Scholarships for postgraduate research students

Youth swimming is a highly structured, performance-driven sport in which children and adolescents are frequently grouped, selected, and trained based on chronological age. However, substantial inter-individual variability in biological maturation means that athletes of the same age can differ markedly in body size, strength, and physiological capacity. These differences can influence performance outcomes, training responses, injury risk, and psychosocial experiences within the sport.

Research in youth sport consistently demonstrates that early-maturing athletes often possess short-term advantages in strength, power, and speed, which can bias talent identification and development systems. In swimming, where propulsion, drag, and technical efficiency are closely linked to anthropometric and maturational characteristics, these effects may be particularly pronounced. Yet, compared with field-based sports, the evidence base exploring growth and maturation in youth swimming remains relatively underdeveloped.

A key challenge in this area is the ethical and cultural controversy surrounding the assessment of growth-related variables in children. In English swimming, routine weighing of young athletes is currently prohibited outside of the national talent pathway, reflecting concerns about body image, eating disorders, and athlete welfare. While these concerns are valid and must be central to any research design, the absence of growth and maturation information may also limit the ability of coaches and practitioners to individualise training appropriately and support long-term development. It is therefore intended that the research may contribute to policy evolution, which permits wider application of growth-related science.

This PhD will therefore adopt a sensitive, athlete-centred approach to understanding growth and maturation in youth swimming, using methods that align with current safeguarding guidance and are acceptable to athletes, parents, clubs, and governing bodies. The research will be developed collaboratively with York City Baths Club, Swim England North East Region, and York St John University, ensuring strong applied relevance and meaningful knowledge exchange.

This proposed PhD builds directly on the established research profile of Dr Jamie Salter, whose work has focused on growth, maturation, and physical development in youth sport, alongside applied athlete monitoring and long-term athlete development frameworks. The project will also extend a recent collaborative project that examined strength and conditioning practices in youth swimmers (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT07076017). That project provides an important applied foundation, including established relationships with swimmers, coaches, and clubs, and highlights the need to contextualise physical development data within broader maturational processes.

In addition, the PhD will provide a strong basis for collaboration with Professor Stephen Cobley, who has recently joined York St John University and the InSPIRe research group as a Visiting Professor, and who led the longitudinal H2Grow project examining biological maturation in partnership with Swimming Australia. This collaboration will strengthen the project’s methodological and conceptual foundations and enhance its international reach and impact.

Professor Garry Tew (g.tew@yorksj.ac.uk) is a potential academic supervisor for this PhD fee scholarship. Further information about his research interests are available on his staff profile.

Garry Tew staff profile

You will be based at the University's York Campus.

Successful applicants must have an honours degree (2:1 or above) and a postgraduate master's degree from a UK HEI, or an internationally recognised equivalent. The degree must be in a discipline that is relevant to the research.

The successful applicant will be expected to deliver/support strength and conditioning and/or swim coaching sessions at York City Baths Club as part of the studentship (subject to a successful DBS check; maximum 6-8 hours per week). We therefore particularly welcome applications from candidates with qualifications and practical experience in strength and conditioning for youth athletes and competitive swimming.

Applicants are required to provide a research proposal in the area identified above. This is an opportunity to demonstrate understanding of the topic and research design, as well as provide us with an opportunity to assess alignment between the proposed work and the overall aims for the studentship.

The research proposal should include an overview of the area of research, rationale for the research, specific research question/s, research methods to be employed, and proposed timelines (maximum 1,500 words).

It will be evaluated on its originality, impact, rigour, feasibility, and benefits to the partnering organisations. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to interview.

A mixed-methods, longitudinal design is proposed, combining quantitative assessment of growth- and performance-related variables with qualitative exploration of stakeholder perspectives.

Quantitative Component:

Participants will be competitive youth swimmers (approximately 10–18 years) recruited through York City Baths Club and, where appropriate, the wider Swim England North East Region. Data collection is anticipated to include:

• Non-invasive indicators of growth and maturation (e.g., stature, sitting height, predicted age at peak height velocity, maturity offset), selected to comply with current safeguarding guidance and the prohibition of routine weighing.
• Physical performance measures relevant to swimming and dry-land training (e.g., strength indicators, jump performance, sprint swim times), building on protocols established in the ongoing MRes project.
• Training exposure and contextual information (e.g., training volume, age group, competition level).

