BeeWell PhD Studentship 2026

#BeeWell is a youth‑centred wellbeing programme led by The University of Manchester in collaboration with The Gregson Family Foundation and Anna Freud. Working alongside regional partners, the programme places young people’s voices at its core, aiming to listen, act for change, and promote positive wellbeing outcomes.

Key features of this studentship:

• Receive a fully funded studentship covering tuition fees and an annual stipend at the UKRI rate (£21,805 per year) for 3.5 years.
• Open to Home (UK) students only.

Project details

A central strand of #BeeWell is its research programme, which seeks to understand how wellbeing develops during adolescence and the factors that shape it over time.

This work is delivered through an ambitious longitudinal cohort study tracking students across key stages of secondary education, with particular attention to the transition from Year 8 to Year 10. Successful PhD candidates contribute directly to this effort by supporting the study and conducting journal‑format doctoral research using the #BeeWell dataset.

The research methodology is based on a co‑created survey measuring both wellbeing “domains” (such as meaning, purpose, and sense of control) and wellbeing “drivers”, including health behaviours, hobbies, school experiences, and neighbourhood safety. Survey data are integrated with socio‑demographic and administrative records, including ethnicity, free school meal eligibility, and special educational needs, with planned linkage to the National Pupil Database.

Initially launched in Greater Manchester, #BeeWell has expanded to schools across Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Portsmouth, and Southampton, enabling valuable regional and socioeconomic comparisons.

Details of the project can be found at https://beewellprogramme.org/ 

Academic Criteria:

• Bachelor's (Honours) degree in Psychology (or related subject e.g. Education) at 2.1 or above (or overseas equivalent), or professional experience/qualifications; and
• Master's degree in Psychology (or related subject e.g. Education) with a merit grade or above.
• Experience of working on projects in psychology, education or a related field which involve the generation and analysis of large, complex quantitative datasets 

The application deadline will be Midnight (GMT) Wednesday 13 May. 

Apply online for PhD Education at The University of Manchester. 

To be considered, candidates should submit a research proposal that addresses the key research themes of the #BeeWell project.

Under Section 6 Research Details select ‘Yes’ to Are you applying for an advertised project.  It is recommended when entering the name of the supervisor to simply enter this and not use the supervisor search function. 

Please indicate in Section 9 Funding Sources your intention to apply for the ‘#BeeWell PhD studentship’.

Please ensure all required supporting documents are included at the time of submission, as incomplete applications may not be considered. 

Formal interviews: Interviews are expected to take place week commencing 15 June 2026.

• If you wish to discuss this project further, please contact Prof Neil Humphrey at neil.humphrey@manchester.ac.uk
• If you have any queries about the admissions process, please contact our admissions team at hums.doctoralacademy.admissions@manchester.ac.uk

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