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Leeds Beckett University, Carnegie School of Sport - Centre for Human Performance Funded PhD Studentships
Leeds Beckett University, Carnegie School of Sport - Centre for Human Performance Funded PhD Studentships
Each year the Carnegie School of Sport invites applications from individuals with a strong academic record to our funded PhD studentship programme. This is an exciting opportunity for enthusiastic individuals looking to undertake a PhD in a vibrant research environment.
The Carnegie School of Sport at Leeds Beckett University is purposefully driven by a focus on working together to make a positive difference. Our strength is the breadth and depth of our research, which is underpinned by the disciplinary experience of our colleagues and students. Pursuing an inclusive and ambitious research agenda, we cross the broad spectrum of the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities. Our research culture is founded upon a genuine commitment and capacity to work with others on real-world applied problems, to achieve impact beyond academia. From our leading work on talent development, coaching practice, and anti-doping, to our research in gender equality, ageing and obesity, we work to apply our knowledge to address some of the key issues facing our communities today.
We are inviting applications for projects across four of our centres and our institute. Information on the projects that are aligned with our Centre for Human Performance are available on this page.
Our studentships are:
- Full-time
- We fund UK fees and provide a stipend of £17,668
- Start date: October 2023
- Location: Leeds, UK
- There are four studentships available for named projects across our research centres and institute
CENTRE FOR HUMAN PERFORMANCE
Centre Director: Prof. John O’Hara (J.OHara@leedsbeckett.ac.uk)
The Centre for Human Performance research spans basic science conducted in our laboratories through to translational science on the track, on the pitch and in the mountains. Although we are interested in optimising human performance, we believe this should never compromise athlete wellbeing and welfare, and the integrity of sport. Therefore, our research also offers a critical understanding of the psychosocial, moral and cultural dimensions of sport.
The Centre for Human Performance three PhD projects are (see project overview section below):
- Defining the role of athlete support personnel in protecting and promoting integrity and welfare in sport
- Post-traumatic sarcopenia in athletes: A pre and post-injury lean mass assessment of the hamstrings, quadriceps, adductor and calf muscles in professional footballers
- The physiological and biomechanical causal factors that determine resilience in endurance running performance in men and women
We strongly advise potential applicants to discuss their proposals with the contact listed in the project overview section.
Encouraging applications from under-represented groups
We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive PGR community that will bring different perspectives to our work. Therefore, we welcome applications from under-represented groups, particularly Black, Asian and people from other ethnically diverse backgrounds, women, LGBTQ+ and people with a disability. All appointments will be based on merit.
The deadline for applications is (midnight) 11 June 2023
View more about our Carnegie School of Sport Building and Facilities
Funding will consist of UK full tuition fees for three years and the award of a living stipend at UK Research Council rates (£17,668 per annum pro-rata into 12 monthly payments). Funding will be subject to satisfactory progress.
A laptop will be provided and the opportunity to apply for funding to support the research project.
HP1 - Defining the role of athlete support personnel in protecting and promoting integrity and welfare in sport
Athlete Support Personnel (ASP) play a significant role in protecting and promoting integrity and welfare in sport. Taking the behavioural threat of doping, research highlights differences across professional roles, with medical staff and nutritionists being most active in addressing inadvertent doping and psychologists indirectly addressing vulnerability for intentional doping in their routine practice. Building on these initial insights, this programme of research will draw on behavioural science and professional standards to clarify how one ASP group can protect and promote integrity and welfare and will determine how to bring the professional standards to life through policy, programmes and ongoing support.
Supervisory Team:
HP2 - Post-traumatic sarcopenia in athletes: A pre and post-injury lean mass assessment of the hamstrings, quadriceps, adductor and calf muscles in professional footballers
Common muscle injuries in footballers involve calf, hamstrings, adductors and rectus femoris and can lead to permanent loss of muscle mass and reduced function, adversely affecting a player’s career. A novel protocol has been developed using DEXA to isolate and assess specific muscle mass loss. The main objective of this project is to assess the extent of muscle mass loss in footballers who have experienced common muscle injuries, and the ultimate aim is to investigate the relationships between injury severity and muscle mass loss. This research will provide crucial insights into the development of effective prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation strategies, with the potential to positively impact the long-term careers of footballers.
Supervisory Team:
HP3 - The physiological and biomechanical causal factors that determine resilience in endurance running performance in men and women
The physiological and biomechanical attributes that causally determine endurance performance change during the course of long-duration exercise as a consequence of intensity and duration (Kyröläinen et al., 2000). The ability to sustain a high running speed, helped by maintaining a low running economy, relates to an emerging concept in sports physiology, termed resilience (Jones et al., 2021). The biomechanical and physiological causes of the deterioration of these attributes, and the variation in the changes that occur, are currently unknown but are essential to understand in optimising world-class performances. Through biomechanical analysis of kinematic and kinetic data coupled with physiological measures, this multidisciplinary research programme aims to identify the causal factors that best determine physiological resilience and endurance running performance in men and women at an individual level, examine the underlying causes of deterioration, and explore how their effects might be modified via interventions such as training, footwear and nutrition.
Supervisory Team:
- Dr Brian Hanley
- Dr Barney Wainwright
- Professor Andrew Jones (Advisor University of Exeter)
As part of your application, please provide a CV, cover letter and research proposal. The proposal should align to the above theme and include a brief literature review related to this project, with an outline of the studies that you would propose to the answer the aims of the PhD (maximum 5 pages single spaced).
We can only consider complete applications. The research degree application is complete once you have uploaded all of the following:
- Your application form (include the project reference CSS HP (plus the project number)
- Your research proposal, statement of purpose and CV on the Research Proposal Template
- Copies of your bachelors and master certificates, including transcripts
- Copy of your IELTS (or equivalent) certificate (if applicable) further information can be found on our Graduate School FAQs
- Copy of your passport
Email the documentation above to researchadmissions@leedsbeckett.ac.uk
The deadline for applications is midnight on 11 June 2023
Candidates must be available for interview on 26, 27, and 28 July 2023
For candidates outside the UK. Please ensure that you contact our colleagues in Research Admissions prior to starting your application. They will go through the requirements that will need to be undertaken for you to study in the UK. Research Admissions can be contacted on researchadmissions@leedsbeckett.ac.uk
Who to contact
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To discuss your application and project proposal please contact the named contacts listed in the Project Overview Section
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For questions on the application process please contact researchadmissions@leedsbeckett.ac.uk
For candidates outside the UK. Please ensure that you contact our colleagues in Research Admissions prior to starting your application. They will go through the requirements that will need to be undertaken for you to study in the UK. Research Admissions can be contacted on researchadmissions@leedsbeckett.ac.uk
