Research Associate - Sustainable Futures Impact Fellowship

The University of Sheffield is a remarkable place to work. Our people are at the heart of everything we do. Their diverse backgrounds, abilities and beliefs make Sheffield a world-class university.

We offer a fantastic range of benefits including a highly competitive annual leave entitlement (with the ability to purchase more), a generous pensions scheme, flexible working opportunities, a commitment to your development and wellbeing, a wide range of retail discounts, and much more. Find out more about our benefits and join us to become part of something special.

Poor air quality presents some of the most pressing sustainability and public health challenges for the city of Sheffield. The climate crisis continues to exacerbate the issue of poor air quality making it even more complex to tackle. It affects not only the health and wellbeing of the population, particularly vulnerable communities, but also the City’s ability to create and sustain a skilled workforce.

This fellowship will work alongside Sheffield City Council to explore these complex and interconnected issues, building a robust evidence base to inform policy and practice.

South Yorkshire Sustainability Centre and the Grantham Centre for Sustainable Futures will host this new Sustainable Futures Impact Fellowship. The Research Associate will work closely with partners to investigate the impacts of poor air quality on health outcomes, and how these outcomes in turn shape workforce capacity and economic resilience. The role will take an interdisciplinary and systems focussed approach, combining synthesis of existing evidence with the generation of novel, regionally focused insights in order to support the Sheffield City Council public health team while they develop the scope for a new clean air strategy.

Rather than seeking a single solution, this fellowship will deepen understanding of the challenges facing Sheffield, while identifying potential ways of working and broader recommendations to support positive change. The Fellow will play a vital role in producing accessible, policy-focused outputs that connect research with practice and decision-making.

This is an opportunity for a motivated researcher to deliver impactful, regionally relevant work that goes beyond reporting on air pollution, by focusing on the real-world health and economic implications for South Yorkshire.

• Conduct a comprehensive review and synthesis of existing air quality, health and economic data, applying quantitative and computational techniques where appropriate to ensure robust, policy-relevant outcomes.
• Where appropriate, work with partners to generate new, regionally rooted evidence on how poor air quality affects both population health and the City’s ability to develop and sustain a skilled workforce, using quantitative, qualitative or mixed-method approaches.
• Collaborate with a wide range of regional stakeholders to ensure research reflects lived experiences and local priorities.
• Apply interdisciplinary research methods and frameworks to map the complex intersections between environmental, health, and economic challenges.
• Develop policy-focused recommendations for regional and local decision-makers, highlighting practical approaches and frameworks that can address challenges at a systemic level.
• Identify gaps in evidence and action that could form the basis of future partnership working.
• Produce accessible outputs for different audiences, including reports, policy briefs, and presentations, ensuring findings are communicated clearly and effectively.
• Present findings at regional and national forums to share insights and amplify South Yorkshire’s role in national debates on air quality and workforce sustainability.
• Contribute to knowledge exchange activities and wider networks across the University and the region.
• Carry out other duties, commensurate with the grade and remit of the post.

Our diverse community of staff and students recognises the unique abilities, backgrounds, and beliefs of all. We foster a culture where everyone feels they belong and are respected. Even if your past experience doesn’t match…