AdminIn today’s data-driven health landscape, the intersection of digital technology and medical research offers a uniquely exciting career pathway — especially for those passionate about improving clinical outcomes through data excellence. The University of Limerick (UL) in Ireland has just opened a compelling opportunity in this space: a Research Assistant role within the eHealth-Hub for Cancer. For researchers, data scientists, and health-tech specialists alike, this position presents the chance to contribute meaningfully to impactful cancer research while gaining valuable experience in clinical data curation and standards.
A Strategic Role in a Leading Research Initiative
The eHealth-Hub for Cancer is an emerging centre of innovation with the goal of pushing boundaries in digital health research related to cancer. With funding spanning through Ireland’s Higher Education Authority and collaborations involving leading academic and clinical partners, the Hub serves as a nexus for high-impact research focused on data interoperability, clinical insights, and translational outcomes.
At its core, the role of Research Assistant is pivotal in ensuring the success of the eHealth-Hub Blood Cancer Project — an initiative built on the careful curation and management of clinical data. This project seeks to harness the power of digital health to understand and eventually improve outcomes for patients dealing with blood cancers.
What Makes This Role Special
Unlike many traditional research assistant positions that may focus largely on literature reviews, lab work, or administrative tasks, this role is deeply embedded in clinical data management — a skillset that’s increasingly crucial in today’s research ecosystem.
Here’s what makes this position stand out:
📌 Focus on Clinical Data Curation
At the heart of the role is the responsibility for clinical data curation — that is, the process of organizing, standardizing, and ensuring the integrity of clinical data for analysis and research use. This requires a nuanced understanding of data standards, medical records, and how datasets can be transformed into research-ready assets.
This isn’t simply about storing information; it’s about creating a reliable foundation for real health insights. Researchers with strong data curation skills help bridge the gap between raw clinical information and the analytical needs of scientists, clinicians, and data modelers.
📌 Connection to Real-World Healthcare
Unlike purely theoretical research, the work conducted through the eHealth-Hub links directly back to clinical settings — particularly through its office base within the Clinical Education and Research Centre (CERC) at University Hospital Limerick. This situates the Research Assistant at the crossroads of healthcare and academia, enabling collaboration with clinicians, researchers, and healthcare professionals who are actively involved in patient care.
📌 Collaboration With Leadership
The successful candidate will report directly to Professor Aedin Culhane, the Lead Principal Investigator of the project. Working closely with senior researchers exposes early-career professionals to mentorship and insights into how impactful research initiatives are steered from conception to execution.
Who the University of Limerick Is Looking For
While the full detailed job description contains role-specific criteria, the key expectations from University of Limerick include:
- Strong experience in data curation and clinical data standards. Given the clinical orientation of this research, familiarity with healthcare datasets, medical terminologies, and standardized data structures is crucial.
- A background fitted to both health science and data discipline. The role sits at the intersection of medicine, health informatics, and quantitative research — meaning candidates with interdisciplinary skills could stand out.
- A capacity for collaboration and interdisciplinary work. The eHealth-Hub operates across different units (from the School of Medicine to the Clinical Education and Research Centre), meaning flexibility and effective communication are important.
Institutional Support and Environment
Being part of the University of Limerick means joining an energetic, research-led, and enterprising academic community. UL has established a reputation for innovation, excellence in education, and scholarship — values that are at the core of its mission. The university’s motto, Eagna chun Gnímh, translates as “Wisdom for Action,” embodying its commitment to impactful knowledge creation.
The Faculty of Education & Health Sciences and the School of Medicine provide a dynamic academic context for interdisciplinary research, particularly for projects like the eHealth-Hub, which combine computing, clinical insight, and health analytics.
Competitive Compensation and Contract
The Research Assistant position is offered on a specific purpose/temporary contract, with a salary scale between €33,291 and €43,372 per annum (pro rata). The exact starting salary will depend on experience and qualifications.
The contract also places the role within a structured academic research programme — a valuable experience for early-career researchers or professionals looking to advance towards doctoral or postdoctoral opportunities.
How to Apply
Prospective applicants are required to submit:
- A current CV, showcasing relevant experience and qualifications.
- A letter of introduction explaining how they meet the criteria outlined in the job description.
- A completed online application form. https://universityvacancies.com/university-limerick/research-assistant-ehealth-hub?
All application materials need to be submitted before 12 noon Irish Standard Time on Thursday, 12th February 2026. Any difficulties with submission should be directed to the UL recruitment email provided in the listing.
Why This Matters in the Broader Context
The importance of roles like this in today’s research and healthcare landscape cannot be overstated. We’re living in an era where data equals insight, and the ability to effectively manage and curate that data directly impacts the quality of research outputs and real-world healthcare improvements.
In cancer research, in particular, data-driven insights can accelerate discovery, elucidate trends across populations, and support clinical decision-making. The Blood Cancer Project at the eHealth-Hub is poised to contribute to these kinds of insights because of its foundation in high-quality, standardized clinical data.
For researchers looking to make a difference, roles like this offer a rare chance to engage in meaningful work at the nexus of computational research, healthcare delivery, and patient outcome improvement.
Final Thoughts
If you are passionate about digital health, clinical research, and the meaningful application of data science to real-world problems, the Research Assistant position at the eHealth-Hub, University of Limerick deserves serious consideration. It’s more than a job — it’s a chance to contribute to cutting-edge research that has the potential to advance our understanding of cancer and transform how clinical data informs real medical progress.
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