PhD Studentship: Understanding Recovery Strategies within Elite Professional Football

An exciting opportunity has arisen to undertake a fully funded applied PhD studentship in conjunction with the School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Birmingham and Norwich City Football Club. The purpose of this role is to combine postgraduate research with the development of practical applied sports science skills developed through assisting in the delivery of the sports science provisions at Norwich City Football Club’s first team. The position will be for a 3-year period subject to satisfactory progress of the individual in the role. Funding will consist of UK full tuition fees for three years and the award of a living stipend at the UK Research Council rates (£18,622 per annum pro-rata into 12 monthly payments). Funding will be subject to satisfactory progress.

What will you be doing? The research project aims to further understand recovery in elite professional footballers. The candidate is expected to have a high level of scientific knowledge around the physical demands of football and have an interest in the area of recovery. They should present their own ideas during the interview process. The successful candidate will be involved in the delivery of sports science provisions to the first team squad on a day-to-day basis.

Who are we looking for? The successful candidate will hold a degree in sports science (or relevant discipline) from a recognised university with a postgraduate degree being desirable. Knowledge of the physiological demands of football including approaches to monitor recovery status is essential. Additionally, experience coaching players on both the pitch and in the gym is necessary for this role. The candidate must be an excellent role model with extremely high levels of motivation. Candidates enrolled on BASES SE and are looking to undertake strength and conditioning qualifications are desirable.

Who should apply? This is a full time PhD position, working at Norwich City Football Club training centre (Lotus Training Centre, Norwich); the role will require flexible working although time will be allocated to support the research project. This will help develop you as an applied practitioner and researcher within the sports science industry in high performance sport. We value diversity and inclusion at the University of Birmingham and welcome applicants from all sections of the community.

Interview dates: 1st stage: 21/06/2023 and 2nd stage 30/06/2023. Please submit a covering letter and current CV for the application. For any further information, queries and to apply for the role please email Dr Liam Anderson on L.Anderson.4@bham.ac.uk. Closing date: 13/06/2023 @ 23:59.

Funding Details

The studentship will cover UK tuition fees and monthly stipend at UKRI rate for 3 years.

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