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Job Description Position Details School of Mathematics, College of Engineering and Physical Sciences
Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK
Full time starting salary is normally in the range £36,636 to £46,049 with potential progression once in post to £48,822
Grade: 7
Full Time, Fixed Term contract up to August 2028 or 24 months from start date
Closing date: 31 st May 2026
Interviews are planned to take place online on 16 th or 23 rd June
Background
This role will support the recently established £2.8M EPSRC Network Plus “Scale Up Mathematics for Formulated Products” (SUM4Products). The formulated-product sector influences many aspects of everyday life. For example, the sector is responsible for producing food and drink, personal-care products, cosmetics, washing and cleaning products, and medicines. However, in response to societal changes, there is a growing shift in the sector towards the rapid development of smarter, greener, and more personalised products.
The SUM4Products network aims to build a long-lasting, multi-disciplinary network of excellence that propels the UK as a global leader in formulation science and engineering with mathematics at the heart. It will connect academics from multiple disciplines, including engineering, computer science, physics, chemistry, and biology with industrial partners from companies of all sizes, from micro-SMEs to multi-nationals. Mathematics will provide the underlying frameworks for developing predictive modelling capabilities that will unlock innovation across the sector.
Core to the delivery of SUM4Products is a group of Innovation Research Associates (InRAs) to tackle mathematical and scientific challenges pertinent to the formulation sector. This role is part of the group. Four InRAs will be appointed across Edinburgh, Bristol, UCL, and Birmingham. They will have opportunities to work with academic and industrial members of the SUM4Products network, and they will be encouraged to collaborate with other InRAs and Early Career Researchers involved in the SUM4Products network.
The role-holder will also engage with the other academic leads of the SUM4Products Network: Estefania Lopez-Quiroga (University of Birmingham), Helen Wilson (UCL), Matthew Hennessy (Bristol) and Halim Kusumaatmaja (Edinburgh). Moreover, the role-holder will work with academic and industrial partners of the SUM4Products network.
This post is available from 1 st August 2026 but the start date is flexible and later start dates will be considered. This post is funded for 2 years in the first instance.
Please note: At the University of Birmingham, the formal job title for this post is Research Fellow. This role is directly equivalent to the Innovation Research Associate (InRA) positions within the SUM4Products Network. The equivalent post is also being advertised concurrently at UCL. All positions share the same purpose, responsibilities, and opportunities across the Network.
Role Summary
Research activities
- Carrying out research related to mathematical modelling of formulated products. This will entail both independent research work and working in collaboration with other researchers within the SUM4Products network. The successful candidate will proactively engage with collaborating researchers, including from new and existing industry partners, to identify fruitful lines of research
- Dissemination of research findings through internal reports, conference proceedings, and journal publications
- Develop plans for personal research and contribute to wider development of SUM4Products network strategy to identify and agree priorities for current and future work
- Contribute to writing bids to win ongoing research grants. Provide guidance to other staff and students interested in integrating methods/results from this work into their own activity to ensure most effective use, particularly within the University, the SUM4Products network, and with our external collaborators
Management and Administration
Liaison with and support of colleagues within the SUM4Products network, possibly including domestic and international travel, and support of meetings at other Universities.
Main Duties
The responsibilities may include some but not all of the responsibilities outlined below.
- Develop research objectives and proposals for own or joint research, with assistance of a mentor if required
- Contribute to writing bids for research funding
- Analyse and interpret data
- Apply knowledge in a way which develops new intellectual understanding
- Disseminate research findings for publication, research seminars etc
- Supervise students on research related work and provide guidance to PhD students where appropriate to the discipline
- Contribute to developing new models, techniques and methods
- Undertake management/administration arising from research
- Contribute to Departmental/School research-related activities and research-related administration
- Contribute to enterprise, business development and/or public engagement activities of manifest benefit to the College and the University, often under supervision of a project leader
- Collect research data; this may be through a variety of research methods, such as scientific experimentation, literature reviews, and research interviews
- Present research outputs, including drafting academic publications or parts thereof, for example at seminars and as posters
- Provide guidance, as required, to support staff and any students who may be assisting with the research
- Deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines
- Promotes equality and values diversity acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture
Person Specification
- First degree in area of specialism and normally, a higher degree relevant to research area or equivalent qualifications. For both degrees the discipline must be applied mathematics, physical sciences, engineering, or a closely related area
- High level analytical capability and ability to interpret mathematical and computational results in terms of the motivating real-world problem
- Ability to communicate complex information clearly and experience in delivering research project results; i.e. a record of peer-reviewed journal and conference papers in a relevant area
- Fluency in relevant models, techniques or methods and ability to contribute to developing new ones and initiating new ways of working
- Proven track record of conducting modelling research in areas relevant to formulation science, including fluid dynamics, continuum mechanics, soft matter, interfacial phenomena, heat and mass transfer, or a closely related area
- Ability to learn new mathematical and computational skills as required by the projects
- Capable of working collaboratively with researchers from different disciplines or technical backgrounds
- Ability to assess resource requirements and use resources effectively
- Understanding of and ability to contribute to broader management/administration processes
- Contribute to the planning and organising of the research programme and/or specific research project
- Co-ordinate own work with others to avoid conflict or duplication of effort, developing and maintaining effective working relationships
- Knowledge of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010, and how to actively ensure in day to day activity in own area that those with protected characteristics are treated equally and fairly
- (Desirable) Experience collaborating with industrial partners
- (Desirable) Experience of scoping out ideas for new research projects and identifying ways to address them mathematically/computationally
Informal enquiries to Rosemary Dyson, email: r.j.dyson@bham.ac.uk .
Use of AI in applications: We want to understand your genuine interest in the role and for the written elements of your application to accurately reflect your own communication style. Applications that rely too heavily on AI tools can appear generic and lack the detail we need to assess your skills and experience. Such applications will unlikely be progressed to interview.
We believe there is no such thing as a ‘typical’ member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website .
