Coles Medlock Professor of Rehabilitation and Assistive Technology

We are looking to appoint an exceptional candidate to the newly established Coles Medlock Professor of Rehabilitation and Assistive Technology. This role represents an exciting opportunity for an ambitious researcher to join a multidisciplinary group of over 50 dedicated researchers and PhD students in the  Centre for Human Movement and Rehabilitation (CHMR). The University of Salford is presently one of the largest allied health education providers in the UK and is poised for further expansion, with an investment exceeding £100M in a new health campus. This initiative will deliver world-leading facilitates for  rehabilitation science research, making Salford a hub of global research excellence where talented and ambitious researchers can thrive. Alongside the campus investment, Salford is investing in the research leaders of the future, with a Fellowship scheme which is recruiting future research leaders to work alongside the newly created professorial positions.

The Centre for Human Movement and Rehabilitation, University of Salford

The Centre for Human Movement and Rehabilitation (HMR) ) is a thriving research group, comprising experts from diverse disciplines such as prosthetic and orthotic design, biomechanics, biomedical engineering, clinical trials, and digital health technologies. With extensive investment from the University we have boast outstanding facilities, including three human performance laboratories, a prosthetics and orthotics workshop, markerless motion capture, cutting edge ultrasound equipment and access to the new North of England Robotics Centre (NERIC).

In REF2021 HMR was returned to UoA3 , with 72% of our outputs, 83% of our impact, and 100% of our research environment, being judged world leading or internationally excellent. This outstanding performance propelled us 25 25 places in the Times Higher league table (UoA3), and we now rank 20th for research power.

Our global reputation for rehabilitation and assistive technology research is built on a strong track record of funding from the NIHR, EPSRC, MRC and industry (e.g. Knowledge Transfer Partnerships) and charities. HMR is home to the £5.5 million EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Prosthetics and Orthotics, in partnership with Imperial College, the University of Strathclyde, and the University of Southampton, training up to 60 PhD students from 2019-2026. The CDT places HMR into the forefront of international agencies (e.g. WHO, GATE Initiative, ISPO) in Prosthetics and Orthotics, a position bolstered by our involvement other large-scale EPSRC, NIHR and MRC projects, such as the Transformative Innovation in the Delivery of Assisted Living and services project (TIDAL, 2021-2024).

The opportunity

This position offers an exciting opportunity to lead a research programme and collaborate with a diverse group of over 50 researchers and PhD students in the Centre for Human Movement and Rehabilitation. We encourage candidates from various backgrounds, including rehabilitation, biomedical engineering, allied health professions, user-led design, digital health, and global health challenges, to apply. The successful candidate will lead a programme of research in Rehabilitation and Assistive Technology. We are open to applications from all relevant disciplines and will prioritise the strategic fit to existing strengths whilst also diversifying our research offer.

We welcome candidates from disciplines including (but not limited to) rehabilitation, bioengineering, global health challenges, allied health professions, user-led design, and digital health.  We are seeking a candidate with strong academic, collaborative, and engaging leadership ability for this role and would expect you to have worked with academics at all levels and with senior staff in industry and clinical practice. A track record of academic leadership, PhD supervision, development, mentoring and career management advice to colleagues is essential.

We expect the successful candidate to have a significant external profile in the field and to attract research funding to deliver ambitious new projects. To facilitate development, the University of Salford offers internal research funding to establish research capacity, pump prime new ideas and purchase new equipment. While this role emphasises research, there will be opportunities to contribute to research-informed teaching allowing the successful candidate to enhance Salford's global reputation in rehabilitation and assistive technology research.

What’s in it for you? – the benefits

• Competitive salary - and excellent pension scheme
• Generous annual leave - plus the option to buy additional holiday days
• Flexible working - we support a culture of both flexible and agile working, to help you find the right balance
• Professional development - a comprehensive package of training and development opportunities to help you achieve your full potential
• Our community – there’s a real sense of belonging here at Salford. We value diversity — in backgrounds and in experiences. Our difference makes us stronger, and together we share a passion for improving students’ lives
• The perks! MySalford, our online employee portal, offers a wide range of lifestyle benefits and discounts
• Wellbeing support –dedicated services and facilities to support your mental and physical health, ranging from an Employee Assistance Programme and counselling, to sports and fitness facilities, including discounted gym memberships
• Sustainable Salford - We embed sustainability in all aspects of university life and have a commitment to becoming NetZero Carbon by 2038
• Greater Manchester - Live and work in one of the most vibrant regions in the UK, a hot spot of digital innovation, excellent schools and colleges, and with affordable city, suburban and rural living options to suit a wide range of lifestyle choices.

Our Peel Park campus is unique and offers lots of green spaces. Our MediaCity campus is at the heart of one of the country's leading digital and media hubs

• Team Salford - By joining us, you can be part of our ambitious journey and help make a real difference to the people and communities we support

However you identify, whatever your journey has been to get here, come and join us at the University of Salford where we are all proud to belong!

For informal enquires, please contact Prof Steve Preece, s.preece@salford.ac.uk.