PhD Studentship: The impact of digital technologies on care and caring relationships

The ESRC Centre for Care is pleased to offer a PhD studentship based in the Department of Sociological Studies. The Centre is led by investigators in five universities, three major charities and the Office for National Statistics, and works in close partnership with a large network of partners and leading international research teams, co-producing its research with people who need care, carers, care workers and others.

We believe that a diverse and supportive environment, bringing varied perspectives to our work and allowing people to blossom, is the best platform for excellent research. We actively encourage applications from those who share these values, and we especially welcome applications from disabled people and individuals with Black, Asian and Minoritised Ethnic and Refugee backgrounds.

The PhD will focus on a key area of policy and practice in UK social care: the role of digital technologies in caring contexts and arrangements. It will be situated within the Centre’s Digital Care theme which explores the barriers, benefits and risks associated with the use of the latest digital technologies in care policy and practice. The PhD research will examine the implications of digital technologies — including care-specific and commercially available devices – on care and relationships, with a particular focus on how people configure or combine technologies to support ‘good’ care and wellbeing at points of transition (e.g. particular lifecourse events, across different care settings). The methodology will include a range of qualitative methods e.g. interviews, observations, diaries and network mapping.

The successful student will be supervised by Dr Kate Hamblin and Dr Kate Weiner. Interested candidates should contact Dr Kate Hamblin (k.a.hamblin@sheffield.ac.uk).

Please apply through the University of Sheffield Postgraduate Application System; select CFC001 as the programme for which you are applying. Your research proposal will not be considered if you do not apply for admission. For further information and resources on the application process and how to write a PhD application please click here. The research proposal application is a section on the admissions system that can be completed at any point. However, we recommend that applicants submit their application to study with us as soon as possible.

Your application should include:

• 1,000 - 2,000-word research proposal
• Supporting statement / cover letter
• Transcripts (previous qualifications)
• Two academic references
• CV
• Example of your written work.

The deadline is 6 March 2023.

The studentship is offered as a 3.5 year award (commencing September 2023), on a full-time or part-time basis. Applicants are expected to have a strong first degree (2:1) in a relevant social science discipline, including demonstrable experience using qualitative research methods and a Masters degree in a social sciences discipline with full social sciences research methods training (or equivalent professional training).

The studentship offers the following, for one home fee paying student:

• Full tuition fees at the Home rate (minimum £4,596 per year)
• An annual maintenance grant for 3.5 years, at the standard RCUK rate (minimum £17,668 per year for your living costs, paid in regular instalments), pro rata for a part-time student
• A Research and Training Support Grant worth £750 per year.

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