Studentship: Co-production and evaluation of an evidenceinformed health promotion programme supporting workers to sit less and move more

Employer: School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University

Bursary: £15285 per annum

Contract Type: Full time, fixed term

Package Description:

About the Project: 

This is one of two full-time PhD (via MPhil) studentships available, funded by the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) North West Coast. 

The purpose of the NIHR ARC funding is to support applied Health Care, Social Care and/or Public Health research relevant to the needs of the diverse communities served by the NIHR ARC and its local health and care system and be implementable across the local region. The research will have wide applicability across health and care nationally, as well as within the local health and care system where it is conducted. 

The supervisory teams have a broad range of expertise, and experience in successful supervision to PhD completion. Although we are currently advertising five potential projects from this funding, we will only be recruiting the two of them. 

Every day, many adults spend hours working at a desk in a seated position, often in long unbroken periods, and take part in very little physical activity. Over time, this damages their heart, muscle, bone and joint health, and, increases their chances of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, some cancers, and dying young. To help improve the health and comfort of these workers, our team of researchers from Liverpool, Lancaster, Leicester and Australia have previously teamed up with workers and their employers to create different programmes that support them to sit less and move more each day, especially at work. Supporting these workers through their workplace has been important, as many working adults do not have enough money, time or support to be more active outside of work. 

In this research, our research team will work with local employers, workers and partners (including the City Council and NHS) to create a ‘sit less move more’ workplace health programme based on a combination of the most effective parts of our previous programmes. We will also link up with people in industry, the community, and health and safety organisations, to improve the programme design and the way we encourage workplaces and workers to take part. After creating the programme, we will test it in workplaces in Liverpool to see what works and what does not work, and why. 

We will use the information collected to improve the programme. In a future project, we will then test the programme again in workplaces across the North West. That project will see if the programme improves the health and work performance of workers. If the results are positive, we will encourage workplaces across the North West and UK to take up the programme, in order to help many workers become healthier and happier. 

Please contact Dr Lee Graves for further information l.e.graves@ljmu.ac.uk 

Fixed interview date - 11 December 2020 

References: 

Within their application, potential applicants must: 

• Provide their CV 

• Provide a cover letter that: 

• State the title of the project they are applying for. 

• Include a statement explaining why they would want to undertake postgraduate research in this specific area. Please contact the relevant supervisor for further details if required. 

• Demonstrate consideration of the HIAT toolkit for the proposed research project. www.hiat.org.uk

Applicants should have (or expect to have been formally awarded by 1st January 2021) at least a UK Bachelor honours degree at second class (upper division) level (or equivalent qualification) in a relevant discipline. 

Applicants must have completed and been awarded any current course of study by the proposed start date (1st January 2021) otherwise they will not be shortlisted. 

EU applicants require an English Language level of UKVI IELTS 6.5 (no sub-score less than 6.0) or acceptable equivalent qualification. 

Further information: 

Completed applications consisting of a CV and cover letter should be returned by email to Prof. Gillian Hutcheon (G.A.Hutcheon@ljmu.ac.uk) quoting the studentship reference number NIHRARC1. 

CURRENT LIVERPOOL JOHN MOORES UNIVERSITY RESEARCH STUDENTS WILL NOT BE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR THE RESEARCH STUDENTSHIPS

Package description: 

Funding Notes: The full-time studentships are tenable up to 3 years full-time (subject to satisfactory progress) and will cover the cost of tuition fees at Home/EU rates. A stipend in line with the UK Research Council is payable at £15285 per annum, and an additional allowance of up to £1000 per year will be paid for approved research costs. 

Due to funding restrictions, the studentships are open to Home/EU applicants only. It is expected the successful applicant (s) will commence 1st February 2021. 

Vacancy website address www.hiat.org.uk