Research Assistant /Research Associate

Newcastle University; Newcastle upon Tyne; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 47,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Excellent benefits

Generous holiday package

Pension schemes

Health and wellbeing initiatives

Job summary

Newcastle University in the United Kingdom invites applications for Research Assistant/Research Associate in Novel Proteins for Animal Feeds and Nutrition. You will join the School of Natural and Environmental Sciences to lead on feed trials, data analysis, and dissemination of results within an established multidisciplinary team.

The role involves planning, conducting and reporting trials with broilers, analysing welfare and health data, and contributing to publications and conference

Qualifications

• Honours degree in Animal Science, Nutrition or Poultry Science.
• PhD in Animal Science or Nutrition or Poultry Science for Research Associate level.
• Experience delivering scientific trials and data reporting.

Responsibilities

• Design and deliver trials in animal feed research.
• Analyse data and report results; contribute to publications.
• Present progress at meetings and conferences.

Skills

Scientific trial design

Animal behaviour knowledge

Data analysis

Academic writing & presentations

Education

Honours degree in Animal Science or Nutrition or Poultry Science

PhD in Animal Science or Nutrition or Poultry Science

Tools

Statistical software (R, SPSS)

Job description

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Research Assistant: £34,630 to £36,320 per annum, pro rata

Research Associate: £37,369 to £46,970 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: 26 November 2026

The Role

We are delighted to launch an exciting new opportunity for a Research Assistant /Research Associate in Novel Proteins for Animal Feeds and Nutrition to join us in the School of Natural and Environmental Science, Newcastle University, United Kingdom as detailed below:

Most chicken feed in the UK currently relies on imported soya as a source of protein, which is expensive, vulnerable to global disruptions and linked to deforestation and high carbon emissions. Newcastle University is a lead partner of an InnovateUK-DEFRA funded, multi-partner project exploring how UK-grown blue lupins can replace part of the soya used in broiler chicken diets.

We are seeking a driven and enthusiastic individual to join our team and contribute to this research, leading on the delivery, analysis and reporting of feed trials with broliers to ensure that blue lupin inclusion in diets maintains bird health, productivity and welfare.

Feed trials will be run within Newcastle University’s state of the art Animal Science Facilities with the support of dedicated academic and technical staff involved in the project. The successful candidate will input into trial planning/preparation and subsequent daily maintainance activities and weekly assessments of ethically approved number of birds over pre-determined starter-grower-finisher cycles. Video recordings taken over the trial durations will be processed by the project RA to provide data on bird welfare/health/behaviour. The successful candidate will lead on assessments and data analysis/reporting, as well as the publication of trial outputs and the dissemination of results at project meetings, and more widely at conferences/events.

You will join an experienced team at Newcastle University, led by Dr Abdul Chaudhry ( [e-mail] ) as the Principal Investigator. They will join the Agriculture and Food Systems Group within the School of Natural & Environmental Sciences, also linking to the wider project consortium which includes key industry growers, suppliers and processors.

As part of our commitment to career development for research colleagues, the University has developed 3 levels of Research Innovation Role Profiles.pdf . These profiles set out firstly the generic competencies and responsibilities expected of role holders at each level and, secondly, the general qualifications and experiences needed for entry at a particular level.

We want you to feel confident when applying for a position with Newcastle University. If you’d like an informal discussion to clarify any points, please contact the Principal Investigator via [e-mail].

We are committed to making the process accessible to everyone and can provide additional support to adjustments to meet your needs’

This post is 0.5FTE fixed term until 30th September 2028

Key Accountabilities

Research Assistant

• Work as part of a research team to ensure robust data collection and data management, contributing to funded research on novel proteins for animal feed
• Contribute to an internationally visible research profile in applied animal science and nutrition, both independently and as a member of the Agriculture and Food Systems Group, under the clear guidance of academic and technical staff
• Develop and update standard operating procedures and protocols for data collection, processing and analysis from a range of data streams (e.g. direct measurements/observations, camera footage)
• Ensure that personal knowledge in relevant fields of study is kept up to date and work to deadlines and manage, with support, competing priorities
• Maintain academic standards and freedom and work in accordance with university policies (e.g. equal opportunities, health and safety policies)
• Undertake relevant training and development activities to develop capacity for taking on wider responsibilities where appropriate
• 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

In addition, for Research Associate

• Contribute ideas, including enhancements to the technical or methodological aspects of the project
• Determine appropriate methodologies for research
• Assess research findings for the need/scope for further investigations
• Contribute to the writing up of the research and its dissemination, either through seminar and conference presentations or through publications
• Present research findings, either at conferences or through publications in reputable outlets appropriate to the discipline
• Contribute to grant applications submitted by others and develop own research objectives and proposals for funding

The Person

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

Research Assistant

• Strong knowledge and experience in the design and delivery of scientific trials
• An understanding of animal behaviour, nutrition, health, welfare or livestock production systems
• Experience of working effectively to deadlines
• Delivery of presentations at conferences and experience writing academic publications independently and/or collaboratively
• Awareness of the ethical and health and safety requirements involved in research work
• 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
• Evidenced knowledge of the poultry and/or animal feed sectors
• Experience of working effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team involving both commercial and academic partners
• Experience of working with animals, and especially poultry
• Experience of using digital tools and conducting meta-analysis and systematic reviews of literature
• A full UK driving licence. (beneficial due to rural location of farm)

In addition for Research Associate

• Awareness of the research environment
• High level of analytical and problem-solving capacity
• Ability to communicate complex information with clarity
• Experience of presentations at conferences and/or in high-quality publications

Attributes and Behaviour

• Commitment to working positively as a member of a multi-skilled research team
• Ability to negotiate and prioritise multiple, competing responsibilities and to work to deadlines
• Commitment to continued professional development
• Understanding of good practice in equality, inclusion and diversity

Qualifications

Research Assistant

• Honours degree in Animal Science or Nutrition or Poultry Science
• Working towards PhD OR nearing completion of PhD in Animal Science or Nutrition or Poultry Science
• Any professional qualification(s) related to animal research /nutrition /husbandry that demonstrate competency to work with broiler chickens

In addition for Research Associate

• PhD in (Animal Science or Nutrition or Poultry Science)

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.