PhD Research Studentship

Introduction

The University of Bedfordshire are pleased to offer a full-time PhD studentship in the subject area described below. This exciting new studentship has been made available through the collaboration of the Institute for Health Research and Keech Hospice Care. The scholarship is offered in the Institute for Health Research and will cover tuition fees, bursary per annum as well as research and conference attendance expenses.

The institution

The University of Bedfordshire’s vision is ‘to create a vibrant multi-cultural learning community enabling people to transform their lives by participating in excellent, innovative education, scholarship and research’.

The Institute for Health Research (IHR) is a centre of excellence in research. Currently, our staff and research students come from more than 25 countries to create a strong global research community with interests in public health, health inequalities, maternal and child health, health informatics, epidemiology, chronic and infectious diseases, primary care, biostatistics, mental health and health services research.

IHR capitalises on local, national and international opportunities for collaborative interdisciplinary cross-boundary research and innovation in health. A major goal of the IHR research programme is to understand the factors which determine health and health behaviour and aspects of local contexts, health systems and political economies that influence the successful implementation of proven health interventions and technologies.

The emphasis in the IHR is on multidisciplinary working and integration to create synergy and use researcher strengths to maximum effect. The IHR has strong collaborative links in the UK and also in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and America. The IHR hosts an MSc in public health and offers extensive postgraduate research training to its approximately 50 doctoral students.

Our PhD School is a lively community comprising of a wealth of interests mainly in applied health research but also in global public health, epidemiology, nursing, midwifery, psychology and related disciplines.

Our aim is to provide a liberal and dynamic environment for PhD students from around the world to explore their interests and evolve into becoming the next leaders in health research.

About Keech

Keech Hospice Care is an all-age hospice, providing care for children with a life-limiting condition from Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire & Milton Keynes, and adults with a palliative condition from Bedfordshire and their families. 

The candidate

The successful candidate will have experience in the health and/or social care sector and a very good, proven academic record. The studentship holder will be key in developing and maintaining local networks with an emphasis on harnessing the collaboration between partner organisations. It is expected that the successful applicant will help develop new national collaborations and foster knowledge exchange between the University and the health sector, thus ensuring the research has resonance and applicability beyond the immediate project.

You will be joining an international research centre of excellence with a strong postgraduate presence and culture.

Area of research

There is recognition that access, experience and outcomes in relation to palliative and end of life care services is not equitable across all communities in the UK. There is a significant gap in understanding the needs of Eastern European communities in the UK. The University of Bedfordshire and Keech Hospice Care are committed to widening participation in research and practice. The proposed study improving our understanding of access, experiences and outcomes in relation to palliative and end of life care services among Eastern European communities living in Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire.

In consultation with the Director of Studies, Professor Gurch Randhawa, and co-supervisor, Dr Erica Cook, the successful candidate and the experienced supervisory team will be responsible for developing the final project outline to ensure that it draws on the student’s interests, background and research expertise.

Term

The bursary will commence in October 2024, initially for two years for the MPhil stage with a further year for PhD completion, subject to satisfactory progress. The studentship is for three years and is available for UK and EU candidates meeting the Research Council criterion of having been resident in the UK for the previous three years. Students not from the UK or EU will have to fund the difference between the UK/EU fee level and the full international student fee. Please consult the University website to determine what these fees would be and note that the presently advertised fee is likely to rise on annual basis.

The studentship will include tuition fees, a stipend of £19,237, research support and travel.

Entry criteria

• A good first degree in health-related studies or cognate discipline.
• Masters-level degree in a subject related to the project.
• Applicants for whom English is not their first language are required to demonstrate their ability in English, typically B2 level English qualification such as IELTS 7.0.

Please visit https://www.beds.ac.uk/rgs/apply/ and submit your application following the instruction to research@beds.ac.uk   quoting the appropriate reference number (RES23224) in the subject line. Applicants need to submit a 1,000 word proposal setting out how they would approach the proposed subject area as a PhD study. In addition to a CV all applicants will need to send a cover letter with supporting information on their experience and skills and how these relate to the advertised PhD.

Interviews will take place on June 10^th 2024

For informal discussions or non-application related queries, please contact Professor Gurch Randhawa, Director of Studies, Director - Institute for Health Research via email gurch.randhawa@beds.ac.uk

Closing date: May 31^st May 2024