Research Assistant

QUEENS UNIVERSITY BELFAST; Belfast City District; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

QUEENS UNIVERSITY BELFAST is seeking a researcher to join the Co-Centre for Sustainable Food Systems. The role focuses on a longitudinal household study and an intervention trial across the Island of Ireland, requiring recruitment and comprehensive data collection on dietary, lifestyle, biological and functional health outcomes.

The ideal candidate will hold MSc/PhD or BSc (hons 2:1) in nutrition or a related field, with proven experience in human research studies and meticulous data management.

Qualifications

• Qualified to MSc/ PhD or BSc (hons 2:1 or above) in nutrition or other discipline relevant to the post; a qualification in dietetics would be a distinct advantage.
• Experience of working in human research studies (including population-based, nutrition interventions or clinical trials).
• Experience of data collection including dietary, lifestyle, biological and functional health outcomes.
• Experience of data entry with proven ability of excellent attention to detail.
• Experience of creating, managing and summarising complex databases.
• Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary team and with participants in research projects.

Responsibilities

• Recruit participants and collect data on a range of dietary, lifestyle, biological and functional health outcomes.
• Work within a multidisciplinary team to support the delivery of a longitudinal household study and an intervention trial.
• Contribute to data management, mentoring and collaboration within the co-centre research network.

Skills

Attention to detail

Data collection

Recruitment of participants

Multidisciplinary teamwork

Communication skills

Education

MSc/PhD or BSc (hons 2:1 or above) in nutrition

Tools

Database management

Job description

Organisation/Company QUEENS UNIVERSITY BELFAST Research Field Other Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) First Stage Researcher (R1) Application Deadline 9 Nov 2026 - 00:00 (UTC) Country United Kingdom Type of Contract Other Job Status Full-time Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

About the job:

The Co-Centre for Sustainable Food Systems has an ambitious programme of work which aims to develop a robust, resilient and sustainable food system in the transition to healthy diets form sustainable sources. It encompasses a research programme from plant science to nutrition and public health across three jurisdictions - the Republic of Ireland (ROI), Northern Ireland (NI) and Great Britain (GB). The Co-Centre will foster research and innovation to accelerate radical transitions towards a more environmentally and economically sustainable and transparent agri-food sector.

The successful candidate will work within a multidisciplinary team to contribute to the delivery of both a longitudinal household study and an intervention trial to monitor and improve the transition to healthy diets from sustainable sources across the Island of Ireland.The candidate will work together with post-doctoral researchers and other research assistants to recruit participants and collect data on a range of dietary, lifestyle, biological and functional health outcomes; therefore, excellent organisational and communication skills are essential.

There will be opportunities to develop research experiences, receive research mentoring, and access the co-centre research network. This post is a great opportunity for someone looking to build their nutrition-related research skills.

About the person:

The successful candidate must have, and your application should clearly demonstrate that you meet the following essential criteria:

• Qualified to MSc/ PhD or BSc (hons 2:1 or above with recent relevant experience) in nutrition or other discipline relevant to the post.A qualification in dietetics would be a distinct advantage.
• Experience of working in human research studies (including population-based, nutrition interventions or clinical trials).
• Experience of data collection including dietary, lifestyle, biological and functional health outcomes.
• Experience of data entry with proven ability of excellent attention to detail.
• Experience of creating, managing and summarising complex databases.
• Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary team and with participants in research projects.