
The successful applicant will be responsible for:
 The overall efficient day-to-day management of the trial.
 Training, appraisal and supervision of study research therapists.
 Organising training about management of spasticity, the project,
research issues relevant to the project and governance for the research and
clinical teams.
 Establishing procedures to ensure adherence to trial protocols and
administrative requirements.
 Ensuring timely recruitment with secure randomisation processes and
subsequently efficient data management.
 Checking eligibility and seeking consent from potential
participants at all study sites.
 Undertaking initial assessments of trial patients at all study and
liaising with local study therapist re delivery of the upper limb therapy
programme.
 Monitoring the trial progress to ensure compliance with and
adherence to the project plan and to identify, evaluate and rectify
problems.
 Management of the trial budget(s) and maintenance of the accounts.
 Act as the point of contact for all external and internal agencies.
 Co ordinate the preparation and publication of data, reports and
information, ensuring that these meet legislative, contractual and ethical
requirements.
 Understand the requirements of the various controlling bodies,
agencies and frameworks, guiding the project in conforming to those
requirements and co-ordinating any necessary audit processes.
 Liaison with the Trials Steering Committee and Data Monitoring and
Ethics Committee with a particular view on compliance with Research and
Clinical Governance Guidelines, Data Protection and Ethical Requirements.
 Provision of regular and ad hoc information, both written and
verbal, to all the trial participants and sponsors, to include reports,
updates, guidance, proformed commitments and a newsletter.
 Work with the Chief Investigator to ensure that the trial is
meeting its targets, is producing meaningful output and to predict and plan
any changes that warrant requests to changes in protocol, funding or time.
 Ensure the inclusion of consumer group representatives at the
appropriate levels and times.
 Planning and supporting the meetings and work of the various groups
and bodies associated with the trial.
 Assurance that personal and confidential information is restricted
to those entitled to know.
The study team
The chief investigator is Dr Helen Rodgers and principal investigators for
participating centres are: Dr Chris Price, Prof Gary Ford, Prof Chris Gray,
Dr Tim Cassidy, Prof Mike Barnes, Dr Tony Field, Dr Akif Gani. Ms Frederike
van Wijck is leading the physiotherapy component of the project. Other
principal investigators are Dr Nick Steen (statistics); Dr Phil Shackley
(health economics); and Prof Garth Johnson (rehabilitation engineering).
Mrs Debbie Jones is the project secretary and Mrs Ruth Wood is our database
manager.
Four physiotherapists will be appointed to join the study team.
The Data Monitoring and Ethics Committee will be chaired by Prof Martin
Dennis, University of Edinburgh and the Steering Committee will be chaired
by Prof Peter Langhorne, University of Edinburgh.
Person specification
The successful candidate should have the following:
Essential attributes:
• A first degree in physiotherapy, occupational therapy or nursing.
• A PhD and/or previous experience in the management and co-
ordination of clinical trials.
• Understanding and interest in stroke medicine and rehabilitation
• Good interpersonal skills.
• Experience in a leadership role.
• Ability to work as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills (oral and written).
• Well organised and thorough.
• Able to work to deadlines.
• Understanding of organisation of the NHS.
• Enthusiasm for research.
Desirable attributes:
• Clinical experience working in stroke care or neurorehabiliation.
• Experience of randomised controlled trials.
• Experience of project management in clinical or health services
research.
• Evidence of research publications.
• Current driving licence and access to own transport.
• Able to use standard computer packages.
• Knowledge of basic statistical techniques.
Newcastle upon Tyne
The city has good residential areas in close proximity to the University
and boasts a number of good schools. The Theatre Royal hosts major touring
drama, dance and light entertainment including annual seasons by the Royal
Shakespeare Company and Scottish Opera. The city has a fine Chamber
Orchestra, the Northern Sinfonia and one of the best film theatres in the
country, the Tyneside Cinema. Among other cultural venues is the Baltic
gallery of modern art which has attracted national attention. There is,
within an hour’s drive of Newcastle, a wide variety of fine country,
National Park and designated areas of outstanding natural beauty. Within
easy reach are the Pennines, Lake District, North York Moors, the
Northumbria coastline and Scotland.
Communications are good with scheduled flights from Newcastle Airport to
Heathrow, Gatwick, Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris and North America. A
frequent electric train service to London takes less than three hours.
The School of Clinical Medical Sciences
The School of Clinical Medical Sciences is complex and comprises the
specialties of Cardiology, Child Heath, Diabetes & Metabolism,
Endocrinology, Evolutionary Biology, Gastroenterology & Hepatology,
Gerontology, Geriatric Medicine, Human Genetics, Human Nutrition,
Infectious Diseases, Nephrology, Respiratory Medicine and Rheumatology. It
is the largest School in the new Faculty, currently with over 100 academic,
100 research staff and 90 support staff based in laboratory facilities in
the Medical School, the Centre for Life, the Wolfson Research Centre and in
academic units in the Newcastle and Northern Regional Hospitals. Staff are
also located in academic institutions in the USA and Africa.
Research and Training
The School has well-established research activity in Clinical Medicine,
which was graded 5 in the last Research Assessment Exercise, Human Genetics
was graded 5*. There is a strong research and training culture within the
School with many national and international collaborations, which places
the School as one of the top research and training facilities of its kind
for clinical and scientific academics. The research strategy is aligned
with University research institutes or into multi-departmental research
groups. The significant research groups, based largely within the School
but all with members of other schools, are the Institute of Ageing and
Health and the Institute of Human Genetics. Other research groups include
Diabetes, Liver, Stroke and Rheumatology. The School holds an Annual
Research Presentation day at which all researchers have an opportunity to
submit their work for presentation. Prizes are awarded for oral and poster
presentations.
