Jobs and Opportunities Board

The Research Assistant will support the delivery of the UK Centre for implementing evidence in adult social care - Improving Adult Social Care Together (IMPACT). They will work closely with Professor Louise McCabe, Deputy Head of Evidence and Evaluation. This is an opportunity to be part of an exciting and innovative Implementation Centre funded by the ESRC and the Health Foundation to improve social care outcomes by implementing evidence-based practice in the sector across all four UK nations. The post holder’s core responsibilities will be with the review of evidence to support change; internal evaluation of the centre’s projects and support for national work in Scotland.

IMPACT is an ‘Implementation Centre’, drawing on knowledge gained from different types of research, the lived experience of people using services and their carers, and the practice knowledge of social care staff. Its aims are to enable practical improvements on the ground, and make a crucial contribution to longer-term cultural change, by:

• Supporting more widespread use of evidence in adult social care, leading to better care practices, systems and outcomes for people who use services, their families and communities
• Building capacity and skills in the adult social care workforce to work with evidence of different kinds to innovate, improve care and deliver better outcomes
• Facilitating sustainable and productive relationships between the full range of adult social care stakeholders to co-create positive change/innovations and improve outcomes for people using adult social care and their families
• Improving understanding of the factors which help and hinder the implementation of evidence in practice, and using this to overcome longstanding barriers to positive change.

More information about IMPACT can be found here: https://more.bham.ac.uk/impact/

IMPACT is led from the University of Birmingham, with multiple partners across the UK. Stirling is the lead Scottish HE partner and the role is located in Stirling alongside the Deputy Head of Evidence and Evaluation, Professor Louise McCabe. The role holder will report to Professor McCabe. Their role will also involve working with multiple staff across the UK who are delivering local projects and also with the central IMPACT team located at the University of Birmingham.

TO APPLY FOR THIS ROLE
Please complete the on-line application form and submit (i) a covering letter indicating how you meet the criteria for the role and (ii) an up to date CV.

We will consider job share.

This is an exciting opportunity to join the newly formed Bath Mental Health Research Group (MHRG) at the University of Bath.

About the role

The MHRG is funded for an initial 5 years by the NIHR (National Institute for Health Research). 

The focus of our work is applied research aimed at improving the health and wellbeing of children and young people in the local region.

This post will support the substance use and addiction work package of the MHRG, led by Prof Tom Freeman. 

Key areas of focus include identifying substance use needs within the local region through quantitative surveys, identifying the extent to which current services meet these needs, and mapping the gap between need and provision to inform further service development. 

Through this mapping work, as well as partnership with key stakeholders and people with lived and living experience, this post will pilot new interventions to address emerging areas of substance need, as well as supporting funding applications to support larger scale evaluations.

We are looking to recruit a candidate with demonstrated excellence in quantitative methods, and experience in addiction and/or mental health research.   

We have a clear commitment to skills training and career development for all research staff in the MHRG. You will work under the supervision of world-leading clinicians and academics. 

The Bath MHRG is partnering with the Universities of Bristol and Exeter (as part of the GW4 network) to deliver this project and there will be opportunities to work with researchers at partner institutions. 

You will have opportunities to receive further research training (e.g., in PPIE and/or good clinical practice). 

We are strongly committed to supporting candidates to develop personal fellowship applications hosted at the University of Bath.

We welcome applications from candidates with lived or living experience (either personal or within your family) of the areas covered within our research remit, including common mental health difficulties, substance use or neurodiversity. We will strive to make this an inclusive recruitment process. We plan to have online interviews.   

ISSUP Request for Tender (RFT): Learning Management System

Introduction

The International Society of Substance Use Professionals (ISSUP) invites qualified vendors to submit proposals for the supply, implementation, and support of a Learning Management System (LMS). The aim is to acquire a modern, scalable platform to deliver online training, track learner progress, and manage educational resources.

