Job Title: Post-doctoral Researcher/Senior Post-doctoral Researcher
Department: CP-Life Research Centre/School of Physiotherapy
Reporting to: Dr Jennifer Ryan
Contract/Duration: Specified purpose contract for 12 months with potential to extend
Closing Date: Monday 2nd of February 2026
About Cerebral Palsy Lifespan Health and Well-being (CP-Life) Research Centre
Cerebral palsy (CP) is caused by damage to the immature brain and primarily affects motor skills.
CP is the most frequent cause of permanent motor function difficulties in children.
People with CP often experience associated impairments such as vision, hearing, cognition, and communication impairments.
CP is a non-progressive neurological condition; the brain damage itself cannot be cured and does not change over time.
However people with CP may experience changes in their motor skills and complications, such as pain and bone and joint disorders, throughout life.
CP-Life Research Centre is located in the School of Physiotherapy in RCSI.
The mission of the CP-Life Research Centre is to generate and translate evidence into improvements in services and supports for people with CP through high quality research and innovation.
Summary of Post
We are seeking to recruit a Post-doctoral Researcher to lead a mixed-methods research project evaluating the implementation of musculoskeletal surveillance programmes for children with cerebral palsy.
Surveillance programmes have been introduced for children with CP in several countries, with the aim of preventing secondary complications such as hip dislocation.
The project involves collecting and analysing quantitative data to describe current surveillance programmes on the island of Ireland, explore barriers and facilitators to implementation of surveillance programmes, and explore the acceptability of these programmes to families.
This project is funded by a Health Research Board (HRB) Investigator-Led Project grant.
The candidate will lead the initial set-up of the project including developing the project plan, obtaining approvals designing the protocol and collecting data.
The candidate will also support other projects within CP-Life Research Centre focused on stakeholder engagement and knowledge translation.
Specifically, the duties of the post are:
Co-ordinate the project including developing a project plan, communicating with project team, organising meetings
Obtain approvals from several organisations
Support quantitative data collection and descriptive analysis
Develop topic guides for semi-structured interviews
Lead Public Involvement
Contribute to the supervision of undergraduate students, postgraduate students and research assistants
Qualifications – (Essential)
Ph D in a relevant field (e.g.
psychology, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, health services research, social science, public health)
Knowledge & Experience – (Essential)
Strong communication skills (verbal and written) to engage with all stakeholders
Experience of qualitative research
Experience of obtaining approvals including from Research Ethics Committees
Excellent administrative and IT skills
Experience of working on projects with multiple stakeholders
Can operate flexibly within a busy environment, shift focus when required, prioritise conflicting demands
Ability to work as part of a team
Experience of writing reports or research publications
Experience of conducting research with clinical populations
Experience of conducting research with children or adolescents
Evidence of project and team leadership
Experience of Public Involvement
We are all too aware that imposter syndrome and the confidence gap can sometimes stop fantastic candidates putting themselves forward, so please do submit an application — we'd love to hear from you.
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