Research Associate

In this role you will conduct high quality research and data analysis using linked administrative data and contribute to the overall research performance of the Children's Social Care Research and Development Centre (CASCADE)

Cardiff University offers many excellent benefits, including 45 days annual leave (including bank holidays), blended working (meaning you will be able to work from home for some of your time), a cycle to work scheme and other travel initiatives, annual increments up the pay scale, and more. It is an exciting and vibrant place to work, with many different challenges and is a proud Living Wage supporter.

We invite applications for a full-time Research Associate to join our friendly and inclusive research team at Cardiff University (along with colleagues from Bristol University and ATD Fourth World) to work on our new project funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). This is a two-year post within a three-year study, which aims to develop a complex systems approach to 'child harms'., As the biggest university in Wales - and a major employer, with more than 7,000 staff - we are an ambitious and innovative university located in a beautiful and thriving capital city. We can offer you the chance to work in a vibrant organisation, with great benefits and opportunities for progression.
Closing date: Friday, 26 June 2026
External applications are currently not being considered for this post. If the decision is made to open the post to external candidates, the strapline at the top will be removed and you will be given ample time to apply - please check back periodically for details.
Cardiff University is committed to supporting and promoting equality and diversity and to creating an inclusive working environment. We believe this can be achieved through attracting, developing, and retaining a diverse range of staff from many different backgrounds. We therefore welcome applicants from all sections of the community regardless of sex, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, trans identity, relationship status, religion or belief, caring responsibilities, or age. We especially welcome and encourage applications from those under-represented groups within the University workforce, such as those who identify as LGBT+, Ethnic Minority or those with disabilities. In supporting our employees to achieve a balance between their work and their personal lives, we will also consider proposals for flexible working or job share arrangements. Applications may be submitted in Welsh, and an application submitted in Welsh will not be treated less favourably
than an application submitted in English.
Cardiff University is a signatory to the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), which means that in hiring and promotion decisions we will evaluate applicants on the quality of their research, not publication metrics or the identity of the journal in which the research is published. More information is available at

This project is an ambitious mixed methods study to investigate the utility of public health approaches to understand and respond to child harms within the context of a whole system approach. Drawing on concepts and methods well established in the field of public health, the project will contribute to methodological, theoretical, and empirical knowledge within social care policy, practice and research. This study will add to knowledge by describing the child harm system as a whole, identifying the data sources that allow description and monitoring of that system, and greater understanding of the social determinants of 'child harm' and inequalities in outcomes. Furthermore, the study has the potential to open up new methodological and conceptual horizons within the field of social care research.
This post is full time (35 hours per week) fixed term for a period of 24 months and available immediately.
Salary: £41,064 - £46,049 per annum (Grade 6), with annual increments up to final salary at top of grade. New appointments are usually made at the starting point of the salary scale.
Responsible to Dr Martin Elliott, Principal Investigator