Role:  Research Associate: Cancer and Palliative Care Research

Department: School of Nursing and Paramedic Science

Grade: Research Grade 6/7 (£33,020 - £37,716 per annum)

Responsible to: Principal Investigator

Location: Belfast

Fixed-Term until 18th January 2027 / Full-time 

Due to the short-term nature of this post, the successful candidate must be available to commence immediately and will be required to hold proof of right to work in the UK at the time of application and for the duration of the post.

Job Purpose:

The post holder will make a leading contribution to a systematic review and meta-analysis on creative arts and complementary therapies in palliative care.

Working closely with the Principal Investigator and research team, the successful candidate will contribute to the planning, analysis and dissemination of research activities. The role will involve reviewing and synthesising research evidence, preparing publications for high-quality peer-reviewed journals, presenting findings at conferences, and contributing to future research funding applications and proposals.

Closing Date: 8th September 2026 at 23.30

Guidance regarding applications can be found here:  https://recruitment.ulster.ac.uk/information-for-applicants/what-to-expect-from-the-application-and-interview-process. If you are still having issues, please contact Suzanne McFarlane on sj.mcfarlane@ulster.ac.uk stating the vacancy reference number.

Click on the links below for any relevant documents – Please note, these documents will not be available after the job advert closes. Please ensure that you download and save these.

Candidate Briefing Document - 043506

Salary Scale

Please be advised that due to the minimum salary thresholds imposed by the UKVI, this post will not qualify for university sponsorship under the Skilled Worker visa route. Please check your options here:  https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa

This role involves work in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The successful candidate must have, or be eligible to obtain, the necessary right to work permissions for both jurisdictions.

If you have any specific queries regarding eligibility to work in the UK, the Resourcing Compliance team may be able to assist: Resourcing-compliance@ulster.ac.uk

Please note that Ulster University does not currently offer reimbursement for any costs associated with visa applications, including the Immigration Health Surcharge.

If you have any specific queries regarding this post, please contact the named email address for the vacancy, as listed on the main current vacancies landing page.

We may create a 12-month waiting list for same or similar roles within the Department / Faculty.  The University reserves the right to extend the waiting list across the University if required for certain posts.

Ulster University recognises the potential benefits that Generative AI tools (for example Chat GPT) may bring to some candidates during the application process. In particular, we recognise the positive impact such tools may have with regard to equality, diversity and inclusion. When using AI, however, we encourage candidates to use the technology responsibly, ensuring that submitted applications provide an accurate representation of your skills, abilities and experience. Our selection activities are designed to robustly test and evaluate the extent to which candidates meet the selection criteria outlined for each role. This includes the use of interviews, presentations, written exercises and other additional selection activities as appropriate for each role.

The School of Nursing and Paramedic Science holds a Gold Athena SWAN Award in recognition of our commitment to advancing Gender equality in higher education. You can read more about what this means at https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/equality-charters/transformed-uk-athena-swan-charter and on our University website https://www.ulster.ac.uk/peopleandculture/employee-benefits/equality-diversity/athena-swan. The University has a range of initiatives to support a family friendly working environment, including flexible working.