About ISSUP

The International Society of Substance Use Professionals (ISSUP) is a global, not-for-profit organisation that supports the development of a professional substance use workforce. With over 48,000 members worldwide, ISSUP continues to grow as a vibrant global network of professionals. To strengthen training access and quality for this workforce worldwide, ISSUP is seeking to develop its own Learning Management System (LMS). This platform will provide structured, multilingual training and professional development opportunities for practitioners, trainers and organisations working to address substance use globally. ISSUP is currently partnering with a Moodle-based e-learning platform to offer the courses, but we are excited to take the next step by developing our own customised platform informed by the specifications below.

Tender Objectives

The purpose of this tender is to:

• Procure a user-friendly LMS suited for international learners
• Enhance the delivery of e-learning in its different formats
• Manage courses, users, assessments, and certifications
• Ensure secure, reliable, and scalable operations
• Provide ongoing support and maintenance

LMS requirements

The selected vendor will provide a fully functional Learning Management System (LMS) that meets the mandatory requirements outlined below. The system must be robust, scalable, secure, and suitable for global delivery of online and blended-learning programmes. All “Must Have” features are mandatory for this procurement, while “Optional” features are considered value-added enhancements.

The attached Technical Brief provides a full breakdown of all technical requirements.

Proposal Submission Requirements

Proposals must include:

1. Company Information

• Company profile
• Years in operation
• Relevant experience
• Key personnel

2. Technical Proposal

• Description of LMS solution
• Technical specifications
• Implementation plan & timeline
• Security and data protection measures
• System hosting details

3. Financial Proposal

• Pricing model
• Implementation costs
• Support/maintenance fees
• Any additional costs

Vendors must submit their own structured responses, as ISSUP does not provide templates.

Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated based on:

• Functionality and Features
• Implementation and maintenance cost
• Implementation Approach
• Vendor experience
• Support and SLA

How to Apply

• Submit electronic proposals to training [at] issup [dot] net with subject line: “ISSUP LMS Procurement Tender – [Vendor Name]”

Tender Process

• The tender is open from December 1st with submissions due by January 30th, 2026.
• Shortlisted vendors will be invited for demonstrations and follow-up meetings.

General Conditions

• ISSUP may request additional information or clarification.
• Costs for preparing proposals will not be reimbursed.
• The selected vendor will enter a formal contract with ISSUP.

Contact Information

For clarifications or questions, please contact: training [at] issup [dot] net

The jobholder will work as a second national expert (SNE) under the supervision of the Head of the crime, markets and precursors (CMP) sector within the Policy, crime and markets (PCM) unit. The SNE will contribute to the development, further enhancement and promotion of the competences of the EUDA in drug markets, crime and security, particularly the practices of law enforcement. The post supports the EUDA's goal to contribute to a more secure Europe.

The successful applicant will be requested to perform the following main tasks and responsibilities:

• assist in the conceptualisation, development and implementation of the monitoring of drug markets and crime in Europe, particularly in the field of law enforcement;
• contribute to the development of high-quality data reporting tools and instruments;
• liaise with relevant operational, policy and information collection bodies at national, European and international levels and with relevant scientific EUDA staff;
• support the development of the EUDA Reference Group on drug markets and crime;
• analyse and report on European data on markets, crime and drug supply reduction;
• monitor and analyse the main developments in drug-supply reduction activities and policies in Europe with a particular focus on law enforcement bodies and organisations;
• carry out the administrative and organisational tasks necessary for the successful implementation of the above-mentioned activities and tasks (including the preparation of work plans, meetings, contracts and ad-hoc reporting tasks);
• represent the EUDA in relevant scientific and institutional meetings and training events;
• any other tasks assigned by the Head of sector or the Head of unit.

The jobholder may be required to contribute to other areas of work, according to the needs and priorities of the EUDA. To perform the duties of the post and ensure effective communication with the different actors and stakeholders involved, the main working language required for the job is English.