Research Assistant in support of qualitative coding of interview data on UK medical technology regulation

Internal Applicants Only

Deadline: 2 June 2023

Dr Michael Morrison is looking for a research assistant to help with the Governing Biomodification project.

The project aims are to analyse, through qualitative coding, a corpus of transcribed, anonymised interview data with a view to producing one or more peer-reviewed REF-able publications. The interviews were conducted with a variety of UK and EU healthcare regulatory agency staff and regulatory-adjacent actors (e.g. private consultants offering regulatory support to small firms), funders, and NHS senior staff. The main topics of discussion were governance of emerging biotechnologies, including gene editing, induced pluripotent stem cell and 3D bioprinting, for human clinical use.

The overarching goal of analysis is to understand how these different groups understand and assess ‘value’ in emerging medical technologies. This will involve looking for accounts of how formal regulatory criteria (e.g. safety, cost-effectiveness) and procedures are applied in practice, the role (if any) of discretion and judgement (for example in incorporating patient preferences in overall recommendations), and what justifications (legal, normative, economic etc) are offered for particular approaches.

Tasks for the Research Assistant will be:

• To read through a corpus of existing transcripts of qualitative interviews.
• To assist the PI, Dr Morrison, in iteratively developing and applying a coding schema to these transcripts using NVIVO software.
• To help analyse the interview data in light of the overarching research aim.
• To contribute to early drafts of a manuscript based on analysis of the coded data, suitable for submission to a peer-reviewed journal.

Successful applicants will gain experience in coding qualitative data and will have the opportunity to be listed as a co-author on the resulting paper(s).

Duration and hours

Working hours: a total of up to 40 hours across the duration of the project, to be agreed with the project supervisor.

Start date: Wednesday 12th June 2023

Date by which the work must be completed: Friday 11th August 2023

Reporting

The Research Assistant will report to Dr Michael Morrison, Centre for Health, Law & Emerging Technologies (HeLEX).

Requirements

• Experience of the following software/applications is essential: NVIVO, EndNote.
• A knowledge of UK and/or EU regulation of medicine and medical technology is desirable.
• Experience of empirical research is desirable.
• Experience of socio-legal theories and methods is desirable.

The work can be done in any place in the UK where you have access to a good library and internet. Meetings with the PI/team members will be held in-person in Oxford or held online as appropriate.

Eligibility

This opportunity is open to current graduate students in the Faculty of Law, and the hours are in line with the restrictions on working hours for students within the Law Faculty.

It is expected that the work will be undertaken in the UK. 

Rate of Pay

The work will be paid at £17.02 per hour (including the exceptional non-consolidated uplift for 2022-23), which equates to University Grade 6, point 1, on the basis of completed and approved timesheets, which must be submitted to payroll@law.ox.ac.uk by the last Friday of each calendar month for payment on the last working day of the following month.

In addition, paid annual leave will be assumed to be taken in the month in which it was accrued.

Funding

This opportunity is funded by a Law Faculty Research Support Fund award (RSF2223-36).

How to Apply

A short CV and cover letter (including the name of your supervisor) should be sent by email to michael.morrison@law.ox.ac.uk by Friday 2nd June 2023. Please explain how you meet the requirements for the role, and give details of your availability. Supervisors may be asked for a reference. 

Enquiries about the project are welcome, and may be addressed to Michael Morrison. General queries, e.g. about the appointment process, or eligibility, may be addressed to research@law.ox.ac.uk.