The University of Galway is recruiting a full-time Postdoctoral Researcher/Research Associate in Maternity Patient Safety and Healthcare Simulation for a 24-month fixed-term post at the Irish Centre for Applied Patient Safety and Simulation (ICAPSS), School of Medicine, in Galway, Ireland. The salary scale is โฌ47,273 - โฌ60,250 per annum, the post starts on 1 January 2027, and applications close at 17:00 (Irish Time) on 11 November 2026. At Youth Works Hub, we reviewed the vacancy and set out below everything the university has published about the role.
The Position in Brief
๐๏ธ Employer: University of Galway
๐งช Centre: Irish Centre for Applied Patient Safety and Simulation (ICAPSS)
๐ซ School: School of Medicine
๐ผ Position: Postdoctoral Researcher/Research Associate, Maternity Patient Safety and Healthcare Simulation
โฑ๏ธ Working time: 1 FTE (full-time)
๐ Contract: Fixed term, 24 months
๐ Start: Available from 1 January 2027
๐ถ Salary scale: โฌ47,273 - โฌ60,250 per annum
๐ฆ Funder: Health Research Board (HRB)
๐ข Vacancy reference: 012018
๐ Location: Galway, Ireland
Where You Will Work: ICAPSS at the School of Medicine
The post sits within the Irish Centre for Applied Patient Safety and Simulation (ICAPSS), part of the School of Medicine at the University of Galway, Ireland. Further information about the centre is available on the ICAPSS website, listed in the Links section below.
How the Post Is Funded
The position is funded by the Health Research Board (HRB). It is available from 1 January 2027 for 24 months, which sets the full length of the fixed-term contract.
The NURTURE Project
The successful candidate will work on the NURTURE project, whose full name is Navigating and Understanding the Relational, Team-based, and Unit-level Resources that Enable Exceptional Maternity Care. The project is led by Professor Paul O'Connor.
A Different Approach to Patient Safety: Safety-II and Positive Deviance
Traditionally, patient safety research has focused on understanding why things go wrong. The NURTURE project takes a different approach:
๐ It draws on Safety-II to look at what makes care succeed.
๐ It draws on positive deviance to learn from care that goes notably well.
๐คฐ It sets out to understand why maternity care goes well, particularly during complex and high-risk births.
What the Project Aims to Achieve
๐งญ Identify the behaviours that enable exceptional maternity care.
๐ค Identify the teamwork practices that enable exceptional care.
๐ข Identify the organisational conditions that enable exceptional care.
๐ Explore how these can be supported and shared across maternity services.
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๐ All opportunities in Ireland โ
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What the Researcher Will Do
The successful candidate will contribute to:
๐๏ธ Qualitative interviews with maternity staff and mothers
๐ฉบ Simulation-based research
๐งฉ Co-design workshops
๐ Data analysis
๐ข Dissemination of findings
Why This Role Matters
The position offers an opportunity to contribute to innovative research aimed at improving maternity care and patient safety in Ireland.
Salary and Pay Scale Placement
๐ถ The Postdoctoral Researcher/Research Associate salary scale is โฌ47,273 - โฌ60,250 per annum, subject to the project's funding limitations.
โ Pay is pro rata for shorter and/or part-time contracts.
1๏ธโฃ The default position for all new public sector appointments is the 1st point of the salary scale.
๐ This may be reviewed, and consideration afforded to appointment at a higher point on the payscale (subject to the project's funding limitations), where evidence of prior years' equivalent experience is accepted in determining placement on the scale above point 1, subject to the maximum of the scale.
๐ The applicable scales are the university's Research Salary Scales.
Requirements and Full Job Description
The university asks candidates to review the full job description (012018 Full Job Description) for further details and essential requirements. It is published on the vacancy page linked below, together with the university's Terms & Conditions.
Closing Date Rules
โฐ Applications must be received by 17:00 (Irish Time) on 11 November 2026.
๐ซ It will not be possible to consider applications received after the closing date.
Find more opportunities like this in our jobs listings on Youth Works Hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the University of Galway maternity patient safety postdoc?
It is a full-time, 24-month fixed-term Postdoctoral Researcher/Research Associate position at the Irish Centre for Applied Patient Safety and Simulation (ICAPSS), School of Medicine, University of Galway. The researcher works on the NURTURE project on exceptional maternity care.
What is the salary?
The Postdoctoral Researcher/Research Associate salary scale is โฌ47,273 - โฌ60,250 per annum, subject to the project's funding limitations, and pro rata for shorter and/or part-time contracts. New appointments start by default at the 1st point of the scale.
Can I be appointed above the first point of the scale?
Possibly. Placement at a higher point may be considered, subject to the project's funding limitations, where evidence of prior years' equivalent experience is accepted, up to the maximum of the scale.
When does the position start and how long does it last?
The position is available from 1 January 2027 for 24 months.
Who funds the position?
The position is funded by the Health Research Board (HRB).
What is the NURTURE project about?
NURTURE (Navigating and Understanding the Relational, Team-based, and Unit-level Resources that Enable Exceptional Maternity Care) is led by Professor Paul O'Connor. Drawing on Safety-II and positive deviance, it studies why maternity care goes well, particularly during complex and high-risk births.
What tasks will the researcher carry out?
The successful candidate will contribute to qualitative interviews with maternity staff and mothers, simulation-based research, co-design workshops, data analysis and dissemination of findings.
Where are the essential requirements listed?
The essential requirements are set out in the full job description (012018 Full Job Description), which the university asks applicants to review on the vacancy page.
What time do applications close?
Applications close at 17:00 (Irish Time) on 11 November 2026, and applications received after the closing date cannot be considered.
Does the vacancy state a nationality restriction?
No nationality or country restriction is stated in the vacancy text.
Deadline
โณ 11 November 2026
Links
๐ Vacancy page and application (University of Galway): https://my.corehr.com/pls/nuigrecruit/erq_jobspec_version_4.display_form?p_company=1&p_internal_external=E&p_display_in_irish=N&p_recruitment_id=012018&p_process_type=&p_form_profile_detail=&p_display_apply_ind=Y&p_applicant_no=
๐ฅ Irish Centre for Applied Patient Safety and Simulation (ICAPSS): https://www.universityofgalway.ie/icapss/
