EU MSCA Doctoral Candidate

University of Birmingham; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 54,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading academic institution in Birmingham is seeking a research assistant to contribute to an EU Doctoral Training Network focused on medical-device technologies for shoulder implants. The ideal candidate will have an MSc in mechanical engineering and possess strong communication and organisational skills. Responsibilities include developing research proposals, analysing data, and supervising students. The role is full-time and offers a fixed-term contract up to February 2029, with an annual salary of £53,555.

Benefits

Supportive academic environment

Opportunities for multidisciplinary collaboration

Qualifications

• Not have resided or worked in the UK for more than 12 months in the last 36 months.
• Applicants must not have a PhD.
• Ability to write and present clearly and concisely.

Responsibilities

• Develop research objectives and proposals.
• Contribute to writing bids for research funding.
• Analyse and interpret data.
• Disseminate research findings for publication.
• Supervise students on research-related work.

Skills

Excellent communication skills

Organisational skills

Ability to work collaboratively

Ability to work independently

Rapport building with patients

Education

MSc degree in mechanical engineering or a related discipline

Tools

Opensim

AnyBody

Job description

Position Details

School of Engineering

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Fixed salary of £53,555

Grade: 7 (Spot)

Full Time, Fixed Term contract up to February 2029

Closing date: 9th February 2026

Background

CUSTOM is an EU MSCA Doctoral Training Network connecting relevant academic and industrial expertise in emerging medical-device technologies across Europe and apply them to the problems of shoulder implants. Total shoulder replacements (TSRs) are now outpacing those of knees and hips, mainly due to the increasing use of reverse shoulder arthroplasty (rTSR), however roughly 10% of shoulder implants will fail within the first 10 years of service necessitating a complex revision procedure. Many of the current problems (e.g. soft-tissue failures, implant loosening, infection) derive from a top-down, one-size-fits-all approach to implants; CUSTOM plans to invert this approach, based on combining computational, patient-specific design and additive manufacturing to offer complex, custom designs and structures. The project also incorporates multi-functionality as well as blended experimental and in-silico testing to accelerate the path to certification.

More details on the project can be found here: https://hecustom.eu/

TSR patients now expect to regain the full, complex range of motion needed for everything from fastening a seat-belt to serving a tennis ball. Yet the real-world biomechanics of reverse (rTSR) and anatomic (aTSR) designs under day-to-day conditions are still poorly understood, leaving gaps in wear testing standards and implant optimization. This project will close that gap by capturing in-vivo joint loads and kinematics, translating them into laboratory wear protocols, and generating the evidence base for the upcoming ISO 16436-2 shoulder wear test standard. Core objectives include:

• Quantify joint mechanics in vivo – record humeral-head/glenoid motions and muscular loads while patients perform a comprehensive set of activities of daily living (ADL).
• Recreate ADL in the lab – implement these data on a state-of-the-art, multi-station shoulder wear simulator to evaluate implant performance under both nominal and adverse conditions.

Expected outcomes include:

• Curated biomechanical dataset: high-resolution load and motion profiles for aTSR and rTSR patients across the ADL spectrum—freely available for modelling and bench testing.
• Input to standards: direct evidence to shape ISO/AWI 16436-2 (wear testing for shoulder implants) and ASTM F04 guidance, accelerating regulatory uptake.

As part of this project, you will undertake secondments at ETH Zurich and the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, Birmingham.

Role Summary

• Work within specified research grants and projects and contribute to writing bids
• Operate within area of specialism
• Analyse and interpret research findings and results
• Contribute to generating funding
• Contribute to licensing or spin out deals with demonstrated commercial success (such as revenues, asset or company sales, IP generated) and/or public understanding of the discipline or similar

Main Duties

The responsibilities may include some but not all of the responsibilities outlined below.

• Develop research objectives and proposals for own or joint research, with assistance of a mentor if required
• Contribute to writing bids for research funding
• Analyse and interpret data
• Apply knowledge in a way which develops new intellectual understanding
• Disseminate research findings for publication, research seminars etc
• Supervise students on research related work and provide guidance to PhD students where appropriate to the discipline
• Contribute to developing new models, techniques and methods
• Undertake management/administration arising from research
• Contribute to Departmental/School research-related activities and research-related administration
• Contribute to enterprise, business development and/or public engagement activities of manifest benefit to the College and the University, often under supervision of a project leader
• Collect research data; this may be through a variety of research methods, such as scientific experimentation, literature reviews, and research interviews
• Present research outputs, including drafting academic publications or parts thereof, for example at seminars and as posters
• Provide guidance, as required, to support staff and any students who may be assisting with the research
• Deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines
• Promotes equality and values diversity acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture.

Person Specification

Essential:

• Not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies) in the country of the recruiting beneficiary (UK) for more than 12 months in the 36 months preceding the recruitment date.
• A MSc degree in mechanical engineering or a related discipline. Applicants must not have a PhD.
• Excellent communication and organisational skills
• Ability to work independently, as well as proven ability to work collaboratively as part of a multi-disciplinary research team
• Ability to build rapport quickly with patients and health care professionals
• Ability to write and present clearly and concisely

Desirable:

• Experience in movement analysis, musculoskeletal modelling (e.g., Opensim, AnyBody)
• Experience in application of BEM/FEM computational methods
• Background in Tribology / Medical Devices
• Experience in advance mechanical testing of clinical products or related devices
• Emerging record of publishing in peer-reviewed journals
• Ability to assess resource requirements and use resources effectively
• Understanding of and ability to contribute to broader management/administration processes
• Contribute to the planning and organising of the research programme and/or specific research project
• Co-ordinate own work with others to avoid conflict or duplication of effort
• Knowledge of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010, and how to actively ensure in day-to-day activity in own area that those with protected characteristics are treated equally and fairly

Informal enquiries to Prof Michael Bryant, email: [e-mail] or Prof Richard Hall, email: [e-mail].

Use of AI in applications

We want to understand your genuine interest in the role and for the written elements of your application to accurately reflect your own communication style. Applications that rely too heavily on AI tools can appear generic and lack the detail we need to assess your skills and experience. Such applications will unlikely be progressed to interview.

We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website.