17 Research Associate positions at University of Manchester, England

The Leverhulme Trust is funding a three-year multidisciplinary research project, entitled “Active Virtual Real-World Colour Vision” led by Professor D. H. Foster in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering and Dr Paul Warren in the Division of Psychology, Communication & Human Neuroscience. The aim of the project is to test fundamental issues concerning real-world colour perception by individuals free to observe and move while immersed in realistic, natural 3D environments. The advertised post is to undertake experiments and data analysis following earlier work in the project in which stimuli and methods were developed and tested.

A 20-month post of Research Assistant as study co-ordinator is available with Dr Michael Hughes (Clinical Senior Lecturer & Honorary Consultant Rheumatologist). This role will support and co-ordinate the internationally (12 centers, 3 continents) recruiting ‘100 DU’ study. This will include initial setup (e.g., successfully achieving all the required regulatory approvals and contracts between the individual sites), and the day-to-day running of the study (e.g., monitoring and chasing data return).

Our international multicentre longitudinal study of 100 SSc patients with active DU from a diverse geographic, cultural and ethnic sample of patients will be facilitate the comprehensive capture of patient-reported, clinician assessed and imaging (photography and nailfold capillaroscopy) data from 100 SSc patients with active DU over 20 weeks.

A postdoctoral position is available to work on the scale-up of electrocatalytic CO2 reduction. The focus of the second phase of the electrocatalytic work is to move towards electrolyser devices which are suitable for electrochemical reduction of CO2 to C1 and C2 products.

A key component of the second phase of the project will study catalyst incorporation in electrolyser systems. The successful candidate will perform characterisation, screening and optimisation of electrocatalytic systems, including performance evaluation in single-cell electrolysers. The appointed person will also investigate electrode morphology on the micro and meso-scales, using a range of characterisation techniques, including scanning electrochemical microscopy.

The Prosperity Partnership began in 2021, with its aim being to develop a platform of new sustainable catalyst technologies that will enable clean growth and a low carbon future. The initial phase of this wide collaborative project explored several catalytic approaches to CO2 activation (including homogeneous, heterogeneous, biocatalysis, electrocatalysis and plasma catalysis), whilst employing a range of computational and characterisation techniques to develop a fundamental understanding of catalytic mechanisms for the conversion of small bio-based molecules and CO2 into value added chemical and fuels.

Historical evidence of the performance of structural materials exposed to high-temperature helium environments has shown that traces of impurities, namely hydrogen, carbon monoxide, methane, and water vapor, could potentially alter the alloys’ performance.

The aim of this work is to develop an experimental setup for conducting oxidation tests on materials in a controlled helium atmosphere while maintaining control over impurities such as moisture. The primary purpose is to explore potential issues that structural materials used in Very High-Temperature Reactors (VHTRs) might face, including internal oxidation and decarburization. This project also involves modifying the experimental setup previously employed by the University of Manchester to simulate the AGR environment (CO2/CO gas mixture) for studying materials performance. This work will serve as a stepping stone for EDF Energy, the customer of this work, to explore more comprehensive and detailed collaborative projects in the future.

We have received funding from UK Mental Health Mission to further support research activity in University of Manchester and local NHS Early Intervention in Psychosis Services. The posts will support a new cohort study, the Early Intervention Mission, that is being funded by the Mental Health Mission, that will be looking to streamline routine outcome data collection from all people within the OEIS, pioneer the use of mobile phone apps at scale for patient reported symptoms, and align with blood sample collection, for use in future genomic analysis and personalised medicine.

Applications are invited for the position of Research Associate in Technosignatures to join the growing SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) research group in Manchester, working in collaboration with the Breakthrough Listen Initiative. We are seeking a motivated individual with a strong interest in technosignature research, ideally with prior experience in the field. The successful candidate will be expected to pursue independent technosignature research and contribute to the supervision of postgraduate students and support of the SETI group.

A researcher at the postdoctoral level (i.e., holding a PhD or doctorate) with a strong track record of relevant research and an appetite for tackling real-world robotics and autonomous system problems is required for this position within the CRADLE Prosperity Partnership.

The CRADLE Prosperity Partnership is a significant joint activity between Amentum [https://www.amentum.com/], the Manchester Centre for Robotics and AI [https://www.robotics.manchester.ac.uk], and the UKRI [https://www.ukri.org].

The successful candidate will primarily work on robot state estimation and sensor fusion for various robots and sensors. They will work on theoretical and practical state estimation problems applied to ground robots (wheeled, tracked, legged), mobile manipulators, and aerial and aquatic robots as required by the CRADLE research programme. They will interact with other work packages to integrate the developed state estimators into a broader system architecture for robots expected to work in challenging environments. Successful candidates are expected to assist in field trials, engage with potential industrial partners, and translate complex mathematical concepts into real-world applications.

