About the role

The MHRG is funded for an initial 5 years by the NIHR (National Institute for Health Research). 

The focus of our work is applied research aimed at improving the health and wellbeing of children and young people in the local region.

This post will support the substance use and addiction work package of the MHRG, led by Prof Tom Freeman. 

Key areas of focus include identifying substance use needs within the local region through quantitative surveys, identifying the extent to which current services meet these needs, and mapping the gap between need and provision to inform further service development. 

Through this mapping work, as well as partnership with key stakeholders and people with lived and living experience, this post will pilot new interventions to address emerging areas of substance need, as well as supporting funding applications to support larger scale evaluations.

We are looking to recruit a candidate with demonstrated excellence in quantitative methods, and experience in addiction and/or mental health research.   

We have a clear commitment to skills training and career development for all research staff in the MHRG. You will work under the supervision of world-leading clinicians and academics. 

The Bath MHRG is partnering with the Universities of Bristol and Exeter (as part of the GW4 network) to deliver this project and there will be opportunities to work with researchers at partner institutions. 

You will have opportunities to receive further research training (e.g., in PPIE and/or good clinical practice). 

We are strongly committed to supporting candidates to develop personal fellowship applications hosted at the Â鶹´«Ã½.

We welcome applications from candidates with lived or living experience (either personal or within your family) of the areas covered within our research remit, including common mental health difficulties, substance use or neurodiversity. We will strive to make this an inclusive recruitment process. We plan to have online interviews.   

About the department

Our Department of Psychology is world-renowned for its excellence in research and teaching, regularly appearing in the top 5 in national league tables (e.g., The Complete University Guide). 

Research in the department occurs across more than six sub-disciplines in psychology, including clinical, cognitive, developmental, environmental, forensic, health, and social psychology. 

The department has a rapidly expanding Early Career Researcher community, who offer peer support alongside a broader university programme of professional development activities for research staff.

The department is based in a new purpose-built £30 million building, containing 10,000 square feet of state-of-the-art labs for interviews, social group observation, EEG/ERP testing, virtual reality, psychobiology, eye-tracking, pain, cross-modal, and computerised testing. 

Additional information

This is a full-time (1.0 FTE) post, which is available for an initial period of 3 years. 

We would also consider applications from people seeking part-time roles although the minimum time commitment would be 4 days a week (0.8 FTE). 

Due to the project’s requirements, regular in-person attendance at the Â鶹´«Ã½ is required.

You will also be expected to travel to undertake research or stakeholder engagement activities in the local area (Bath and North-East Somerset, Swindon, and Wiltshire).  

If you have any questions, please contact Prof Tom Freeman (t.p.freeman@bath.ac.uk), or Dr Pamela Jacobsen, pcj25@bath.ac.uk), the Director of the MHRG. Campus visits can be organised with sufficient notice.

What we can offer you

We're continually expanding our benefits package to better support you and enhance your experience with us and the below is just an example of some of the many great benefits we offer:

• Free counselling services through Health Assured
• Cycle to work scheme
• Electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme
• Staff discount at Team Bath gym
• Staff discounts on postgraduate tuition fees
• Staff discount on language courses
• Generous employer contributory pension schemes
• Generous annual leave allowance with an additional 5 discretionary days so that you can enjoy a positive work life balance
• A wide range of personal and professional development opportunities including Apprenticeships, LinkedIn Learning and more
• Free entry to the Holburne Museum in Bath
• Local discounts and more
• A family-friendly workplace 
• An excellent reward package that recognises the talents of our diverse workforce
• Relocation allowance
• Visa reimbursement and Interest-Free Loan to help with the cost of some immigration expenses

Find out more about our benefits and watch the video to hear from our staff about what makes the Â鶹´«Ã½ a great place to work as well as following us and .

 

Closing Date: 16 Dec 2025

Department: Education & Research

Salary: £38,784 to £46,049