Postgraduate
The School currently has c.200 postgraduate students from the UK and all
over the world undertaking higher degrees (MPhils, PhDs and MDs) in
clinical and scientific subjects. There are four non-clinical and clinical
scientist postgraduate student co-ordinators for the School. Postgraduate
students receive regular formal and informal review and give research
presentations to peer groups.
Undergraduate
The Faculty of Medicine administers the School’s teaching activities.
Clinical teaching takes place in the hospitals in Newcastle and in
hospitals throughout the Northern Region. Specialty resource days are held
in the Medical School. Clinical and non-clinical academics also contribute
to undergraduate teaching in other Faculties and Departments. Clinical
academics participate as Examiners in the Final Medical and Dental
examinations.
The School of Population and Health Sciences
The School of Population and Health Sciences is one of eight new schools in
the Faculty of Medical Sciences. It is structured into two academic
professional groups – Primary Health Care (PHC) and Public Health (PH), two
multi-disciplinary research groupings - the Centre for Health Services
Research (CHSR) and the Public Health Research Group; and a Teaching and
Learning Group which co-ordinates the school’s teaching related
activities. The School is managed by an Executive Board chaired by the
Head of School, Professor Senga Bond.
The School has two foci of activity – high quality research and teaching
and professional development. While relatively small in terms of academic
staff (around 16), its research income in the academic year 2001/2 was £7.2
million. Entered into the 2001 RAE within Community Medical Subjects, a
score of 5 was obtained. The School contributes substantially to the
undergraduate medical curriculum and provides an MSc in Health Sciences as
well as providing professional development to General Practitioner and
Public Health Specialist Registrars.
HOW TO APPLY
To apply for this position, you should submit your written application,
enclosing a CV and names of two referees to Mrs Deborah Jones, Secretary to
Dr Helen Rodgers, School of Population & Health Sciences, The Medical
School, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH to arrive no later than 31st January
2005. Telephone 0191 2226779. Fax 0191 2226461. email
[log in to unmask]
It would be very helpful if you could submit your application on single
sided, loose leaf A4 paper, together with a completed Employment Record
Form. This may be downloaded from the University web page:
www.ncl.ac.uk/vacancies/employ.rtf.
Candidates are asked to note that it is the University’s normal procedure
to approach referees for their confidential comments on candidates prior to
interviews being held. This can mean that referees will be contacted
either at the time a short-list is drawn up or, in some instances, referees
comments will be sought in advance to enable a short list to be finalised.
Shortlisting for this position will take place on the 1st February 2005, or
shortly thereafter, with a view to holding interviews shortly afterwards.
All applications will be considered for shortlisting.
Candidates who do not wish any of their referees to be approached before
receiving an invitation for interview, must inform the University at the
time of submitting their applications.
The successful candidate will receive a formal written offer of employment
from one of the following: Registrar, Deputy Registrar or the Human
Resources Section. Please note that no other person has the authority to
offer employment for this post, either orally or in writing.
When the successful candidate has accepted the post, all other candidates
will receive
notification of the outcome of their applications.
The appointment will be subject to the standard conditions of service, and
membership of the Universities’ Superannuation Scheme will be available.
Further information on these topics will be issued with any invitation to
interview and may also be obtained on request from the Human Resources
Section.
Salary will be at an appropriate point, according to qualifications and
experience, on the following salary scale:
Senior Research Associate (RAII)- salary scale £27,116-£35,883 per annum.
Equal Opportunities Policy Statement
The University welcomes applications from all sections of the community
including candidates with a disability.
The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 defines disability as:
‘A physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term
adverse affect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day to day
activities.’
You no longer have to be registered disabled. You may obtain further
information from Disability on the Agenda, telephone 0345 622633.
Applications
The Employment Record Form and job details are available on tape or in
large print. To request a copy please contact the Human Resources Section.
If you have a disability which prevents you from completing the
documentation, please contact the Human Resources Section to discuss other
acceptable methods of application.
Arrangements for interview
Please indicate on a separate sheet any special arrangements or adjustments
we may need to make to our recruitment procedures to ensure that you are
not placed at a disadvantage because of your disability, for example the
provision of an accessible interview location, a sign-language interpreter
or supportive person, disabled car parking space etc.
Arrangements if appointed
It would also be helpful to us if you are able to indicate what adjustments
we may need to consider to enable you to do the job, if you are appointed.
General
If you would like an informal discussion to consider any adjustments or
special arrangements that may need to be made in relation to your
application or appointment please do not hesitate to contact the relevant
Human Resources Officer via the contact details for this vacancy.
The University of Newcastle upon Tyne is committed to securing equality of
opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which
individuals are selected, trained, promoted, appraised and otherwise
treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities. The Vice-
Chancellor oversees the effective operation of the policy and the
responsibility for the implementation and monitoring of it rests with the
Director of Human Resources. All new employees are provided with a copy of
the Policy on appointment. Further copies may be obtained from the Human
Resources Section of the Registrar's Office.
The University also has a comprehensive entry on the World Wide Web. The
address is:
http://www.ncl.ac.uk/
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