Student-Led Research Team: Recruiting Now

SMaRteN are now recruiting members for our next Student-Led Research Team.

Whether you're an undergraduate or PhD student, we are seeking the best and the brightest with a passion for improving student mental health to form the SMaRteN Student-Led Research Team. Read on for more details on what will be expected of the Student Team, or click on the Students tab to hear more about our current cohort and the work they have undertaken.

Please read this page carefully before applying, as some of the information will inform your application.

Students at the heart

SMaRteN believes that in order to effectively understand student mental health, we need to work with students; students need to be part of the network, part of the management team and part of the research team.

This is why we are recruiting a Student-Led Research Team to be at the heart of our activity. 

The role of the Student-Led Research Team is to support the network's activities and to ensure representation of the student voice across the network. The Student Team will be involved in research projects within the network, as well as providing advice and insight for SMaRteN events. 

What will the Student-Led Research Team do?

SMaRteN's 2019-2020 Student Led Research Team will be one of four year-long Student Teams over the lifespan of SMaRteN.

The specific projects undertaken by the 2019-2020 cohort will be:

Student Mental Health: What are the Key Questions?
Project A

In November 2019, SMaRteN launches a major public consultation project to get to the heart of student opinion about Mental Health. We’re asking 1000 students and stakeholders to tell us their priority areas in Student Mental Health. What are the key questions that students themselves want researchers to answer?

This research prioritisation exercise will take place over several months. The SMaRteN Student team will help steer the project, from promoting it to students across the country in multiple survey rounds, to working with researchers behind the scenes, to review literature for existing data and to rank questions, based on popularity.

This piece of work has gravitas; not only will it conclude in a major report for the Student Mental Health sector, it will also form the basis of SMaRteN’s fourth and final funding call.

Students participating in this project will receive training in survey development and qualitative and quantitative data analysis. 

Your work will be supported by Dan Robotham from the McPin Foundation and Professor Dame Til Wykes, who have extensive experience working with stakeholder groups to establish research priorities. 

Big Data
Project B

With increased concern about student mental health, university leaders and policy makers are looking for ways to better support student mental health – but how? From a public health or health promotion perspective, there is real value in intervening early or “upstream” to reduce the likelihood of students developing mental health problems. However, as we recognise that there are many complex and interacting factors that influence student mental health, where should we intervene? Should universities provide more peer support? Encourage self-help? Work to reduce exposures to bullying or academic pressure? Would it help to promote activities that increase meaningful social interactions? Could anti-stigma campaigns or psycho-education help?

One of the real challenges here is identifying the key factors that influence student mental health and how these interact. To date, most research into student mental health has been piecemeal – looking at factors in isolation. For instance, one study might tell us about the effects of academic pressure, but not whether this was more or less of a challenge for students than living arrangements, or some other factor. To really understand how multiple factors interact, we need larger studies. For such studies to be a success, students need to engage, completing questionnaires or allowing researchers to use the personal data universities hold. This raises difficult ethical and practical questions.

As a member of the SMaRteN Student Research team, you will play a key role in this. You’ll work with us to identify the key challenges around developing a large-scale study to look at student mental health. Together with your team members, and supported by the SMaRteN leadership team, you will tackle the important questions.

Students taking part in this project will receive training in research ethics and big data. This work will be supported by Professor Matthew Hotopf, Co-Director of the RADAR-CNS project.

A National Student Mental Health Conference
​We have funding in place for two one-day conferences to bring together students and researchers interested in student mental health. The conferences should further be a learning opportunity for students to learn more about mental health in higher education and for researchers to better understand the student perspective.
The conferences are to take place:

• 17th December 2019 - organised primarily by the 2018-19 Student Team, with some assistance from the incoming group - please hold this date.​

Time commitments

​We expect students joining the network to join for one year (from December to December). Within that year you will be expected to take part in a few set events spanning over 7 days in total:

• Two-day training on 17th and 18th February.
• Team meeting days (one day each in total), usually with two or three throughout the year.
• The SMaRteN Conference on 17th December 2019.

In addition to these core events and depending on what you would like to get involved in, you may want to factor in up to an approximate time commitment of 2 to 3 hours a week.  This will include:  

• Engaging with a research project.
• Planning and preparing for the student-led conference.​

All events will take place in London. You will be able to claim travel expenses and we provide accommodation if needed. 

How will the Student Team be supported?​

We want to make sure that all students participating as part of the research team have the skills and confidence to take part in research activities. To this end, we have planned for annual training to help new members of the Student-Led Research Team get up to speed. Training will take place on Monday 17th and Tuesday 18th February.

In addition to this, the team meetings will provide opportunities for additional training. SMaRteN will make every effort to work around academic commitments.
​
In developing the priority setting partnership, the team will be supported by an expert researcher with specific skills and experience in the area. The team will also be supported by Laura Beswick, the SMaRteN research project manager, who works full time to support the network and the Student-Led Research Team. 

What are the benefits in participating?

As a member of the Student-Led Research Team, you will be able to work with internationally recognised researchers and contribute directly to research projects. Other benefits:

• You will receive training throughout, enabling you to develop and use new research skills.
• All expenses to attend and engage with training and network events will be covered. 
• This experience will be a valuable addition to your C.V.
• Participate in funding panels and steering group meetings, gaining experience of the behind-the-scenes of research.
• To hear from the current Student Team about what they've gained from being part of SMaRteN, head to the Students page.

Get involved

​Who?
We invite applications from any students - undergraduate and postgraduate -  who will be able to make the time commitments outlined above. We are keen to work with students with lived experience of mental health difficulties, as well as those who have an interest in mental health but no lived experience.
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Given the time commitment, we recommend that participation in this network may be particularly suitable for second year undergraduate students (starting in December of your second year at University).

This opportunity will not be suitable for final year students, as events and research commitments will run through your final exams and continue beyond the end of your degree.

We are keen to work with students from a diverse range of backgrounds, subjects of study and universities. We do not expect the student team to have pre-existing research skills or experience.

We will be looking for commitment to the aims and objectives of the network and an enthusiasm to participate and learn, rather than (necessarily) pre-existing knowledge or experience.

​As there is a substantive time commitment, you may want to discuss your application with your personal tutor and ask for their opinion on whether you are able to engage with this project without jeopardising your own academic studies. 

How?
Complete the following form to apply to the SMaRteN Student Research Team:  https://kcliop.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6sYLwOBdbbWJpGJ

The deadline for applications is 17th November 2019 at midnight.

Telephone interviews to join the Student Led Research Team will take place on the 25th and 26th November.

Apply now!

Looking forward

The aims and objectives of the Student-Led Research Team detailed above are part of the four-year lifespan of SMaRteN. To learn more about the experiences and work of the 2018-19 cohort, click the Students tab.