Funded PhD: Sensory inequalities and access to blue space

Project outline

Applications are sought for a doctoral candidate to investigate the lived experiences of people with auditory or visual impairments in relation to blue space (including outdoor swimming). In particular, this project will examine how people with sensory impairments value and engage with blue space; the specific wellbeing outcomes (physical, social and psychological) that may be experienced by people with sensory impairments who participate in outdoor swimming and blue space engagement; the barriers to blue space/outdoor swimming engagement and provision.

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. Candidates holding a 2.1 degree in humanities/social sciences who have a sensory impairment are particularly encouraged to apply for this award.

Applicants must contact the lead supervisor, Dr Catherine Kelly, 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 geography, wellbeing, tourism, coldwater physiology

Centres of Research and Enterprise Excellence

Centre for Aquatic Environments

Centre for Arts and Wellbeing

Centre for Change, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management (CENTRIM)

Centre for Spatial, Environmental and Cultural Politics

Deadline Wednesday 04 January 2023, 16.00hr

Interviews 24 January-08 February 2023

Find out how to apply

Project supervisors at University of Brighton

Dr Catherine Kelly

I welcome the opportunity to supervise PhD students with an interest in the areas of tourism and wellbeing, place and wellbeing, sustainability, nature-based tourism, coastal tourism, blue spaces, water and wellbeing, rural tourism, cultural/heritage tourism, national parks and biospheres.

Dr Mary Gearey

I am interested in supervising postgraduate research students (PhDs and MRes) in the following areas: community led water resource governance; sustainable water futures; elder environmental activism; nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation, degrowth theory in relation to environmental citizenship.

Other supervisors

Dr Ben Whitburn, University of Southampton

Dr Heather Massey, University of Portsmouth

Other collaborators

Environment Agency Blue Space (Health and Inequalities) Forum

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.

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.