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Leeds Beckett University, Carnegie School of Sport - Obesity Institute Funded PhD Studentships
Leeds Beckett University, Carnegie School of Sport - Obesity Institute 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 Obesity Institute 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
OBESITY INSTITUTE
Institute Director: Prof. Carlton Cooke enquiries should be directed to Prof. Louisa Ells(l.ells@leedsbeckett.ac.uk), Prof. Paul Gately (p.gately@leedsbeckett.ac.uk), Dr Claire Griffiths (c.griffiths@leedsbeckett.ac.uk) and Dr Duncan Radley (duncan.radley@leedsbeckett.ac.uk)
The Obesity Institute is unique in applying a multidisciplinary approach to the study of obesity. It brings together strengths in nutrition, dietetics, physical activity, psychology, epidemiology, computing, arts and design and public health from across the university with our patient and public involvement members, working in coproduction with policy and practice partners to address real world priorities. Our research is also firmly embedded within our undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, professional training and education, and consultancy. Through this integration, we have the expertise to enhance the implementation, effectiveness and scalability of real-world action.
The Obesity Institute three PhD projects are (see project overview section below):
- The role of communities in designing, implementing and evaluating systems approaches to improve population health outcomes
- Listening, learning and developing solutions with people living with obesity
- Applying the theory of intersectionality to explore how social identity and structures of power influence health behaviour of people identifying as LGBTQIA+ and living with obesity
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
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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.
OI1 - The role of communities in designing, implementing and evaluating systems approaches to improve population health outcomes
We need to create healthier environments to improve population health. Systems approaches can help to do this by bringing people and organisations together, to create a shared understanding of the problem (for example, what drives unhealthy environments), and to design and deliver a co-ordinated plan of action to change multiple parts of our environments at once. One substantially understudied area is on the role that the community play in designing, implementing and evaluating systems approaches. This PhD will use multiple methods to explore this issue, and will identify mechanisms that can put communities at the heart of these approaches.
Supervisory Team:
Telling people living with obesity to eat less and move more isn’t working. In this PhD you will work with our Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement group and clients of obesity services, applying the key principles to providing person-centred obesity care and the Canadian 5As Team framework to address the complexity and chronic nature of obesity management. This project will:
• Move beyond BMI as the primary outcome variable and co-create person-centred approaches to obesity care that elicit positive, sustainable changes
• Improve advice, guidance and professional practice
• Inform policy and the commissioning of more effective services
• Address the needs of specific groups within the population
This research has the potential to make a real difference to people living with obesity.
OI3 - Applying the theory of intersectionality to explore how social identity and structures of power influence health behaviour of people identifying as LGBTQIA+ and living with obesity
People identifying as LGBTQIA+ have higher risk of obesity and do not engage with weight management services. ‘Intersectionality’ provides an advanced framework to explore how social identity and structures of power influence health behaviour including disordered eating.
Question: Can intersectionality help us understand health behaviours of people identifying as LGBTQIA+ and living with obesity?
Objective: To identify key challenges for weight management services to be non-stigmatising supportive spaces.
Mixed-methods: Meta-ethnographic review, co-production including stakeholder liaison, reflexive thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with people identifying as LGBTQIA+ living with obesity, adopting an intersectionality framework.
Output: Recommendations for UK policy and practice.
Supervisory Team:
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 OI (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
