Funded PhD: Living well in cold homes - A mixed-methods study of people from Black Minority Ethnic backgrounds living in fuel poor households

Project outline

This studentship offers the opportunity to develop a mixed methods (quantitative/ qualitative) research project with, and for, people from Black Minority Ethnic backgrounds living in fuel poor households. The project will explore the experiences, challenges, solutions, and physical, mental and social wellbeing of BME individuals and households living in fuel poverty. The current context of rising fuel prices and the need for decarbonisation in the housing sector creates a unique opportunity to contribute to social and health policy debates. The PhD will contribute to a wider programme of public health, care, and well-being located within the School of Sport and Health Sciences. The studentship offers the opportunity to develop innovative methodologies to engage people living in fuel poor households, and both theoretically and empirically, offers an important contribution to public health/health promotion strategies and policies that impact on health and social policies.

This project call welcomes and encourages applicants from under-represented backgrounds, i.e. applicants from black and minority ethnic backgrounds, especially groups experiencing educational disadvantage/under-achievement; disabled students; students from poorer/less educationally advantaged backgrounds, or combinations of the above.

Applicants must contact the lead supervisor, Dr Nigel Sherriff, for further project details and for advice on how to work on a research proposal that develops their response to the project. This will accompany the application. (For supervisor contact details, click on their profile below.) Speculative applications will not be accepted.

Please ensure your application includes the full project title and name of the lead supervisor (section 8 of the application form).

Key facts

Themes social class, young people

Centre of Research and Enterprise Excellence

Resilience and Social Justice

Research and Enterprise Group

Public Health and Wellbeing

Deadline Wednesday 04 January 2023, 16.00hr

Interviews 24 January-08 February 2023

Find out how to apply

Project supervisors at University of Brighton

Prof Nigel Sherriff

I am interested in supervising PhD candidates in a number of public health and health promotion areas. My current research (see profile) includes a global project on health services during CV-19, European research on syphilis, substance (mis)use, and LGBTI inequalities taking an international perspective. PhD candidates are welcome to contact me to develop PhD projects around these areas, but also any of the below:

Sexual health (including HIV and other STIs) and sexual orientation
Access to health and social care services for ‘vulnerable’ populations
Healthy public policy and health inequalities
Mental health
Parenthood (including fathers supporting breastfeeding)
Young people
LGBT lives
Tackling stigma and discrimination
Gender identities (masculinities and femininities)
Peer group cultures
Sexual assault/gender based violence/intimate partner violence

I also supervise candidates for PhD by publication and welcome applications/enquiries

Prof Jorg Huber

I am happy to supervise projects within my range of expertise which includes health psychology and applied health, medical and health care research in the widest sense. Given my background I tend to focus on quantitative and experimental or interventionist methods. Increasingly i am involved in mixed methods projects with a strong qualitative method. In the past i have supervised projects in the field of diabetes and also forensic mental health.

My current interests are very much about applying a relationship approach to e.g. long term conditions and the way people live with and adjust to long term conditions or other health challenges. Resilience and stigma in long term coniditons is of interest to me, extending my current work on diabetes and HIV/AIDS. Exploring links around adjustment, stigma and the additional challenges due to social and health inequalities is a priority to me. Finally, development of interventions in these fields would be of considerable interest to me.

Dr Alexandra Sawyer

Current PhD students

Arthur Gaillard - Production of knowledge in Sport for Development
Diroshi Neththikumara Haththellage - Being a woman in Sri Lanka; a phenomenological approach

I am interested in supervising Masters and PhD students in all areas of health psychology, health promotion, and public health. Particular interests include:

preterm birth and its impact on families;
parents' experiences of participating in neonatal trials;
sexual and reproductove health;
maternal mental health.

Entry requirements

Academic entry requirements

We fund students undertaking Masters+PhD programmes (1+3 funding) and stand-alone PhD programmes (+3 funding).

1+3 funding

Applicants must have or expect to gain:

a good honours degree at first or upper second-class level, from a UK academic higher education institution, or a combination of qualifications and/or experience that is equivalent to a relevant UK degree.

Applicants are also required to submit a research proposal of up to 750 words.

+3 PhD funding

Applicants must have:

a good honours degree at first or upper second-class level, from a UK academic higher education institution, or a combination of qualifications and/or experience that is equivalent to a relevant UK degree.

And have or expect to gain:

a level of research training that would allow them to proceed directly to PhD. This is usually through the attainment of a previous masters qualification in the social sciences with a Merit grade.

Applicants are also required to submit a research proposal of up to 1500 words.

English language entry requirements

Applicants whose first language is not English and/or who are not resident in exempt countries must have successfully completed a Secure English language Test (SELT) in the last two years. Applicants who have obtained a UK degree in the last three years or who are currently studying for a UK degree may apply without a SELT. However, the university may request a SELT is taken as part of any award made. See UK Government guidance for full details.

English language IELTS requirements should be 7.0 overall, 7 for writing, and none below 6.0.

Residential eligibility

Applications from Home and non-UK resident students can be accepted. There will be a recruitment cap of 30% on non-UK resident studentships awarded across the consortium. The management of this cap will be through the selection process. Successful candidates will receive a full stipend and fees at the UKRI rate.

The ESRC guidelines for funding stipulate that if successful, students must live in the UK and within reasonable access to the Institution they are registered at.

Further information on residential eligibility is here.

Funding

UK residents

ESRC through the South Coast DTP provides a tax-free stipend at UKRI rates (£17,668 per year in 2022-23) and covers fees for the duration of the studentship (four years for 1+3 and three years for +3) for home (UK) residents.

South Coast DTP PhD students will also have access to a Research Training Support Grant for activities such as carrying out fieldwork within the UK, purchasing essential equipment and attending relevant conferences.

There are also funds available for students to carry out overseas institutional visits and internships. Further details of these can be found on the South Coast DTP website.

EU and International applicants

See residential eligibility above.

How to apply

Before you apply

Applicants must submit:

An institutional (University of Brighton) research degree application (deadline 04 January 2023).
A consortium (South Coast DTP) funding application. (We will support you in completing your funding application after the University of Brighton's 04 January deadline prior to the South Coast DTP deadline of 23 January 2023.)

Please make sure that you meet the entry requirements before making your application, and have read all of our advice about writing your research proposal and making an application on the above tabs.

Research proposal

Please ensure your application includes the full project title and name of the lead supervisor (section 8 of the application form).

Speculative applications will not be accepted.

Apply online (all applicants)

To complete the application you'll need to upload the following:

copies of your bachelors and masters certificates (if applicable), including transcripts
copy of your IELTS (or equivalent) certificate (if applicable)
copy of your passport
two references uploaded or requested – one must be an academic reference from your most recent period of study, both must have been written within the last year
copy of your research proposal.

To make your application, follow the following steps.

Click on the ‘apply online now’ button on the right.
Select 'create a new account' to register and start a new application.
Once you are logged on, select 'apply to a new course'.
Select the type of course 'research degree'.
Select mode of study 'full-time' or 'part-time'.
Select 'Doctoral College'.
Select the course 'South Coast DTP (ESRC)' (full-time or part-time).
Click 'apply'.

You will now be able to complete the online application form.

Apply online now

Contact us

If you have any questions about this studentship, your research proposal or application, contact the Doctoral College at DoctoralCollege@brighton.ac.uk and we will be happy to help.