PhD - The role of physical activity and sport in mental well-being and academic attainment in young people (UCL)

Vacancy Reference Number
1883461
Closing Date
31 May 2022
Salary
£17,983 - £18,710 per annum
Address
UCL
Duration
3 years full time or 5 years part time

About the PhD

UCL’s Division of Surgery and Interventional Sciences, working in partnership with the youth charity Greenhouse Sports and in collaboration with the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience at UCL, is pleased to announce the availability of a fully funded three-year PhD studentship to evaluate the impact of sport participation on mental wellbeing, academic attitudes and social mobility in disadvantaged youth, throughout primary and secondary school. We are seeking a highly motivated candidate with background in quantitative social or medical sciences such as sports and exercise sciences, psychology, epidemiology, cognitive neuroscience, or medicine.

 

Departmental Context 

This PhD is placed within the Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health (ISEH) under the Division of Surgery and Interventional Sciences, and is a cross-faculty collaboration with the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience (ICN) under the Division of Psychology and Language Sciences.

ISEH is one of three locations forming the National Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine (NCSEM), a major legacy project of the 2012 London Olympic Games. A £10 million investment by the Department of Health allowed The ISEH to build a dedicated state-of-the-art facility in the centre of London to deliver world-class research, teaching, training and clinical expertise in sport and exercise medicine. The ISEH is one of only 12 accredited International Olympic Committee (IOC) Injury Prevention Research Centres worldwide and is one of world's leading institutes for sports and exercise medicine. Professor Mark Hamer is the head of the Centre for Sports and Exercise Medicine (CSEM), which comprises the BSc, iBSc and MSc programmes in Sports Medicine, Exercise & Health based at the ISEH. More Information on the Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health can be found at https://www.iseh.co.uk/ 

The UCL Division of Surgery and Interventional Science is a collaborative and cross-disciplinary environment where clinicians, engineers, allied health professionals and researchers are constantly striving for innovative approaches to treatment. This includes developing highly effective methods which go beyond the boundaries of conventional wisdom and treating each patient as an individual. As a world leader in medical and biomedical research we are able to see at first-hand the directions in which medicine and science are moving and where patient and industry needs are growing. This knowledge ensures that we are producing and teaching some of the most innovative courses for clinicians and scientists across the world. Additionally, our cutting-edge research expertise ensures that the latest techniques are taught using the most advanced equipment.  The Division of Surgery and Interventional Sciences holds a bronze award for the Athena Swan Charter which recognizes advancement of gender equality and aims for representation, progression and success for all. Further information on the Division can be found at https://www.ucl.ac.uk/surgery/ 

The Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience (ICN) was Europe’s first institute of its kind, founded in 1996, and is one of the world’s top research centres for studying the relationship between mind and brain. The ICN is home to many group leaders and researchers who are international authorities in their respective fields, including Professor Paul Burgess and his ground-breaking research on the prefrontal cortex. The ICN is part of UCL’s Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, which is ranked second in the world for psychology (Shanghai Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2021).

 

Background and Studentship Description

This studentship will be supervised by Prof Paul W Burgess (Faculty of Brain Sciences), Prof Mark Hamer (Faculty of Medical Sciences) and Assoc Prof Flaminia Ronca (Faculty of Medical Sciences).

Through our partner charity Greenhouse Sports, we have collected 7 years’ worth of longitudinal data on up to 26.000 children from deprived backgrounds in the UK. The data set provides comprehensive information, with bi-annual collection points, looking at the impact of sport on academic attitudes, mental health and social deprivation. After conducting an initial analysis of this extraordinary data set, the candidate will help design, implement and evaluate intervention strategies to further improve social and academic impact though sport.

Key study aspects are summarised below. The published output will be used to inform future social projects and decision making around the impact of sport and exercise on social mobility in young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

 

Proposed aims and methods of the PhD

The overarching research aim of this project is to evaluate the relationship between sport and exercise participation and mental health, academic attitudes, physical health and social mobility, especially in disadvantaged youth. Some issues  that may be addressed through the studentship research include (1) what drives sport participation and dropout rates in young boys and girls, within inner city areas; (2) the role of sport in facilitating a positive transition from primary to secondary school, and then from secondary school to further education and employment; (3) the role of regular sport and exercise participation in improving, physical health, behavioural mental health and academic attitudes?

Coding and programming skills, or the aptitude the develop them, will be a distinct advantage as will advanced skills handling spreadsheets and data handling and manipulation. Experience with delivery of psychometric or demographic testing, or databases, is also useful. Experience working directly with children is a very strong advantage, and a demonstrable background in sport and exercise is essential. Experience working in social care or medical care situations might also be an advantage. The candidate should have excellent social skills and be able to communicate with both children and adults very effectively.

 

Person Specification

Essential knowledge, skills and experience: 

  • A first class or upper second class degree (or equivalent) in a quantitative social science (including, but not limited to: Sport and Exercise Sciences, Economics, Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience, Public Health, Epidemiology).
  • Good analytical skills, with the ability to process and collate complex information and manage data in a structured manner and with a high level of accuracy.
  • Excellent oral and written skills with both children and adults, with the ability to present findings to peers and write up data for publication
  • Exposure to programming in e.g. MATLAB, Python (or similar), as well as statistical analysis and data handling using common packages such as SPSS, STATA (or similar).
  • Quantitative research experience.
  • Experience working with children and/or young adults.

Desirable knowledge, skills and experience: 

  • A Master's degree (or equivalent) in a quantitative social science.
  • An understanding of issues relating to socio-economic deprivation and its impact on mental health and academic attitudes.
  • Interest or experience in the field of sport and exercise.
  • Outstanding socials skills, able to understand and relate to others well.
  • Experience working in public-facing roles, especially with challenging clients or in challenging situations.

 

Candidates will need to be resident in the UK and attend UCL in person for supervision. Any applicant who is not a national of a UK Home Office majority English-speaking country is required to provide recent evidence regarding their command of spoken and written English.

 

Eligibility

The PhD studentship is funded by UCL and by Greenhouse Sports for three years full time or part-time equivalent pro-rata (minimum commitment 3 days per week). Funding covers UK student fees, an annual tax-free stipend of £17,983 - £18,710, plus annual costs of up to £10,000 per annum towards the cost of supporting your research (for example, equipment and/or conference attendance). 

Non-UK students are welcome to apply but will need to personally fund the difference between the UK (home) fee rate and the overseas student fee rate, if they are not eligible for UK fee status. Non-UK students will also need to cover the Tier 4 student visa fee and any associated costs. Part-time study will not be possible for those on a Tier 4 visa.

 

For any queries regarding the studentship, please e-mail Flaminia Ronca, Associate Professor, at f.ronca@ucl.ac.uk.