PhD Studentship: Deakin-Coventry Consortium of Motor Skill for Holistic Development

This is an exciting opportunity to study a PhD as part of a cotutelle arrangement between Coventry University, UK and Deakin University, Australia. The programme is for a duration of 3.5 years (funding only for 3.5 years, maximum allowed time 4 years) and scheduled to commence in May 2025. 

This project will be starting at Coventry University, UK

Project details

We are a transdisciplinary, international collaboration focused on youth movement behaviour and links to holistic development. We use innovative techniques and cutting-edge approaches to solve the population issues around inadequate motor skill development and poor levels of physical activity. We utilise a variety of multidisciplinary approaches to understand complex systems, design better measurement, develop interventions, and translate our findings to end-users.

Our work links explicitly into Health, Educational, Cognitive and Sports and Exercise related outcomes and spans disciplines including Sport and Exercise Science, Public Health, Biological Sciences, Systems Science and Education.

The PhD projects will explore one of the following areas, depending on skill set, experience and interest of the applicants

• Understanding how motor competence may prevent sports injury (e.g., ACL)
• Objective automated novel technologies for motor skill measurement that can be used by the end user (e.g., teachers, coaches)
• Developing instrumentation around physical literacy that can be used by the end user (e.g., teachers, coaches)
• Complex system science intervention frameworks/evaluations in motor skill development
• School based strength and conditioning to improve children’s motor competence, physical activity and health
• Novel ways to increase children’s physical literacy

Entry requirements

Applicants must meet the admission and scholarship criteria for both Coventry University and Deakin University for entry to the cotutelle programme.

• Applicants should have graduated within the top 15% of their undergraduate cohort. This might include a high 2:1 in a relevant discipline/subject area with a minimum 70% mark (80% for Australian graduates) in the project element or equivalent with a minimum 70% overall module average (80% for Australian graduates).
• A Bachelor's degree in a relevant field requiring at least four years of full-time study, and which normally includes a research component which is equivalent to at least 25% of a year’s full-time study in the fourth year, with achievement of a grade for the project equivalent to a H1 standard or 80%.

OR

• a Masters degree, with a significant research component, in a relevant subject area, with overall mark at minimum Distinction.
• In addition, the mark for the Masters thesis (or equivalent) must be a minimum of 80%.
• Please note that where a candidate has 70-79% and can provide evidence of research experience to meet equivalency to the minimum first-class honours equivalent (80%+) additional evidence can be submitted and may include independently peer-reviewed publications, research-related awards or prizes and/or professional reports.
• Language proficiency (IELTS overall minimum score of 7.0 with a minimum of 6.5 in each component).

How to apply

To find out more about the project, please contact Professor Michael Duncan.

All applications require full supporting documentation, a covering letter, a 2000-word supporting statement showing how the expertise and interests are relevant to the project.

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