DSxHE is inviting expressions of interest for a Theme Lead to co-develop one of our most ambitious, community-led initiatives to date: embedding data diversity into the core of cancer research.

This opportunity is ideal for a mid- to senior-level researcher, academic, clinician, or sector professional with a strong track record and interest in equitable data practice. The work sits at the intersection of data science, cancer research, and health equity, with a specific focus on developing frameworks, tools, and training to help research institutions embed inclusion into their practices. This is a flexible, part-time opportunity that can sit alongside existing academic or research responsibilities.

Apply by sending your CV and a short statement of interest (details below).

About DSxHE

We are a global community that brings together experts and enthusiasts working at the intersection of data science and health inequities to ensure that the latest research, innovations and practice improve health equity. Launched in 2021, we are roughly midway through our 2024–27 strategy plan looking to accelerate our impact and achieve our vision of building a world where data improves everyone’s health.

Our goals

• Create community: We want to facilitate better connections between the health equity & data science worlds, through events, sharing opportunities and providing a space to learn and network.
• Raise awareness: We want to raise awareness about how data science, as a tool, can be used to better health equity, as well as elevating how data science might cause harm, and how to mitigate against it.
• Improve individual practices: We want to support channels for real-world impact for individuals, through translation of research, support in methodological developments for real-world applications, and implementation of effective tools in practice.
• Influence institutional action: We want to seize opportunities for top-down influence, through advocacy, policy change and influence of standards and definition of best practice for institutions, organisations and policymakers.

DSxHE collaborates with a range of academic, clinical, and community partners. Theme Leads typically retain their institutional affiliations and are acknowledged as collaborators or co-authors on DSxHE outputs, publications, and presentations where appropriate.

About the Role

You’ll be leading DSxHE’s new Data Diversity Theme – a community within the community. This Theme is a key pillar of a funded research project with CRUK, whose aim is to co-develop solutions to better embed diversity in biomedical research datasets.

The Theme Lead will help shape the project’s intellectual direction, outputs, and broader impact, working closely with DSxHE project leads, CRUK, and a Patient & Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) panel. The role involves elements of research leadership, stakeholder engagement, and translational practice.

The design and development of these solutions will be guided by the community and a PPIE Panel, but could include inclusive data collection protocols, training resources to upskill researchers, and frameworks to embed diversity principles into funding applications and research governance.

We’re looking for 1 Theme Lead at 0.2FTE (1 day/week), or 2 co-Leads at 0.1FTE (0.5 day/week), over the course of 18 months. Collectively, we’re after domain expertise in data science, health equity, PPIE, and cancer research, so even if you only tick a couple of these boxes, we’d still love to hear from you. Either way, you’ll work closely with the project team, CRUK, community members, and the PPIE Panel. This is a community-led, participatory research project – so people skills, facilitation, and collaborative leadership are as important as deep domain knowledge.

Responsibilities

Theme Leadership & Strategy

• Provide intellectual leadership for the DSxHE Data Diversity Theme