PhD Studentship - Co-producing Dementia Awareness Education with Black Communities: A Partnership between Academia and Sheffield Memory Hub

Project supervisors: Dr. Sahdia Parveen, Dr. Danielle Jones, Dr. Melanie Cooper

Project description:

Dementia is a growing global challenge in the context of population ageing and a significant source of health inequality. In the UK, Black African and Caribbean communities remain under-represented in dementia diagnosis, treatment, and post-diagnostic support despite evidence of elevated risk and unmet need. Many families seek help only at crisis points and often turn first to community and faith-based organisations rather than statutory services, contributing to missed opportunities for early intervention and widening inequalities across the dementia care pathway.

Evidence suggests these disparities are driven by structural barriers, cultural stigma, and limited access to culturally tailored dementia education. While some awareness initiatives targeting ethnic minority communities have shown promise, particularly those using personal storytelling, community languages, and faith-based framing, formal evaluation remains limited. Moreover, no intervention has been specifically designed for African and Caribbean communities in the UK. Community organisations are well positioned to deliver dementia awareness due to the trust and cultural insight they hold, but they often lack evidence-based resources and specialist support.

This fully funded PhD studentship, part of the White Rose Doctoral Training Partnership and developed collaboratively with Sheffield Memory Hub (SMH), aims to address these gaps. The project will co-design, develop, and evaluate culturally appropriate dementia education materials to improve awareness and encourage earlier help-seeking within African and Caribbean communities.

The research will address three questions: (1) What is known about dementia perceptions, knowledge, and attitudes in African and Caribbean communities? (2) How can people with lived experience and professionals collaboratively design culturally resonant education resources? (3) How feasible and acceptable are co-produced materials for delivery through community-based organisations?

Using a participatory design across three phases, the study will begin with a scoping review following JBI guidance. It will then employ experience-based co-design workshops with people living with dementia, carers, professionals, and voluntary and faith-based organisations to develop materials such as videos, leaflets, and community talks. Finally, a feasibility and acceptability study will pilot the materials using qualitative focus groups, staff interviews, and basic quantitative indicators.

Findings will be integrated through framework synthesis, with close partnership with SMH supporting real-world impact.

Funding notes:

This project has full funding for UK students, which will cover tuition fees, a tax-free stipend of £21,805 per year for living costs, and a Research Support Grant.

Funding for: UK Students

Enquiries email name and address: For informal enquiries, please contact research@bradford.ac.uk

How to apply: Potential candidates should apply directly online through the online application portal.

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