Applications are invited for a research associate position to work on the properties and evolution of distant galaxies through cosmic time, with a focus on utilizing data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the Euclid Space Telescope. The successful applicant will work with new general observer and guaranteed time observations (GTO) JWST data through imaging with NIRCam and spectroscopy through NIRISS and NIRSpec. With JWST’s large aperture, red wavelengths and extreme depth capabilities, combined with Euclid data for shallower yet wider studies, the postdoc hired in this position will use these data to answer the most fundamental questions concerning the process of the earliest galaxy formation and its relationship to reionization.

This exciting project explores the views of autistic children on their priorities and preferences when accessing Speech and Language Therapy services. They will learn adaptive ways to interview autistic children, many of whom will use non-speaking communication systems. The role will also involve data collection with current Speech and language Therapists, collaboration on data analysis and academic publications, contributions to organising public advisory groups and public/academic dissemination of findings.

The RA will work closely with a team of Speech and Language Therapists, linguistic and autism researchers, some of whom are also autistic. The team are advocates of the neuro-diversity model for framing autism. Full training will be given on research methods and inclusive practices.

Applications are invited for a highly-motivated Research Associate to work on a Medical Research Council funded project to understand mucus obstruction in asthma. In this highly collaborative project involving the Universities of Manchester, Nottingham, Leicester, Imperial College London and AstraZeneca, we aim to advance our understanding of the genetic, molecular and cellular basis of mucus obstruction in the airways of patients with severe asthma. In Manchester in the laboratory of Professor David Thornton, the successful candidate will perform in-depth analysis of respiratory mucins (MUC5AC and MUC5B) and mucus from in vitro and in vivo models, and also collected from the asthma patients. It is highly-desirable that the successful candidate has proven knowledge (evidenced by publications) and experience in respiratory mucus/mucin research including polymeric mucin purification, biochemical/biophysical characterisation, and quantitation, mucus proteomics and primary lung cell air-liquid interface culture.

This is an exciting opportunity to join our team as a research associate on the NIHR-funded project ‘Strengthening Counter-Fraud Provision across the National Health Service (NHS) in England’ (SCAN)’

The role involves conducting a survey and carrying out focus groups with local counter fraud specialists working in or with the NHS in England and carrying out interviews with NHS Trust Directors of Finance to help develop a greater understanding of counter fraud allocation and prioritisation within the NHS in England.

Candidates require strong methodological expertise in survey design and implementation, and qualitative and quantitative data analysis. Knowledge and understanding of the subject matter, fraud and counter-fraud, will be of great benefit.

The Observatory for Forests and Just Transitions is a £1.3 million research programme, funded by the Ford Foundation. The Observatory will study the role land rights play in a just transition to a decarbonised future. Taking place over 3.5 years, the observatory team will combine large-scale geospatial and socioeconomic analyses with in-depth qualitative case studies in Mexico, Brazil and Ghana. A team of GDI researchers (Dr Johan Oldekop and Dr Charis Enns) will lead the observatory’s activities alongside co-investigators at the University of Manchester and the University of Ghana, the National Autonomous University of Mexico, and the Federal University of Pará in Brazil.

As part of this project, we are seeking to appoint a long-term (3 years, flexible start date in 2025) post-doctoral research associate based in the Global Development Institute (GDI) at the University of Manchester. Together with collaborators, you will develop a qualitative research programme to deepen understanding of the relationship between land rights, decarbonisation processes (e.g., critical mineral extraction) and environmental and socio-economic benefits at specific sites in Mexico. As an integral member of the broader Observatory team, you will also help implement the wider programme and its activities.

The Brockhurst Lab group within the Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomics wishes to appoint a laboratory-based Research Associate to an exciting project exploring how defence systems and mobile genetic elements jointly control long-term dynamics of bacterial genome evolution.

ECOEVOGENOME is a 5-year project awarded to Professor Michael Brockhurst by the European Research Council Advanced Grants programme and funded by EPSRC. The project combines long-term experimental evolution with genomics and genetic engineering to reveal the mechanistic bases of adaptation and genomic divergence during 10,000 generations.

During this position, the post-holder will lead a team of researchers to perform long-term experimental evolution and use high-throughput phenotyping, genomics and genetic engineering to understand the mechanisms of genome evolution. The postholder will join a dynamic lab group with access to state-of-the-art lab and computational facilities and be a member of the MERMan research cluster of more than 100 researchers working in microbial ecology and evolution.

This Project will focus on developing an understanding of insulation performance for passive components, such as a 132 kV rated gas-insulated busbar/line, and current interruption performance and subsequent degradation of SF6 alternatives under high energy arcing for active components, such as a 11 kV load switches. The Project will assess the potential of developing a retro-fill solution using SF6 alternatives within the UKPN’s existing SF6-containing equipment.