KBS Collaborative PhD Studentship: The Wellbeing of Entrepreneurial Teams

Funding amount:

Fees, plus a stipend of £19,666 per annum

Duration

4 years Full Time

Application deadlines: 1^st May 2023

Entry: PhD Enrolment October 2023 start.

Applications are invited for a fully funded PhD studentship. The student will be supervised by Professor Ute Stephan and Dr Sonia Koller.

Project Description

There is a growing interest in the mental health and wellbeing of entrepreneurs as a driver of their creativity and productivity, and the sustainability of their ventures. Entrepreneurs are increasingly willing to open-up about their experiences with stress and burnout, and the often devasting consequences for their personal lives and their ventures. Yet, the mental health and wellbeing of entrepreneurial teams has essentially been overlooked to date. As most ventures are created by teams, and teams can be both a source of conflict and support, managing team mental health and wellbeing may be particularly critical for the success of a venture.

This PhD project in collaboration with Quan (a digital well-being and team performance platform), FoundersTaboo (a platform and movement to support founder mental health and wellbeing created by SuperCharger Ventures, an EdTech accelerator programme), and leading academics from King’s Business School, will deliver cutting edge research and actionable practical insight into the nature, consequences, and management of Entrepreneurial Team Wellbeing. At the heart of the project is a set of quantitative and qualitative longitudinal studies of starting entrepreneurial teams who will either be sourced from SuperCharger Ventures network or accelerator cohort      and undergo regular team well-being assessments (delivered by Quan).

We are looking for a candidate with an interest in mental health/well-being and entrepreneurship. The successful candidate may have a degree in psychology, neuroscience, business, sociology, or economics (preferably with a focus on health/well-being and/or entrepreneurship). They must have a passion for research and evidence strong analytical and research skills as well as work effectively with feedback. The successful candidate can communicate and work effectively with academic and entrepreneurship/start-up audiences. Candidates need to have quantitative research skills, and be willing to acquire skills in qualitative research as part of their PhD.

Eligibility

Academic requirements:

• Satisfy the entry requirements of the King’s Business School PhD programme - Master's degree with a Merit and a Bachelor's degree with 2:1 in a quantitative subject. International applicants can check the equivalence of their degrees here.

The studentship covers:

• Tuition fees
• An annual stipend
• A generous annual conference and training grant
• Additional paid teaching opportunities

How to Apply

Your application should consist of:

• A letter of interest of up to two pages in length outlining your background, interest and research skills related to the topic, and how you satisfy the requirements described above.
• A detailed CV.
• One academic reference letter, recently dated speaking to your ability to undertake independent research.
• A 1,500 word research proposal (see guidance here under “3. Develop your proposal”) that aligns with the project proposal described above.

These should be e-mailed to kbs-phd@kcl.ac.uk by the 1^st May 2023, 5:00PM UK time (please put KBSCOLLAB2023 in the subject title.). Please provide this e-mail address to the letter writers, so they can send the reference letters directly to us.

Formal appointment will be subject to checks at interview and references, certificates/qualifications/etc., and English test scores (if relevant).

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