PhD Studentship: To Improve Evidence Based Practice (EBP) in Surgery

The School of Social Policy and Society is offering funding for doctoral research to improve Evidence Based Practice (EBP) in surgery. The studentship will explore how we can measure and incorporate the role of surgical instinct in EBP. The student will be supervised by academics from the Birmingham Centre for Evidence and Implementation Science (CEIS), University of Birmingham (Professor Amy Grove, Dr Arabella Scantlebury) and Aston University (Professor Adrian Gardner).

CEIS are a multi-disciplinary team at the forefront of methodological innovation and policy and practice change. The Centre encompasses: 1) An NIHR Technology Appraisal Review team 2) an NIHR Evidence Synthesis Group 3) an Evidence Based Surgery Unit and 4) a Policy and Methods Group. The successful applicant will benefit from opportunities for professional and personal development through established NIHR infrastructure including the West Midlands Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) and the NIHR Patient Safety Research Collaboration (PSRC).

There will be flexibility for the student to develop their own research questions. We anticipate that the studentship will involve:

• Developing and then piloting new research methods to capture the influence of surgical instinct on decision-making.
• Co-producing solutions that ensure future research evidence incorporates the role of experiential knowledge in surgical decision-making.

For informal enquiries, please contact Dr Arabella Scantlebury: a.l.scantlebury@bham.ac.uk

How to Apply for the PhD studentship:

Applications must be made through the University of Birmingham Postgraduate Application portal. Your application will not be considered if you do not apply for admission. To apply for admission please click here, selecting PhD in Health Services Management (full time or part time). Once you have applied, please email Pearl Pawson (p.pawson@bham.ac.uk) with your details and application number.

Your application should include:

• A personal statement / cover letter explaining why you are a suitable candidate and what you would bring to the PhD (2 pages maximum)
• A short (2 page maximum) research protocol to address the proposed research question
• A CV
• Two academic references
• Transcripts (previous qualifications)

Please mention that you are applying for the CEIS, evidence based surgery PhD studentship within your application. Full information about applying for a PhD at the University of Birmingham can be found at Apply for an advertised PhD - University of Birmingham.

Eligibility

The studentship is offered as a 3-year award (commencing 29th September 2025) on a full-time basis, or part-time equivalent. Applicants are expected to have a strong first degree (2:1) in a relevant health sciences/social science discipline, including demonstrable experience in applied health services research, and a Masters degree in a relevant discipline with research methods training (or equivalent professional training).

Financial information

University of Birmingham studentships within the School of Social Policy include tuition fees and a stipend. Stipends are funded in line with UKRI recommendations. The stipend for 2025/ is £20,780.

International students are encouraged to apply. In such instances, the studentship will cover the tuition fees at the international rate and provide a small maintenance grant. Remaining living expenses and any visa requirements must be funded from other sources.

Application deadline: 21st April 2025

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