Data will be collected longitudinally to capture within-athlete changes across key phases of adolescence. Statistical analyses may include multilevel modelling to account for repeated measures and inter-individual variability, and to explore relationships between maturation status and performance trajectories.

Qualitative Component:

Semi-structured interviews and/or focus groups will be conducted with swimmers, parents, and coaches to explore:

• Perceptions of growth, maturation, and physical development in swimming.
• Experiences and concerns related to body measurement, monitoring, and athlete welfare.
• Views on how maturation information could (or should not) be used to inform training and development.

Qualitative data will be analysed using reflexive thematic analysis, allowing for in-depth understanding of stakeholder perspectives and helping to contextualise quantitative findings.

This scholarship will cover UK tuition fees for the duration of the PhD (£5,238 per year for the 2026-27 academic year) as well as a UKRI-linked stipend for 3 years (£21,805 for the 2026-27 academic year).

This scholarship is only open to applicants who are interested in pursuing a PhD studentship on a full-time basis and starting from 1 October 2026. Any applicants assessed as International for fee purposes would be required to fund the difference between UK and International tuition fees.

Applications should be made by following the York St John University admission process. To submit an application, please use this link.

Apply for scholarship

For admissions queries, please contact pgr.admissions@yorksj.ac.uk.

Please submit a research proposal of up to 1,500 words, with reference to the enquiry questions included here, and how you would focus and approach researching these questions. Please note that CVs will not be accepted in place of the application form.

The PhD supervisors at York St John University will be Dr Jamie Salter, Dr Dale Forsdyke and Professor Garry Tew. Professor Stephen Cobley (University of Sydney) will be a project advisor.

Project contacts will also be specified at the partnering organisations.

York St John University, in partnership with The University of Sheffield and Yorkshire Ambulance Service, is seeking applications from candidates interested in pursuing doctoral research in the areas of public health messaging, urgent and emergency care, and health behaviour change.

We are looking for a researcher with experience or understanding of urgent and emergency care services research, health psychology, and/or related areas of healthcare and behavioural science, and who is motivated to work collaboratively with healthcare providers. The studentship will involve working closely with academics, ambulance services, Emergency Departments, and community stakeholders.

The research aims to have a positive impact by understanding how public health messaging influences decisions to seek urgent and emergency care, with the goal of improving service use, reducing unnecessary demand, and supporting equitable access to care. The project will explore how public health campaigns are designed, interpreted, and acted upon, using both qualitative insights and routinely collected quantitative data

The research project will consider the following research questions:

1. What types of urgent and emergency care campaigns have been implemented in the UK and globally, and what are their key design features and intended target populations?
2. Through what mechanisms do these campaigns influence knowledge, attitudes, and decision- making about urgent and emergency care use?
3. How are urgent and emergency care campaign messages interpreted by members of the public, and how do interpretations vary by demographic and contextual factors?
4. To what extent is exposure to urgent and emergency care messaging associated with changes in intended behaviour in simulated scenarios?
5. Are population-level changes in ambulance and Emergency Department utilisation observable following major public messaging events?

This PhD will use a mixed-methods approach structured around four interlinked work packages. These are expected to include: (1) a scoping review (addressing RQ1 and RQ2), (2) a national review of current campaign practice (RQ1 and RQ2), (3) a survey (RQ3 and RQ4), and (4) analysis of routine data (RQ5). Together, these work packages will address the research questions through a combination of evidence synthesis, qualitative and quantitative methods, and analysis of routine urgent and emergency care data

Successful applicants must hold an honours degree (2:1 or above) and a postgraduate master's degree from a UK HEI, or an internationally recognised equivalent. The degree must be in a discipline that is relevant to the research. We welcome applications from candidates with lived experience reflective of the research context of this project and encourage candidates from backgrounds that are currently underrepresented in
postgraduate study. Where applicable, offers may be made conditional on a candidate successfully completing a master’s degree before the PhD scholarship begins. Such conditional offers are not guaranteed and are subject to final approval by the RDC subgroup.

Applicants are required to submit a research proposal that aligns with and/or builds on the research objectives and methodology outlined above. This should demonstrate your motivation, understanding of the topic and research design, and alignment with the overall aims of the scholarship. The research proposal should include an overview of the area of research, rationale for the research, specific research question/s you would address, the research methods you would employ, and what makes you the right person to carry out this research (1500 words).

