PhD Studentships

The School for Business and Society’s research is cross-disciplinary and draws together activities that other universities normally locate in separate Business Schools and Schools of Public Policy. Reflecting York’s long-standing strengths in both of these areas we are the largest organisational unit at the University, and we are at the forefront of the University's mission to be a University for public good.

As part of our investment in the next generation of academic researchers, we are pleased to offer these PhD Project studentships. The successful candidates will join a large and diverse postgraduate research community in the School for Business and Society. 

Projects

HOPES for Homecare

Eligibility: open to International (including EU) and UK (home) students
Deadline: Friday 10 May 2024, 5pm BST
Further details including fully project description, eligibility, criteria and how to apply

As the number of people living with dementia grows, so will the number who need care at home to help them to continue living meaningful and independent lives. However, some people with dementia experience problems engaging with care services. People with such needs can sometimes withdraw or avoid care workers, may display extreme apathy, or can even verbally or physically repel care. Research indicates that ‘resistance-to-care’ often leads to the collapse of care arrangements and family carer crises, additional use of medication, social exclusion, and chronic self-neglect. The aim of the PhD will be to develop and test a 'HOPES for Homecare' learning resource, to be adapted for implementation in homecare organisations. The successful candidate will be expected to draw on a range of qualitative methods (eg focus groups, interviews).

Pre-need Funeral Market and Social Justice

Eligibility: open to UK (home) students
Deadline: Friday 31  May 2024, 5pm BST
Further details including fully project description, eligibility, criteria and how to apply

Eighteen percent of UK funerals are paid for with funds from pre-need funeral plans, offered by funeral directors, specialist mediating agents and large insurance companies. There are controversies associated with the market, which was brought under the jurisdiction of the Financial Conduct Authority in 2022, leading to some company closures and criminal investigations. The proposed studentship will produce the first comprehensive academic study on the development and expansion of the contemporary pre-need funeral market, investigating the structure and regulation of this market and its contribution to social justice. The successful candidate could potentially explore a number of key questions associated with this market.

System Integration through Network Governance in NHS Place-based Partnerships (SYNC)

Eligibility: open to UK (home) students only
Deadline: Friday 31 May 2024, 5pm BST
Further details including fully project description, eligibility, criteria and how to apply

In 2022, the English NHS underwent a major reorganisation to establish 42 regional Integrated Care Systems (ICS), governed by Integrated Care Boards. The aim of this reform is to achieve a transformation in how primary, community and secondary health services (such as hospitals) work together to develop preventative services and a stronger focus on public health. The proposed studentship aims to understand the challenges, opportunities and evolution of these reforms by focusing on evolution of Place-based Partnerships (PbP), within one ICS. The project will be located within broad debates about healthcare organisation and leadership, drawing on ideas from organisational theory and public administration. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to develop new understanding of PbPs, the challenges they face and their impact on patient and broader societal outcomes. 

Exploring the History of New Earswick

Eligibility: open to UK (home) students only
Deadline: Friday 31 May 2024, 5pm BST
Further details including fully project description, eligibility, criteria and how to apply

This is a unique opportunity to explore the history of one of the key experiments in housing policy of the early twentieth century, the development of the New Earswick community by Joseph Rowntree in York. New Earswick was a precursor to the rise of State funded social housing in the UK and to the development of the Welfare State. The village and community of New Earswick has endured well beyond the period of mass social housing development in England and also seen the retrenchment from Beveridge’s plans that has occurred in the last 40 years. The successful candidate will help to develop and deepen understanding of the human, geographical, social and architectural lessons from New Earswick through exploring its history, both through the extensive archives that are available at the Borthwick Institute and through collaboration and co-production with the community living in the village. The successful candidate may wish to explore the lessons for contemporary policy and practice in development, housing and area management and wider housing and sustainability policy that can be drawn from the example of New Earswick.

How to apply:

Please send your academic CV, degree transcripts/certificates, two academic references, and a covering letter by email to sbs-phd@york.ac.uk 

The covering letter should explain your suitability for the PhD Project with reference to your academic background and interests, as well as the essential and desirable criteria listed. Please ensure that the subject title of your email and covering letter clearly indicate the PhD Project to which you are applying.

Enquiries:  

For any enquiries please email  sbs-phd@york.ac.uk

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