Research Fellow (111056-1225)

For informal enquiries, please contact Fern Terris-Prestholt (Professor) at Fern.Terris-Prestholt@warwick.ac.uk.

The 10-10-10 UNAIDS targets aim for “Less than 10% of countries have punitive legal and policy environments that deny access to justice; less than 10% of people living with HIV and key populations experience stigma and discrimination; less than 10% of women, girls, people living with HIV and key populations experience gender inequality and violence.” (UNAIDS 2021).  However, there is a dearth of cost-effectiveness evidence to inform policies and interventions around the most effective and efficient approaches to achieving these targets.  The TransformHIV project, which is funded through a Wellcome Trust Discovery Award and led by University of Bristol, aims to address this critical evidence gap. It includes systematic reviews, epidemiological analyses, community leadership, mathematical modelling and economics to inform cost effectiveness of addressing structural barriers to HIV. 

Applications are invited for a health economist to work with the project’s health economics lead, Prof Fern Terris-Prestholt based within Warwick Applied Health at Warwick Medical School, and the broader multi-disciplinary team. The health economist (you) will build from different intervention scenarios to estimate the direct, indirect, and societal costs and benefits of addressing structural barriers to HIV and the cost of inaction. Your work will directly inform global and national policy and advocacy to address structural barriers to HIV, something that is critically important in these turbulent times where funding for the HIV response is shifting from international donors to domestic resources. While the current global health financing in the short run emphasises maintaining essential services, we must not lose sight that without addressing structural barriers, we cannot end AIDS as a public health threat.

There is significant scope for academic creativity in developing the best economic evaluation methods, for example, primary costing, cost modelling, econometrics, discrete choice experiments to inform these societal cost benefit analyses. Likely interventions to be evaluated include those aiming to address stigma and discrimination, violence, and criminalisation among all key populations and homelessness among people who inject drugs.

You will be encouraged to undertake ongoing training and develop skills to undertake high quality empirical and methodological research in health economics. You will be expected to contribute to a growing team of global health researchers and health economists across Warwick Medical School. There will also be opportunities to participate more broadly in the Medical School’s portfolio of health economics research and be a member of both Warwick Centre for Global Health and the Centre of Health Economics at Warwick.

Flexible Working

• We will consider applications for employment on a part-time or other flexible working basis (e.g. job share), despite the position being advertised as full-time.

The successful candidate will have a PhD in health economics, experience conducting economic evaluations and economic analyses, ideally in low- and middle-income settings. They will:

• Hold an in-depth academic and/or personal understanding of the structural drivers of HIV across the globe.
• Have been lead author on health economics papers and have a track record of applying for research funding.
• Have an enthusiasm and experience undertaking participatory research methods and value working with different stakeholders, including key and vulnerable populations, policymakers and fellow academics in other disciplines.
• Have a track record of taking initiative and working independently to meet project objectives and deadlines.
• They will be familiar with and subscribe to principles of equitable partnerships (e.g. Equitable Partnerships Guide | NIHR).

For details on the experience and skills required, please refer to the job description attached as a PDF below.

PhD Status

If you are near submission of your PhD, or have not yet had it conferred, any offers of employment will be made at Research Assistant level, at the highest spinal point of pay grade 5 (£34,610 per annum).

Upon receipt of evidence confirming the successful award of your PhD, you will be promoted to Research Fellow, at the lowest spinal point of grade 6 (£35,608 per annum).

WMS

Warwick Medical School has an excellent reputation for our distinctive portfolio of high-quality education programmes and for the excellence and global impact of our research.

The breadth of our interest and expertise is demonstrated through our dynamic and influential directorates: Warwick Applied Health (WAH), Warwick Clinical Trials Unit (WCTU), and Warwick Biomedical Sciences (BMS).  Our Institute of Translational Medicine (ITM) works across the directorates, University and with external stakeholders to accelerate the delivery of practical human health benefits arising from research.

WMS offers academic education across several levels and is the UK leader for graduate entry medicine.  Our portfolio of postgraduate programmes aims to provide excellent education and continued professional development for healthcare professionals across a number of areas, including advanced clinical and critical care practice, diabetes, leadership, medical education, interdisciplinary biomedical research, public health and health research.  We have expanded our education portfolio to include two innovative undergraduate courses: MSci Integrated Natural Sciences and BSc Health and Medical Sciences.  We also offer full and part time research degrees either at Warwick Medical School or in a clinical setting, encompassing PhDs, MD Doctor of Medicine, PhD by Published Work, and MSc by Research.

We foster a rich and inclusive education and research eco-system, underpinned by our core values which permeate everything we do: Integrity, Collaboration, Respect, Excellence, Innovation and Efficiency, and Courage.

The Medical School and University exist within a local, regional, national and international health and care diaspora with excellent inter-institutional links, partnerships and relationships.  The connections stretch across academia, industry and the NHS, with a particular strength in our local health eco-system with our local NHS trusts.  The strong and effective relationships that we have established over the past 25 years support our excellent teaching, research, innovation and broader educational and academic activities and enable new and existing activities to be undertaken to the highest of standards.

We are a world-leading research-intensive university founded in 1965. We are ranked 106th in the world and 8th in the UK.* Additionally, 92% of our research is rated world-leading or internationally excellent.**

Find out more about us at warwick.ac.uk/about/.

* World University Ranking 2024, Guardian University Guide 2025

** Research Excellence Framework 2021

CLOSING DEADLINE: Sunday 11th January 2026 at 11:55pm (UK Time)

To apply, please click "Apply" below and submit an application form by the closing deadline. You will be asked to include a CV and a cover letter.

Your CV should include:

• Your education and employment history (including your most recent employment).
• Any other relevant experience (e.g. volunteering, extracurricular, etc.).

Your cover letter should explain:

• Your motivations for applying to the role.
• Using examples, how you meet the essential and desirable criteria detailed in the job description (PDF attached below).

All essential criteria must be met by candidates who are invited to interview.

You are welcome to include details of any career breaks (e.g. parental leave, caring responsibilities, sick leave).

• Interview Date: 26 January 2026
• Start Date: To be confirmed

Please note application forms must be submitted before the stated deadline - you will not be able to submit after 23:55 (even if you opened the form earlier). Only applications submitted via our official careers portal (warwick-careers.tal.net) will be considered.

We provide a comprehensive range of benefits, including:

• An attractive pension scheme.
• 30 days holiday plus University Christmas closure.
• Generous parental/adoption leave policy.
• Onsite childcare facilities.
• Excellent learning and development opportunities.

We recognise the importance of a healthy work/life balance and offer access to flexible working arrangements. For more information, see here.

We are proud to be a Living Wage employer.

Equality, Diversity, & Inclusion

Warwick is committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive and respectful community where everyone can thrive. We welcome applications from all backgrounds, cultures, and communities, and actively encourage candidates from underrepresented groups to apply.

Find out more about our Social Inclusion work at Warwick.

Find out more about our awards and accreditations.

We are also one of the six founder institutions of the EUTOPIA European University Alliance.

Safeguarding & DBS

The University of Warwick is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all those we work with.

• Roles involving regulated activity are subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check at the appropriate level, in line with the DBS Code of Practice.
• The University will ensure that anyone subject to a barring order does not undertake any work with the barred group (children and/or adults).
• All employees, volunteers, and partners are expected to share our commitment to safeguarding.

Rehabilitation of Ex-Offenders

The University will not discriminate against applicants who make a disclosure relating to a conviction.

Disclosures at application stage are only visible to the DBS team, not to hiring panels. This ensures fairness and removes bias from the shortlisting process.