Further Particulars
This document includes information about the role for which you are applying and the
information you will need to provide with the application.
1. Role details
Vacancy reference:
7980
Job title:
Post Doctoral Research Associate
Reports to:
Lecturer in Psychology
Salary:
£27,587 - £35,938 pro rata
Terms and conditions:
Research
Grade:
AC1/2 (appointment will depend on qualification and
experience)
Duration of post:
Temporary contract from 1 November 2012 to 31
January 2014
Working hours:
Part time 29.6 hours per week
Location:
Milton Keynes, with regular research visits to Ethiopia
Closing date:
16 August 2012
Criminal Records Check:
All applicants who are offered employment will be
subject to a criminal record check
Type of application form accepted:
Short
Number of referees required:
3
Unit recruitment contact:
Fiona McGavin
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2. Summary of duties
This postdoctoral position is funded by the grant Increasing autism awareness in Ethiopia:
The Health Education and Training (HEAT)+ project supported by the charity Autism
Speaks. This is a 2-year collaborative project between The Open University (Dr Rosa
Hoekstra, Dr Basiro Davey and Lesley-Anne Long) and Addis Ababa University (Dr Yonas
Baheretibeb, Dr Abebaw Fekadu and Dr Charlotte Hanlon). The Open University created the
Health Education And Training (HEAT, www.open.ac.uk/heat) programme to help train and
support community health workers in Africa. In collaboration with the Federal Ministries of
Health and Education, HEAT started in Ethiopia, a low-income country with a severe shortage
in provision for people with mental health problems and autism. Currently over 1,300 Ethiopian
Health Extension Workers (HEWs) are upgrading their existing training using the HEAT
programme, which includes an extensive mental health module written by Ethiopian experts
(two of whom are co-investigators on the current research project). By 2016, 20,000 HEWs are
expected to enrol in the upgrading programme, together caring for 50 million people in rural
Ethiopia. Plans are in progress to adapt the HEAT modules for use in other developing
countries in Africa and elsewhere. All HEAT material is freely available, both on-line and in
print. The aim of this research project is to evaluate the impact of the HEAT mental health
module upon raising general mental health awareness and knowledge about autism in HEWs
in rural Ethiopia, and to support further development of this part of the HEAT curriculum to
ensure maximum impact.
The project comprises four phases:
1) A baseline measurement of the current knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of mental
health problems in general, and childhood developmental delay (including autism) in
particular, among HEWs in rural Ethiopia.
2) Further enhance the HEAT mental health study material based on feedback provided
by the initial cohort of students in the upgrading programme, and by parents of children
with developmental delay including autism.
3) Implement the enhanced mental health study material in the HEAT programme, so that
the second cohort of students and future cadres of health workers can benefit from it.
4) Evaluate the impact of the enhanced HEAT mental health module to increase general
mental health awareness and knowledge about autism in a follow-up measurement.
Phase 1 of the project is currently underway, with the baseline assessment taking place in the
early autumn of this year.
Main duties
The appointee will be expected to:
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Analyse the data from the baseline assessment, with a particular focus on the data
relevant to autism (on the HEW’s autism knowledge and their beliefs and attitudes towards
autism) and write up the results for publication in international peer-reviewed journals and
for presentation at conferences.
Assist in further enhancing the available mental health study material by attending a writing
workshop in Addis Ababa and support implementation of the enhanced material in the
curriculum of HEWs.
Lead the preparation for the follow-up measurement in HEWs, including designing the
follow-up study protocol and study materials.
Support the supervision of the Ethiopian PhD student working on the project, assist in the
data collection of the follow-up assessment in rural Ethiopia, analyse the data and write up
the results from the follow-up assessment.
Work closely with the co-investigators at The Open University and Addis Ababa University.
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The successful candidate will be appointed to the Department of Life Health and Chemical
Sciences and will be expected to make an effective contribution to the academic community
within the Biomedical Research Network. The appointee will be encouraged to take part in
future initiatives following from this research project, including writing follow-on grants and/or
research fellowships.
Other duties
All staff are expected to:
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Comply with the University’s Health and Safety and Equal Opportunities policies in the
performance of their duties.
Take reasonable care of the Health and Safety of themselves and that of any other person
who may be affected by their acts or omissions at work.
Co-operate with the Open University in ensuring as far as is necessary, that Statutory
Requirements, Codes of Practice, University Policies and Departmental Health and Safety
arrangements are complied with.
Have a strong commitment to the principles and practice of equality and diversity.
Attend appropriate staff development events.
3. Person specification
Essential Criteria
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PhD or equivalent qualification in Psychology or a related subject
Demonstrable grasp of the relevant research literature on autism and mental health
Ability to work independently and as part of a multicultural research team
Willingness and ability to undertake research visits to Ethiopia
Willingness to collaborate with others in the department and the university more widely
Good oral and written communication skills in English
Experience in data analyses using software packages such as SPSS
Experience writing papers for peer-reviewed publication
High level of motivation
Excellent record-keeping and organisational skills
Well-developed self-management skills
Desirable Criteria
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Work and/or relevant travel experience in a low-income country
Demonstrable experience in both qualitative and quantitative research methods
Experience with managing large data sets in software packages such as SPSS and
EpiData
Experience in research design and questionnaire development
A good publication record
Good presentation skills
Potential to attract external funding
4. Role specific requirements e.g. Shift working
The nature of the project requires at least two visits to Addis Ababa and undertaking a field trip
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to rural Ethiopia. It is recognised that the work during these visits is likely to be fulltime rather
than 29.6 hours per week, for which the appointee can take appropriate compensation outside
the research visits abroad. The exact working patterns are somewhat flexible and can be
agreed in consultation with the Principal Investigator.
