Research Fellow - School of Chemistry - 106710 - Grade 7

University of Birmingham; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 36,000 - 47,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading UK university in Birmingham seeks a research fellow to develop electrospun materials and microfluidic devices. The position involves analyzing biological samples and collaborating with a diverse team to deliver innovative research. Candidates should have a PhD in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering and relevant experience in electrospinning. This full-time role offers competitive salaries and a supportive working environment.

Benefits

40 days paid holiday

Occupational sick pay

Generous pension scheme

Qualifications

• PhD in Chemistry or related field required.
• Experience in microfluidic device testing.
• Interest in interdisciplinary research is a must.
• Ability to work independently and in teams is essential.

Responsibilities

• Undertake research on electrospun materials.
• Collect, analyze, and interpret research data.
• Supervise students on research-related work.
• Produce regular reports and presentations.

Skills

Experience in formulation of electrospun materials

Ability to handle biological samples

Interpersonal and communication skills

Data processing and analysis

Experience with UV-Vis and fluorescence spectrometers

Education

Completed a PhD in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering

Tools

Electrospinning equipment

Microplate readers

Job description

Position Details

School of Chemistry

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £36,636 to £46,049 with potential progression once in post to £48,822

Grade: 7

Full Time, Fixed Term contract up to March 2027

Closing date: 16th December 2025

UK and International travel may be required for this role.

Our offer to you

People are at the heart of what we are and do.

The University of Birmingham is proud to have been a part of the City of Birmingham and the wider region for over 100 years, and we are equally proud to be recognised as a leading global university. We want to attract talented people from across the city and beyond, support them to succeed, and celebrate their success.

We are committed to helping the people who work here to develop through our sector-leading Birmingham Professional programme which provides all professional services staff with development opportunities and the encouragement to reach their full potential. With almost 5,000 professional services jobs in a wide-range of functions in Edgbaston and in our campus in Dubai, there are plenty of opportunities for you to be able to develop your career at the University.

We believe there is no such thing as a typical member of staff and that diversity is a source of strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation, and debate. We warmly welcome people from all backgrounds and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diversity is at the heart of who and what we are, and how we work.

Supporting our people to achieve a healthy work/life balance is important both to our employees and to the success of the University, and, depending on the role, we offer a variety of flexible working arrangements. We therefore welcome discussions on all forms of flexible working. In addition, you will receive a generous package of benefits including 40 days paid holiday a year, one paid day a year for volunteering, occupational sick pay, and a pension scheme. We also have three high quality subsidised day nurseries.

The University is situated in leafy Edgbaston and there are excellent transport links to our beautiful campus, including main bus routes and a train station on site. On campus we have a state-of-the‑art sports centre with pool, shops, places to eat and drink, our own art gallery, museum and botanical gardens.

Find out more about the benefits of working for the University of Birmingham.

Background

We are seeking applications for a 12‑month research fellow position to support all activities in Dr Ruchi Gupta’s group, and specifically to develop electrospun meshes and/or microfluidically produced beads. The meshes and/or beads will have the functionality to capture, fluorescently label and release proteins. The meshes and beads will be applied for the measurement of protein biomarkers in biological fluids such as whole blood, serum and saliva. Successful delivery will have revolutionary impact on early detection of diseases such as cancer.

Role Summary

• To undertake research on electrospun materials and/or microfluidic production of beads with required functionality.
• To apply meshes and/or beads in combination with other techniques (e.g., UV‑Vis and fluorescence spectroscopy) for measurement of proteins in body fluids.
• To support research within Gupta group to solve problems, collaborate and innovate in scientific directions for the group.
• To produce regular reports pertaining to the projects; attend regular project and group meetings; give regular presentations to the group and collaborators; write papers for publication in peer‑reviewed scientific journals, proof reading of papers and reports.
• To supervise research students, be responsible for installation and maintenance of equipment and training of personnel on equipment.

Main Duties

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

• Collect, analyse, and interpret research data; this may be through a variety of research methods, such as scientific experimentation, literature reviews, and research interviews.
• Apply knowledge in a way which develops new intellectual understanding.
• Contribute to developing ideas, directions, research objectives, models, techniques, and methods.
• Disseminate research findings for publication, research seminars etc.
• Supervise/guide students on research related work.
• Undertake management/administration arising from research.
• Deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines.

Person Specification

• Completed a PhD in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering, or equivalent qualifications.
• Experience in formulation of electrospun materials with required functionalities and use of electrospinning equipment.
• Experience in fabrication and testing of microfluidic devices.
• Experience in using UV‑Vis absorption and fluorescence spectrometers, and microplate readers.
• Experience in handling biological samples and performing enzyme‑linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA).
• Interest in interdisciplinary research and willingness to learn new techniques.
• Experience with data processing, analysis and interpretation.
• Ability to keep up to date with new developments in relevant research fields.
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team, both as a leader and team member, on research programmes.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills including the ability to work effectively in a multi‑disciplinary project area of research.
• Ability to initiate, plan, organise, implement, and deliver programmes of research work to tight deadlines.
• Ability to write and give presentations and communicate complex information clearly.
• Ability to install and maintain a broad range of equipment within the group and to train other personnel on their operation.
• 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 Ruchi Gupta, email: [e-mail]

View our staff values and behaviours here.

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.