Research Fellow in Data Science for Climate Change and Health, Lancet Countdown

The University of Birmingham is hiring a Research Fellow in Data Science for Climate Change and Health, focusing on public engagement with climate-health challenges. The role involves developing global indicators, managing datasets, and contributing to publications. Candidates should have a PhD (or nearing completion) in relevant fields, strong quantitative skills, and experience in data visualization. The position is full-time, fixed-term for 48 months, based in Birmingham, UK.
Salary: Full time starting salary is normally in the range £46,485 to £55,295 with potential progression once in post to £62,098

Contract Type: Fixed Term Contract

An exciting opportunity for a Postdoctoral Research Fellow to join the Wellcome Trust-funded international research collaboration, The Lancet Countdown: Tracking Progress on Health and Climate Change. This prestigious collaboration tracks the evolving relationships between health and climate change globally, regionally, and nationally, working in partnership with The Lancet and the World Health Organization.

The Research Fellow will join the Working Group on Public and Political Engagement with Climate Change and Health (WG5), contributing to our understanding of how societies engage with and respond to climate-health challenges. The role combines expertise in climate change and health policy with applied data science skills to develop innovative indicators and analyses.

Main Duties
• Lead the development and refinement of global indicators for tracking public and political engagement with climate change and health
• Manage and analyse complex datasets for the Lancet Countdown's online indicator platform
• Provide methodological guidance to regional teams on data collection and analysis
• Contribute to academic publications and funding applications
• Support the review and development of WG5's indicator framework

Essential Qualifications and Experience:
• PhD (or near completion) in public/global health, climate science/communication, political science, or related field, with demonstrated quantitative research experience
• Strong understanding of climate change and health policy, particularly related to public and political engagement
• Proven ability to work with complex datasets and apply appropriate statistical methods
• Experience in data visualisation and communication of research findings
• Proficiency in at least one statistical programming language (R, Python, or similar)
• Track record of working effectively in international, multi-disciplinary teams

Desirable Skills:
• Experience with machine learning or natural language processing
• Knowledge of econometric methods for policy evaluation
• Experience developing indicators for policy tracking
• Publication record in climate change, health policy, or related fields

The Research Fellow will work with Professor Niheer Dasandi, the Co-Chair and Working Group lead, and will be based in the Centre for Artificial Intelligence in Government (CAIG) at the University of Birmingham's School of Government and Institute for Data and AI. They will also be affiliated with the Birmingham Institute for Sustainability and Climate Action (BISCA), providing opportunities for cross-disciplinary collaboration and research impact.

The post is available for 48 months on a full-time basis. The successful candidate will join a dynamic research environment with access to advanced computing facilities and opportunities for professional development in both substantive and methodological areas.

The closing date for applications is Tuesday 25th February. Interviews for shortlisted candidates will be held in early March.

For informal enquiries about the position, please contact Professor Niheer Dasandi (n.dasandi@bham.ac.uk).

To download the full job description and details of this position and submit an electronic application online please click on the 'Apply' button above.

Valuing excellence, sustaining investment
We value diversity and inclusion at the University of Birmingham and welcome applications from all sections of the community and are open to discussions around all forms of flexible working.

£46,485 to £55,295. Grade 8