Ethiopia is a low-income and under-resourced country; travel and/or work experience in subSaharan Africa and a demonstrable experience in multicultural settings are highly desirable for
working on this research project.
All applicants who are offered employment will be subject to a criminal record check.
5. About the unit/department
Faculty of Science
The Faculty has a staff of about 300, comprising of around 115 academic staff (central
and regional/national) with the balance made up of research staff, curriculum managers,
laboratory staff, administrators and clerical staff. There are also varying numbers of
research students and visiting academic staff.
The Faculty has three academic departments, each with constituent discipline groups:
Department of Life, Health and Chemical Sciences
 Brain & Behavioural Sciences
 Cell & Molecular Biology
 Chemistry & Analytical Sciences
 Human Biology
Department of Environment, Earth and Ecosystems
 Earth Sciences
 Ecosystems and Biodiversity
Department of Physical Sciences
 Astronomy
 Physics
 Planetary & Space Sciences
Health Sciences Curriculum
The Science Faculty currently supports a broad-based Health Sciences programme
leading ultimately to an honours degree. After an interdisciplinary introduction to health
sciences, students choose from modules in human biology, neuroscience and
behaviour (including a level 1 module ‘Understanding the autism spectrum’), analytical
science, cell and molecular biology and infectious disease. Some modules contribute to
awards offered by the Psychology Department and some by the Faculty of Health and
Social Care. Separate honours degrees in Natural Sciences and in Environmental
Sciences are also offered.
At post-graduate level, the Science Faculty supports an MSc programme with a number
of pathways to suit students interested in working directly in a scientific profession or in
extending their science knowledge and awareness in other areas of life and work. A
number of degrees and postgraduate diplomas are offered including the MSc in
Professional Science, which is a qualification designed specifically with the workplace in
mind and which develops both scientific and managerial skills and expertise.
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Science Research
The Faculty of Science undertakes a range of research across many scientific topics
that brings together traditional scientific disciplines and new interdisciplinary areas
through three major research groupings:
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The Biomedical Research Network (BRN)
The Centre for Earth, Planetary, Space and Astronomical Research (CEPSAR)
eSTEeM
(http://www.open.ac.uk/about/teaching-and-learning/esteem/),
an
initiative to bring together academics within Science and the Faculty of Maths,
Computing and Technology to develop new approaches to teaching and
learning.
Our research encompasses both 'blue-skies' basic research and applied research
to find solutions to the major scientific and technological challenges of our era,
including:
 The genetic, biological and cognitive underpinnings of conditions across the
lifespan, including autism, ADHD and dementia;
 The design of novel therapeutic agents and diagnostic tools;
 The molecular and cellular processes underlying cardiovascular disease;
 Understanding the aging process;
 The causes, effects and mitigation of climate change;
 The exploration of our solar system and discovery of new worlds in other solar
systems.
The Faculty has a suite of research facilities including world leading analytical facilities
and a comprehensive suite of biosciences laboratories, for example:
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A state-of-the-art life sciences research facility including biological containment
laboratories, molecular genetics and DNA-sequencing laboratories;
Test facilities for human participants, including an EEG-lab;
The Biomedical Online Research Network, an online research facility that hosts
cognitive tests and biomedical surveys;
Well-equipped laboratories for research in atomic, molecular and plasma
research;
Environmental and transmission electron microscopy;
Hypervelocity Impact laboratory.
Further information on the Faculty can be found on our website at
http://www8.open.ac.uk/science/main/.
The HEAT programme is coordinated by the Open University’s International
Development Office (IDO; http://www8.open.ac.uk/about/internationaldevelopment/). The IDO works alongside academic experts within the Open
University to create and deliver scalable development programmes and teaching
and research initiatives that have a positive impact on developing countries. Apart
from the HEAT programme, other initiatives include English in Action in
Bangladesh (a technology-enhanced English language education programme to
reach 25 million people by 2017) and Teacher Education in Sub-Saharan Africa
(TESSA, a resource bank of teacher education materials that have so far been
used by over 430,000 primary and secondary school teachers across SubSaharan Africa).
6. How to obtain more information about the role or application process
If you would like to discuss the particulars of this role before making an application please
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January 2010
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contact Dr Rosa Hoekstra on 01908 659895 or email r.a.hoekstra@open.ac.uk.
If you have any questions regarding the application process please contact Fiona McGavin on
01908 858110 or email f.mcgavin@open.ac.uk.
7. The application process and where to send completed applications
Your application should include:
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Cover letter explaining your motivation and how you meet the person specification
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Short application form
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CV including a list of publications
Please ensure that your application reaches the University by: 16 August 2012.
Post it to:
Name/Job title:
The Recruitment Coordinatior
Department/Unit: Deanery, Faculty of Science
Address:
Walton Hall
Milton Keynes
Post Code:
MK7 6AA
Or e-mail your application to: science-recruitment@open.ac.uk
8. Selection process and date of interview
The interview panel will be chaired by Dr Rosa Hoekstra. The other panel members are to be
confirmed. The interviews will take place on 12 September 2012.
The selection process for this post will include a formal interview and a short written
assignment, to be completed by the shortlisted candidates prior to the interview.
We will let you know as soon as possible after the closing date whether you have been
shortlisted for interview. Further details on the selection process will also be sent to
shortlisted candidates.
Applications received after the closing date will not be accepted.
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