Research Assistant

University of Leicester; Leicester; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 34,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Leicester is seeking a Research Assistant to support the human exposure strand of the CLEAR-IT study. The role involves explaining the study to households, coordinating involvement, and collecting reliable air quality and health data during field visits across the Leicester area.

Key tasks include engaging participants, home visits, data collection, equipment preparation, record-keeping and contributing to team meetings.

Qualifications

• Honours degree in health, environmental, biological or related discipline.
• Comfortable working independently in participants' homes and in community settings.
• Driving licence and willingness to travel to participant homes in Leicester area.
• Excellent organisation, communication, and record-keeping under guidance.

Responsibilities

• Engage participants by explaining the study to households and building trust.
• Conduct home visits to install, check, and collect air monitoring equipment.
• Collect data on respiratory and exposure-related measurements.
• Prepare and test sampling kits before each visit.
• Maintain clear, accurate records meeting ethical and quality standards.
• Participate in regular project meetings and share progress updates.
• Adapt plans and solve fieldwork issues independently during visits.

Skills

Communication

Interpersonal skills

Driving licence

Organisational skills

Education

Honours degree in health/environmental/biological or related discipline

Job description

About the role

Indoor air quality can have a real impact on respiratory health, and this is exactly what the CLEAR-IT study sets out to investigate. The study works directly with households across the community to collect real-world data on air quality and health.

This Research Assistant post supports the human exposure strand of the study. The role covers explaining the study to households, coordinating their involvement, and working with them to collect reliable data on their air quality and health.

The work involves:

• Engaging participants - introducing the study to households, answering questions, and building trust so people take part with confidence
• Home visits - installing, checking and collecting air monitoring equipment
• Data collection - gathering respiratory and exposure-related measurements
• Equipment preparation - testing and readying sampling kits before each visit
• Record-keeping - maintaining clear, accurate records that meet ethical and quality standards
• Team meetings - taking part in regular project meetings and sharing progress updates
• Fieldwork problem-solving - adapting plans and handling issues independently as they arise during visits

The Principal Investigator leads the wider project team, with support strongest in the early stages. As the post-holder's experience grows, so does the scope for independent fieldwork and ownership.

This work matters: it builds real, practical knowledge in community-based environmental health research, feeding directly into a study with genuine public health relevance. The post sits within the Department of Physics, working alongside the wider CLEAR-IT team of researchers and partners - a team that values strong results and strong working relationships equally.

Post details: this is a fixed-term role for 27 months, working 37.5 hours a week - a solid base for a career in field-based research, with clear scope to grow both technical skill and independent judgement over time.

About you

We're looking for someone with an honours degree (or equivalent relevant experience) in a health, environmental, biological or related discipline, who is comfortable working independently in participants' homes and out in the community.

You’ll bring practical experience of working on research studies involving human participants, along with experience collecting data or samples in community or non-laboratory settings. A driving licence and willingness to travel to participant homes across Leicester area is essential, as is confidence engaging with people from a wide range of backgrounds: explaining the study clearly, gaining informed consent, and maintaining participant engagement over time.

Strong organisational skills are key: you'll need to prioritise your own workload, manage equipment logistics, and keep accurate, compliant records under guidance from the Principal Investigator. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills are essential, and any prior experience of home- or field-based research, working with diverse or underserved populations, or environmental/exposure monitoring would be a real advantage. Above all, we're after someone enthusiastic about contributing to high-quality, ethically robust research that makes a genuine impact on public health.

Additional information

As part of the University’s ongoing commitment to professional development, this role will also be considered on a seconded basis for existing staff members. Please ensure this is discussed with your line manager prior to applying. More information regarding secondments can be found

The University of Leicester has been changing the world, and changing people’s lives, for 100 years. When you join us, you’ll become part of a community of Citizens of Change, which includes not only our staff and our current students but also thousands of Leicester graduates around the world.

As a diverse and forward-thinking employer, we embed the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion into everything we do. That includes not just our core missions of teaching and research, but also our support for staff, students and our local community through our values of Inspiring, Impactful and Inclusive.

We’re committed to the wellbeing of all our staff and to the sustainability of our environment, on our campus and beyond. We offer a competitive salary package, excellent pension scheme and a generous annual leave allowance, along with opportunities to develop your career in a supportive and collaborative environment.

Vacancy terms

Full time fixed term contract until 31 January 2029