Research Assistant (Research Nurse Manager)

Post Status: Specific Purpose Contract 

Research Group / Department / School: TILDA, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin 

Location: The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA), Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin College Green, Dublin 2, Ireland

Reports to: Project Manager 

Salary: Appointment will be made on the INMO Clinical Nurse Manager 1 Salary Scale at a point in line with Government Pay Policy [€57,208 to €67,372 per annum], appointment will be made no higher than point 2. 

Hours of Work: 37.5 hours per week – full time 

Closing Date: 12 Noon (GMT), 22 JUNE 2026

Post Summary 

The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) is in the field of Wave 8 of data collection and is seeking qualified nurses who wish to contribute to a well-established study with a strong reputation for producing high-quality, policy relevant research on ageing. The TILDA Research Nurse Manager will be responsible for overseeing a team of nurses and health practitioners in the collection of objective measures of cardiovascular, cognitive function, mobility, bone health, vision, hearing, anthropometry and biological samples from the TILDA participants, managing all tasks associated with collecting data on all heath assessment measures. The role will involve a range of clinical and research duties including training, quality control, adherence to research targets and nurse management. Most health assessments will take place in a dedicated health assessment centre in Trinity College Dublin, however some participants will require a home-based assessment, thus requiring nurses to travel to participants’ homes. Dynamic, flexible nurses with a strong clinical skill set and experience managing people are invited to apply for this position. They will join a vibrant interdisciplinary team - including epidemiologists, biostatisticians, economists, social scientists, biomedical engineers and clinicians - working toward the promotion of successful ageing. This post will provide detailed insights into how and why ageing research is conducted, the principles of data collection, and how health, social and economic circumstances influence the ageing process.

Background to the Post

The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing 

The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) is the largest and most ambitious study of ageing ever conducted in Ireland and is collecting detailed information on all aspects of the lives of people aged 50 years and over in a nationally representative sample. 

The first seven waves of data collection are complete, and main data collection for the eighth wave is due to commence in 2027, with pilot fieldwork beginning in November 2026. The study is closely harmonized with other international longitudinal studies such as the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) and the US Health and Retirement Study (HRS). 

At baseline Wave 1 (2009-2011), 8,175 individuals aged 50 and over and 329 partners younger than 50 were interviewed and were invited to participate in a health assessment including world-leading cutting edge cardiovascular investigations, a comprehensive battery of cognitive tests, eye examinations and analysis of gait speed under different conditions. At wave 6, 4,228 computer-assisted telephone interviews (CATI) were completed, achieving a 76% response rate, alongside 104 proxy interviews and 174 End-of-Life interviews. A total of 3,262 participants completed either a comprehensive health assessment or detailed cognitive assessment sub-study (HCAP). At Wave 6, the study also introduced a replenishment cohort of adults aged 45–64 years, with 2,193 new participants recruited to support the continued representativeness of the study sample. Data collected during the TILDA health assessments has been used to influence health policy and practice in Ireland. For example, the collection of blood pressure data highlighted that 64% of community-dwelling adults aged 50 and over have hypertension with almost half being unaware that they have the condition; two-thirds of adults with atrial fibrillation, a leading contributor to stroke, heart and disease and dementia, are either undiagnosed or mistreated – this data informed an awareness campaign by the Irish Heart Foundation and was used by the HSE to develop its National Clinical Guidelines and recommendations for the care of people with stroke. Additionally, walking speed data highlighted that two-thirds of adults aged 65 and over would have difficulty crossing the road at pedestrian light crossings, leading to a collaboration with Dublin City Council to review the pedestrian light settings. Finally, TILDA has played a key role in Ireland’s National Frailty Education Programme, working with the National Clinical Programme for Older People (NCPOP) to translate ageing research into clinical practice. Through the “Recognising Frailty: Insights from TILDA” initiative, TILDA has supported the training of over 621 healthcare professionals nationally in frailty recognition and management using a multidisciplinary trainthe-trainer model. 

The domains captured from the TILDA study reflect the multi-factorial causes of successful ageing and their interactions. These include but are not limited to: 

• Health (physical, cognitive, and mental health, disability, health behaviour, service needs and usage) 

• Biology (genetics, epigenetics, molecular and physiological biomarkers) 

• Social relationships (quality of relationships and frequency of contacts, formal and informal care, social participation). 

• Wellbeing (quality of life, loneliness, perceptions of ageing) 

• Economics (wealth and income, pensions, employment, financial transfers)

The diversity of the TILDA research group reflects the multi-disciplinary nature of the study and includes world-leading researchers in geriatrics, psychiatry, psychology, social science, bioengineering, biostatistics, economics, and health care management. There are over thirty full time members in the current TILDA team which is comprised of researchers and administrative staff. TILDA has established a wide network of collaborators both within Ireland and internationally which ensures that TILDA remains on the cutting edge of research into ageing. The study is closely harmonized with other international longitudinal studies such as the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) and the US Health and Retirement Study (HRS).

Qualifications 

• Must have current registration as a general nurse with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland.