Research Assistant in Human Nutrition

Newcastle University; Newcastle upon Tyne; On-site; GBP 31,000 - 37,000; Part time

Job summary

Newcastle University is seeking a part-time Research Assistant to support nutrition research within the Human Nutrition and Exercise Research Centre (HNERC). You will collate, interpret and disseminate findings for community resources and engagement activities, communicating clearly to diverse stakeholders.

Proficiency in quantitative and qualitative methods, strong interpersonal skills and experience with vulnerable groups are essential; DBS clearance will be required on appointment.

Qualifications

• Some subject knowledge in human nutrition and nutrition-related research.
• Experience with quantitative and qualitative research methods.
• Ability to communicate complex information clearly, both orally and in writing.
• Experience with vulnerable groups is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to the research programme under guidance of the Principal Investigator.
• Collate, interpret and disseminate research data and outcomes.
• Engage with stakeholders, including community members and voluntary organisations.
• Keep knowledge up to date in relevant fields of study.
• Present information on research progress to the team.

Skills

Nutrition knowledge

Quantitative research

Qualitative research

Communication skills

Graphic design (Canva)

Stakeholder engagement

Interpersonal skills

IT skills

Education

Honours degree in Human Nutrition

Dietetics or related discipline

Tools

Canva

Job description

Salary: £33,951 per annum (pro rata)

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Closing Date: 07 October 2026

The Role

Do you have an interest in interpreting and communicating nutrition research for communities and stakeholders?

We are seeking to recruit an enthusiastic and highly motivated research assistant to contribute to several ongoing nutrition research projects within the Human Nutrition and Exercise Research Centre (HNERC) and School of Biomedical, Nutritional and Sport Sciences. Predominantly, these projects will involve the collation, interpretation and dissemination of research findings for presentation to the public through community engagement activities. We are looking for someone with exceptional interpersonal skills and a flair for communicating with a diverse range of stakeholders, including those whose first language is not English.

You will support ongoing projects that are part of a wider scheme of research conducted by Dr. Andrea Fairley and a multi-disciplinary team of researchers at Newcastle University. Broadly, these projects fit within the theme of nutrition and healthy ageing, with a specific focus on targeting vulnerable, at-risk groups. For example, you will support the dissemination of findings from a research project investigating vitamin D insufficiency among older and minoritised ethnic adults in Northern Britian. In addition, you will have the opportunity to support research tasks relating to existing projects on diet, lifestyle and dementia risk reduction among British South Asian communities. This will involve supporting analysis and interpretation of quantitative and qualitative datasets to inform the production of resources to disseminate project findings.

You will be responsible for helping to collate and interpret findings and develop and disseminate accessible outputs to give back to the target population(s). You will be part of a progressive and impactful research environment in the School of Biomedical, Nutritional and Sport Sciences at Newcastle University.

Experience of working with minoritised ethnic communities would be useful but not essential. This role is particularly suited to individuals with an interest in nutrition, health and addressing inequalities.

This post is part time (14.8 hours per week) and fixed term [0.4 FTE] for a period of 6 months.

Find out more about the Faculty of Medical Sciences here: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/medical-sciences/

Find out more about our Research Institutes here: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/medical-sciences/research/institutes/

We follow the Researcher Development Concordat: Researcher Development | Our Research | Newcastle University. We enable all colleagues to fulfil their research potential regardless of career stage. This commitment secures our thriving research culture and vibrant research environment. Our offer to each individual and their researcher development includes mentoring, annual research planning discussions, pooled research funding to support career development and research activities, peer review support for the development of research and innovation funding applications.

Successful candidates will require satisfactory disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). People Services colleagues will support you with this during onboarding.

Key Accountabilities

• Contribution to the research programme of the School/Institute under the clear guidance from the Principal Investigator
• Use initiative and creativity to collate, interpret and disseminate research data and draw conclusions on the outcomes
• To engage and build relations with relevant stakeholders, including local community members and community and voluntary sector organisations
• Ensure that personal knowledge in relevant fields of study is kept up to date
• Undertake relevant training and development activities to develop capacity for taking on wider responsibilities
• Collect, analyse and interpret research data and draw conclusions on the outcomes.
• Co-ordinate own work with that of others, use problem solving to affect the achievement of research objectives and contribute to the planning of the project(s)
• Present information on research progress and outcomes to a Principal Investigator or groups overseeing the research project
• Write up results from own research activity and provide input into the research project's dissemination, in whatever form (report, papers, chapters, books)
• Use research resources (including, where required, laboratories, workshops and specialist equipment) as appropriate

The Person (Essential)

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Some subject knowledge in the relevant area i.e. human nutrition
• Knowledge and experience of quantitative and qualitative research methods
• Good level of analytical skills and the ability to communicate complex information clearly, both orally and through the written word
• Ability to use graphic design software e.g. Canva to produce research resources
• Knowledge and experience of working with, or conducting research, with vulnerable groups e.g. minoritized ethnic communities, older adults
• Attention to detail and ability to work at high levels of accuracy
• Ability to present complex information effectively to a range of audiences
• Proven ability to analyse data and write-up results
• Experience of working collaboratively with colleagues
• Excellent IT skills in all major office applications
• The ability to use personal initiative and creativity to solve research problems

Attributes and Behaviour

• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Ability to meet deadlines and manage conflicting priorities
• Can take an innovative and flexible approach
• Work both independently and co-operatively with others in the research team

Qualifications

• An honours degree in Human Nutrition, Dietetics, or a related discipline

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.

We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society. We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent. We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.

At Newcastle University we hold a Gold Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality. We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC. We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.

In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe.