Apply for funded PhD studentships

Funding
Date published
25/06/2026

NIHR ARC East Midlands is inviting applications for NIHR Infrastructure Doctoral Awards starting in Autumn 2026.

These full-time studentships are funded at UKRI rates and include a stipend, university fees, and a training and development budget.

Proposals should align with ARC East Midlands' research portfolio and organisational aims, and demonstrate how they support Department of Health and Social Care priorities: shifting care from hospital to community, from analogue to digital, and from treatment to prevention.

We expect applicants to demonstrate that:

  • Data collection will take place primarily in the East Midlands, although additional sites may be included. 
  • Relevant health, social care or local authority partners have confirmed their support, with letters provided at the point of application
  • Patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) is already under way and appropriate to the proposed PhD
  • Inclusivity has been considered, with agreement to undertake an ARC Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) assessment if funding is awarded

Current opportunities

1 - From sickness to prevention: evaluating the Healthy Goals programme

This PhD will evaluate the effectiveness, scalability and sustainability of Healthy Goals, a 12-week community-based intervention supporting ethnic minority communities to make lifestyle changes that help prevent long-term conditions.

Find out more and apply

2 - From hospital to community: a barbershop-based intervention to improve screening for multiple long-term conditions (MLTC)

This PhD will develop and test a barbershop-based screening intervention for MLTC, aiming to address health inequalities among men and ethnic minority communities at greater risk of early-onset MLTC.

Find out more and apply

3 - Advancing the understanding of health resource use in individuals with multiple long-term conditions (MLTC)

  • Host institution: University of Leicester 
  • ARC theme: Data4Health
  • Informal enquiries: Dr Clare Gilles, clg13@le.ac.uk
  • Closing date: 3 July 2026 

This PhD will provide important evidence to support healthcare planning, resource allocation, and the development of targeted interventions for individuals living with (MLTC). The student will develop key research skills in evidence synthesis, health economics and medical statistics.

Find out more and apply

Contact and further information

For queries about specific PhD opportunities, contact the academic supervisor for the relevant opportunity. For all other enquiries, including confidential enquiries and reasonable adjustments, contact Dr Emma Rowley, Head of Research Capacity Development: Emma.Rowley@nottingham.ac.uk.

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