Research Fellow (Clinical Trials Network Manager)

Post Status: Specific Purpose Contract– Part-time 0.8FTE (4 days per week; negotiable.) 

Research Group / Department / School: School of Medicine (SoM), Department of Psychiatry, Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin

Location: St James’ Hospital, Dublin, Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin College Green, Dublin 2, Ireland 

Reports to: Iracema Leroi, Professor of Psychiatry, SoM 

Salary: Appointment will be made on the IUA scale Level (commensurate with experience and qualifications) at a point in line with Government Pay Policy or, in the case of an applicant with a medical degree, at the level of a NCHD (nonconsultant hospital doctor, Ireland)

Hours of Work: 0.8 FTE

Starting Date: September 1 2025 (approx.)

Applications are requested from suitably qualified candidates for a full-time, specific purpose position as Research Network Manager with the HRB Dementia Clinical Trials Network (‘Dementia Trials Ireland’; DTI). Flexibility in time commitments will be considered. 

Post Summary 

The post holder will be part of a multidisciplinary national dementia clinical research network, led by Professor Iracema Leroi, at St James Hospital, Dublin. The network, ‘HRB-CTN Dementia Trials Ireland’ will be co-led by Professor Sean Kennelly, who is based at Tallaght University Hospital, Dublin. 

The DTI Steering Committee is supported by clinical and non-clinical dementia researchers from around Ireland including geriatricians, psychiatrists, neurologists, neuroimagers, PPI members, biostatisticians/trial methodologists, and bioengineers.

The HRB Dementia Clinical Trials Network (DTI) 

DTI aims to improve the lives of individuals at risk or living with dementia by conducting high quality, internationally recognised, clinical trials throughout Ireland, addressing important and common problems. DTI will be launched in Ireland for the first time in September 2021, and has been funded for 5 years by the Health Research Board (HRB). The objective of DTI is to significantly develop and expand the current small dementia clinical trials’ portfolio to include studies of diverse types (proof of concept to implementation; non-pharmacological to pharmacological approaches) suitable for all stages and sub-types of dementia (i.e., from preclinical to advanced stage dementia). Our studies will apply different methods, including imaging, biomarkers, and neuropsychological methods to assess healthy volunteers, carers and patients. 

The ultimate goal is to enable every person at risk of, or living with, dementia in Ireland, the opportunity to access clinical trials. This will entail upskilling the workforce to conduct trials, attracting more international trials (including industry-sponsored trials), and competing for funding for investigator-led trials within and beyond Ireland. A cornerstone of the work will be inclusion of people with lived experience and their caregivers in the day-to-day development of DTI (patient and public involvement; PPI), as well as raising public and professional awareness of dementia and dementia trials throughout Ireland. 

The current study portfolio is a combination of investigator-led (i.e.www.sense-cog.eu) and industrysponsored studies. Current research focuses on Alzheimer’s and other dementias, mild cognitive impairment, brain-injury and healthy volunteers. 

DTI will work closely with and be aligned with a number of other HRB-supported clinical research entities, including the HRB-Clinical Research Coordination Ireland (HRB-CRC); HRB Trials Methodology Research Network (HRB-TMRN), the Clinical Research Facilities (Dublin, Galway and Cork), and the HRB’s national PPI network, IGNITE. Additional partners include universities and hospitals in Dublin (The Mater, St Vincent’s, St James’, Tallaght), Cork, Galway and Sligo. 

Network activities include: (1) providing access and support to those interested in conducting dementia trials in Ireland, including industry sponsors to ensure trials are delivered on time and to target; (2) supporting multidisciplinary education in dementia trials methodology, with support from the HRB-TMRN and supporting early career professionals through a network of ‘DTI Fellows’; (3) fostering public and patient involvement in research; (4) significantly growing the portfolio and ensuring a business case of sustainable activity; and (5) developing and nurturing a supportive network of dementia professionals throughout Ireland, working in close collaboration the dementia community with lived experience. 

The post holder will interface with the clinical teams at the different clinical sites, which, in the first instance will be Dublin (3 sites), Cork and Sligo. As the activity and the network grows, additional clinical sites will be included. 

The success of the network will be largely dependent on the skills and experience of the Senior Network Manager. This will be a fulltime post, with duties ranging from high level executive oversight, strategic planning, budget management, high level administration, communication/networking, business development and understanding and managing complex systems across multiple institutions. 

The Research Network Manager Role 

We now wish to recruit a highly motivated and talented Research Network Manager with a clear vision for significantly increasing dementia clinical research activity in Ireland. This is a key position, working closely with the Network Director (Professor Iracema Leroi) and Network Co-Director (Professor Sean Kennelly). The Research Network Manager has overall responsibility for the research management, and joint responsibility for research leadership of the Network.

Experience/Skills/Qualifications Required: 

Essential: 

Research Leadership 

• PhD or equivalent professional experience in a relevant health research-related field. 

• Experience of clinical trials and clinical trial conduct, particularly in vulnerable individuals. • Knowledge of institutional Research Office processes and requirements. 

• An ability to galvanize and support a network of professionals and people with lived experience to deliver DTI. 

• A vision for what is required to deliver a successful clinical research network within 5 years. 

• Ability to act as a knowledge-broker by communicating clearly and convincingly to a wide stakeholder audience (including the public, funders, clinicians, policy makers) regarding the aims and ambitions for DTI. 

• Ability to anticipate and manage operational and project complexities to negotiate with and involved the right stakeholders at the right time regarding critical stages in the development of DTI.

Network Management 

• Project Management and Budget Management Experience, including the ability to develop and deliver a business plan for network sustainability. 

• History of working with national and international stakeholders in health research, including industry. 

• Understanding of the HRB assets supporting clinical research. 

• Excellent website & database management skills, evidenced by relevant qualifications. 

Management of the Network’s Research Project Portfolio: 

• Previous role(s) as manager of inter-disciplinary, multicentre research projects. 

• Reporting to, and managing the requirements of, research funders. 

Patient and Public Involvement (PPI): 

• Experience integrating PPI into the research life-cycle. 

• Commitment to ensuring PPI is at the centre of decision-making and dissemination of DTI