Among DE-PASS’ objectives is the goal to establish harmonisation of European cross-sectional and longitudinal data collection which involves objectively measured physical activity behaviours (PABs) and their determinants, which will be carried out by Work Group 4 (WG4). One of the planned outputs of DE-PASS WG4 (Deliverable 4.5) is a Europe-wide “proof of concept” cohort study. This family-based data collection will be completed in at least five European countries. In each of these countries physical activity data measured using an accelerometer based wearable device, and on-line questionnaire-based assessment of determinants will be recorded in a minimum of 50 families, in addition to other measures.
The post-doctoral researcher will work to co-ordinate data collection in all countries, designing and managing data collection procedures and protocols. They will also have an important role in the federated data analysis of the data collected in each centre. This project offers the opportunity to gain or enhance skills in project management, accelerometer-based data collection, and the design and implementation of large-scale surveillance studies.
The project Team: The project is being managed by Professor Alan Donnelly (University of Limerick) and Dr Kieran Dowd (Athlone Institute of Technology), both located in the Republic of Ireland. The post-doc will also have access to the expertise of the WG4 of DE-PASS, led by Prof Eco de Geus (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) and Dr Hidde Van der Ploeg (VU Medical Center, the Netherlands). The project team will provide significant support to applicants during the European application process.
The Host University: If successful, the post-doctoral researcher would be based in the Physical Activity for Health research cluster Physical Activity for Health (PAfH) | UL – Health Research Institute in the University of Limerick. The cluster is based in the Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences https://www.ul.ie/pess/ Ireland’s largest and longest established sport and exercise sciences department. The University of Limerick provides excellent support to post-doctoral researchers, including training, mentoring and career progression support. The University of Limerick (UL) is located on the west coast of Ireland along the picturesque river Shannon (About UL | UL – University of Limerick).
How do I apply? Potential applicants should contact the research team (alan.donnelly@ul.ie and K.dowd@ait.ie) regarding a Marie Curie application; an informal contact at first would be good. The application process for funding is competitive. Applicants generally need to be less than 8 years from PhD graduation, and have a strong track record in their PhD and in any prior post-doctoral work, including an excellent publication record and set of achievements. The closing date for the MSCA postdoctoral fellowship is the 12th October 2021. We would like to receive any informal contacts or expressions of interest before July 23rd.