Applicants should ideally have experience of the research methods included in the proposal. The proposal will be evaluated in regard to its originality, impact, rigour, feasibility, and benefits to the sponsors.

This scholarship will cover UK tuition fees for the duration of the PhD (£5,238 per year for the 2026-27 academic year) as well as a UKRI-linked stipend for 3 years (£21,805 for the 2026-27 academic year).

This scholarship is only open to applicants who are interested in pursuing a PhD studentship on a full-time basis and starting from 1 October 2026. Any applicants assessed as International for fee purposes would be required to fund the difference between UK and International tuition fees.

Applications should be made by following the York St John University admission process. To submit an application, please use this link.

Apply for scholarship

For admissions queries, please contact pgr.admissions@yorksj.ac.uk.

Please submit a research proposal of up to 1,500 words, with reference to the enquiry questions included here, and how you would focus and approach researching these questions. Please note that CVs will not be accepted in place of the application form.

There is much research linking school toilets to anxiety for a range of reasons, including unsanitary conditions, lack of access to toilets due to rigid school rules, and bullying. They are generally less policed than many school spaces due to being a semi-private space. However, the ways in which toilets are managed can impact students' mental health and attendance (Eric.org.uk). The school environment has been noted as a key component for exacerbating or helping EBSA in pupils ( McDonald and Pervez, 2025) and we would like to provide a research opportunity to explore this further. This would directly align with current government policy developments around supporting children in school and improving attendance.

This is a joint Education and Sociology project, building on the Toilet Talk research project that has been ongoing for over three years. There will be some field work involved as the appropriate candidate would be expected to carry out field work in schools. A mixed and flexible approach to methodology is desired, as the candidate would be expected to be able to carry out participatory work with children and adults, as well as surveys. The candidate will be expected to travel to local schools (York and Selby area) during fieldwork.

For further information, please see:

Haines Lyon, C., Little, A., Dobson, E., Glover, O., Patterson, J., Telford, J., & Noret, N. (2024). Toilet talk: using a students as researchers approach to problematize and co-construct school toilet policy and practice. Gender and Education, 36(7), 801–816. https://doi-org.yorksj.idm.oclc.org/10.1080/09540253.2024.2389108

Green, M. J., Haines Lyon, C., Little, A. & Telford, J. (2025). Teachers', parents', and pupils' perceptions and described experiences of toilet provisions and practices within English schools. British Educational Research Journal, 51, 2683–2699. https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.4198

Successful applicants must have a postgraduate master's degree from a UK HEI, an internationally recognised equivalent, or be able to demonstrate alternative professional equivalence.

The degree must be in a discipline that is relevant to the research.

We are looking for a candidate who brings some or all of the following attributes to the research:

• An academic background in Education, Sociology, or a related discipline.
• Familiarity with participatory research methodologies.
• Ability to work with statistics at a beginner level. Further training will be given.
• Ability to work with children and young people. Prior to engaging in fieldwork, the successful candidate will be expected to complete an Enhanced DBS check.

We welcome applications from candidates with lived experience reflective of the research context of this project and encourage candidates from backgrounds that are currently underrepresented in postgraduate study.

The project will be supervised by Dr Charlotte Haines-Lyon from Education and Dr Amy Holmes from Social Sciences. The successful candidate will be joining an ongoing collaboration between Charlotte and Amy, that has centred intersectional, feminist participatory research with young people and has demonstrated the value of positioning them as experts in their own lives.

The fee bursary consists of a full remission subject to satisfactory progression. This is available on a part time (maximum 6 years) or full time (maximum 3 years) research degree basis. This funding UK fee rates. Please note this opportunity is for UK Home candidates only.

Application should be made by following the YSJU admission process. To submit an application, please use this link:

Apply for scholarship

Applicants are required to provide a research proposal that addresses the themes described above. This is an opportunity to demonstrate understanding of the topic and research design, as well as provide us with an opportunity to assess alignment between the proposed work and the overall aims for the scholarship. The research proposal should include an overview of the area of research, rationale for the research, specific research question/s, research methods to be employed, and proposed timelines (1500 words). Please reference ISJ-TT in your application.

Your proposal will be evaluated in regard to its originality, impact, rigour, feasibility, and benefits to the sponsor. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to interview.