Research Assistant

Job overview

We are looking for a Research Assistant to support the NIHR-funded Improving Social Recovery in Psychosis (ISRIP) trial, a definitive RCT with an embedded process evaluation. The trial aims to test the clinical and cost-effectiveness of Social Recovery Therapy (SRT), a psychological intervention supporting people with psychosis to engage in more structured activities that they find meaningful.

This post is a 0.7 WTE (26.25 hours per week) Research Assistant position, which is funded between March 2026 and 1 March 2029.

The post will be based at the Old Town Hall, Peterborough, and the expectation is that the postholder will travel independently to participants homes and clinical team bases when required.

CPFT is one of the UK's top research active NHS Trusts, running high-quality, ground-breaking research into physical and mental health conditions and supporting innovation. We work to translate the latest discoveries into NHS services to improve care for people using our services and ensure they benefit from research.

For an informal chat about this post, please contact Dr Karl Taylor, Clinical Psychologist and Principal Investigator.

It is recommended that you apply for the post as soon as possible as we will close the advert early if there are a high number of applicants.  Thank you.

Main duties of the job

You will be supporting the delivery of high quality NIHR-funded research. On a daily basis you will be responsible for all aspects of the research process including but not limited to: engaging with clinical teams, assessing participant suitability for the studies, screening and recruiting research participants, obtaining informed consent, performing study procedures, working with research teams and managing study data. A crucial aspect of the role is to provide a holistic and person-centred care approach to participants and their family supporters in a respectful, empowering way.

It is essential that you can independently plan and prioritise your workload to meet performance targets and deadlines. It is important that you have had experience of working in a clinical or research setting similar to the areas you will be working with in these studies. A high level of communication skills, both written and oral is essential as well as the ability to be competent in IT systems (e.g. Outlook, Word, clinical or other record systems relevant to the role).

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for full details of responsibilities

• Attend meetings with clinical and research teams to facilitate the set-up of the new studies.
• To assist with the creation and maintenance of study specific site files.
• To arrange appointments to see participants either at home, in clinic or remotely.
• Undertake participant recruitment and informed consent procedures.
• Administer self-report and clinical interview type measures around symptoms and functioning.
• Identify and report research adverse events.
• To use electronic patient/participant files, study specific databases and on-line data entry systems in accordance with study protocols and Good Clinical Practice (GCP) standards,
• To attend team meetings and study-specific meetings to provide updates about study progress and any recruitment challenges.
• Undertake study specific training as required.
• To maintain a working knowledge of relevant mental health practice.
• To work at all times according to Good Clinical Practice, Research Governance and Trust Policies.

Please note for this role you will be required to travel independently around the county meeting strict time deadlines. You will need to hold a full UK driving licence* and have use of a vehicle. You cannot use public transport for this role as this is not a reliable form of transport and will not allow you to meet service needs. Please confirm in your application that you meet the specified criteria.

*DVLA have a number of reciprocal arrangements with overseas countries, for further information please visit the DVLA website