Research Assistant - ESRI Health Research Programme

October 05, 2015

Archive

The Health Research Programme at the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) is seeking to recruit a Research Assistant. The ESRI is now inviting applications from candidates with a postgraduate qualification in economics, social sciences or a mathematical or statistical discipline.

The Institute

The Economic and Social Research Institute, founded in 1960, is located in Dublin’s South Docklands area. Its mission is to produce high quality research, relevant to Ireland’s economic and social development, with the aim of contributing to knowledge and informing policymaking and public debate. It has over 100 staff including economists, sociologists and other social scientists, in addition to support and technical staff.

Health Research

The Health Research Programme at the ESRI has three overall objectives: to examine the pattern of variation in health and well-being across the population and its relationship to factors such as socio-economic position; to analyse the structure and functioning of the Irish health-care system and its implications for the quality of individual care, economic efficiency and sustainability and the equity of health-care utilisation; and to analyse health and social spending: what drives spending, its macroeconomic effect on the national finances and the economy, and at a microeconomic level, the cost of disease and the cost effectiveness of treatment. As well as carrying out high-quality academic research in pursuit of these objectives, ESRI researchers also contribute to the development of public policy across a range of issues in health by contributing evidence which shapes national and international debates and through interaction and collaboration with policy makers and practitioners. The ESRI is involved in the development and collection of some of the key data sources in health in Ireland including the Growing Up in Ireland (GUI) Study and The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA).

The ESRI is now in the second year of a major programme of research funded by the Department of Health to support the Department’s reform programme. The programme will encompass a range of specific projects including: the economic assessment of different financing, organisational and eligibility models in terms of sustainability, efficiency, cost and effectiveness; and the development of models of the drivers of health and long-term care need and demand. This programme is a central plank of ESRI research in health. Two new Health Research Board (HRB) funded projects started in 2015 – one on the need for and the supply and utilisation of health and social services by area, which will analyse the effects of non-acute service supply on acute hospital utilisation; and the second on inequalities in access to GP care in Ireland, based on TILDA and GUI data. A third HRB-funded project on modelling and modifying the consequences of stroke-related cognitive impairment through intervention will begin in 2016 in collaboration with the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and Trinity College Dublin.

Role Description – Research Assistant

Working with senior researchers in the Health Research programme on a range of important projects and programmes will provide the Research Assistant with an excellent opportunity to enhance her/his skills and build research experience. The Institute has excellent facilities and a supportive atmosphere, with a particular emphasis on team-based research. All research has a strong empirical focus, and hence familiarity with quantitative research techniques is essential. All projects/programmes are undertaken with a view to publication and all contributions are recognised in the attribution of authorship. Most research has a strong policy focus, allowing the Research Assistant the opportunity to interact with policymakers.

The Research Assistantship programme is of two years’ duration and is aimed at candidates who have recently completed a relevant Master’s programme. Participants will receive dedicated supervision and appropriate additional training. The activities of the Research Assistant include literature searches and reviews; preparing summaries of reports; collecting, collating and analysing data; writing up research results, and preparation and delivery of both internal and external presentations. On completion of the programme, Research Assistants will have acquired excellent skills which may be applied to PhD research or to research positions in the public and private sectors.

Research Assistant Skills, Qualifications and Experience

The successful candidate will have:

  • A postgraduate qualification in economics, a mathematical/statistical discipline, social sciences
  • Strong skills in quantitative methodology and experience in the use of SPSS and/or Stata;
  • Excellent writing skills;
  • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills;
  • The ability to deliver high quality work to tight deadlines;
  • The ability to work successfully as part of a team and independently;
  • Previous experience of conducting applied research will be an advantage.

Terms

The Research Assistant will receive dedicated supervision and appropriate additional training. On completion of the programme, the Research Assistant will have acquired excellent skills which may be applied to PhD research or to research positions in the public and private sectors.

The appointment will be on a two year fixed-term contract basis and starting salary will be €29,922. The successful candidate will be based in the ESRI offices in Dublin 2.

Application Procedure

The application form for this position is available to download below and must be submitted, along with a current CV and covering letter, to jobs@esri.ie by 5pm on Wednesday 14th October 2015. All applications will be acknowledged.

The ESRI is committed to equal opportunities and to selection on merit.
Application Form