Apologies for cross-posting

-----------
JOB ADVERT
-----------
EPSRC FUNDED RESEARCH FELLOW

UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER
Cavendish School of Computer Science

Salary £19,258 p.a. to £25,483 p.a. incl LWA

 Two years fixed term appointment to start September 2002

The Health and Social Care Modelling Group (HSCMG), based in the Department
of
Mathematics is looking for a research fellow to work on the EPSRC Health
Informatics Initiative research project "A decision support tool for
forecasting and planning resource use in long-term care for elderly
people".

The post holder will be an active researcher within a dynamic research
group,
and as the principal researcher in this project, he/she will have a great
deal
of responsibility for ensuring its success.

A good honours degree and a higher degree in Operational Research,
Statistics,
and/or other relevant areas of Mathematical Sciences and Informatics are
required. Candidates without a PhD will be expected to hold an MSc and have
significant research experience in a relevant area.

For an informal discussion regarding this post, please contact Dr Thierry
Chaussalet on 020 7911 5000 ext. 4310 or email [log in to unmask]

Closing Date Thursday, 11 July 2002
Interview to be held on Thursday, 25 July 2002

Candidates are encouraged to apply via our website at
http://www.wmin.ac.uk/personnel/currentvacancies.htm, which includes full
job
description and an electronic application form.

Alternatively emailing [log in to unmask] or by telephone 020 7911 5150
quoting the reference number 0240/CC.

AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES EMPLOYER
-------------------------------
JOB DESCRIPTION

NOTE: This job description does not form part of the employee's contract of
employment but is provided for guidance. The precise duties and
responsibilities of any job may be expected to change over time. Job
Holders
should be consulted over any proposed changes to this job description
before
implementation.

1.        JOB TITLE:  EPSRC Research Fellow - Fixed Term: 2 years

2.        REPORTS TO:
·        EPSRC Project Principal Investigator, Health and Social Care
Modelling
Group, Department of Mathematics
·        Other Project Investigators, when necessary

3.        PURPOSE:
To work on the EPSRC funded research project "A decision support tool for
forecasting and planning resource use in long-term care for elderly people"

4.        PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES
1.        To develop a prototype decision support tool to enable purchasers
and
providers of long-term care services to evaluate and cost alternative
options
for care.
2.        To develop and validate Markov models of survival in long-term
care.
3.        To collect and incorporate costing data on resource utilisation
in
long-
term care with the models.
4.        To maintain close contact with the various collaborating parties
involved in the project.
5.        To write regular internal reports on the work carried out.
6.        To present results as appropriate to collaborating and/or other
related
organisations, and/or at conferences.
7.        To write conference and journal articles to disseminate the
research
output(s) in a "continuous" fashion.
8.        To provide assistance in supervision of MSc and PhD students.
9.        To deliver occasional lectures or seminars to Staff and/or
Postgraduate
Students
10.        To undertake any other duties as appropriate within their
competence,
as required by their Head of Unit from time to time.

5.        CONTEXT
This post is funded by the EPSRC under the Health Informatics initiative
and
involves the collaboration of Health Care Purchasers and Providers. It is
building upon recent success and strategy of the Health and Social Care
Modelling Group (HSCMG), which research focuses on developing models and
decision support tools to compare, contrast, evaluate, plan and optimise
health
care services.

The overall aim of the project is to develop a user-friendly policy
evaluation
toolkit, which would enable local long-term care planners to investigate
alternative policies on admission and discharge and their associated costs
and
functional impacts; to simulate changes in local composition of long-term
care
resources; and to assess the benefit of rehabilitation

The HSCMG is an interdisciplinary group of academic staff, research
assistants,
and PhD students, currently based within the Department of Mathematics at
the
Cavendish School of Computer Science. It is one of the five main research
groups within the School.

6.        DIMENSIONS
The post holder will be an active researcher with particular interest in
the
development of decision support tools for health care. As the principal
researcher in this EPSRC project, the post holder will have a great deal of
responsibility for ensuring the success of the project.

The outputs of this project will have national, as well as international
relevance to the planning of long-term care services for older people.
-------------------------------
PERSON SPECIFICATION

1.        QUALIFICATIONS
Good Honours Degree and Higher Degree (preferably PhD) in Operational
Research,
Statistics, and/or other relevant areas of Mathematical Sciences and
Informatics. Candidates without a PhD will be expected to hold an MSc and
have
significant research experience in a relevant area.

2.        TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE
Essential
Several years of research experience in Statistics/Operational Research
Knowledge of Markov modelling and/or survival analysis
Good working knowledge of statistical packages (e.g. S-Plus, SPSS, or SAS)
Good publication record and/or potential

Desirable
Experience in developing decision support tools in a Windows environment
Experience of spreadsheet and database design and development
Knowledge of multivariate statistical data analysis
Experience in Health Care modelling

3.        APTITUDES AND ABILITIES
Essential
Ability to program in a high level language (Visual Basic, C++, etc)
Ability to work with interdisciplinary groups
Willingness to engage with colleagues and share research findings
Ability to communicate technical results in to a wide range of audiences

Desirable
Experience in dealing with Health Care related problems
Ability to write and/or contribute to research proposals

4.        PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES
Essential
Interest in Health Care related issues
Willingness to engage with colleagues and share research findings
Ability to complete research projects within agreed time limit

Desirable
Self-motivated, autonomous researcher

5.        OTHER
Essential
The successful candidate will also be able to:
Work occasionally during unsocial hours
Travel and possibly stay overnight for the purpose of visiting the various
collaborators in and outside London
Travel to and possibly stay overnight at conferences in and outside the UK