Scottish Graduate School of Social Science

Sgoil Cheumnaichean Saidheans Sòisealta na h-Alba
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Scottish Graduate School of Social Science

Sgoil Cheumnaichean Saidheans Sòisealta na h-Alba

Studentship opportunity

All Studentship Opportunities

Assessing the political and legal context of safer drug consumption facilities (SDCFs): a case study of the UK’s first SDCF, the “Thistle” project in Glasgow.

This studentship is funded by the ESRC through the Scottish Graduate School of Social Science (SGSSS)

Institution
University of Strathclyde
Pathway
Governance and Institutions
Studentship
Open Collaborative
Mode of study

Full-time / Part-time

Application deadline
4pm, 14 April 2022
Applications are due 24 March 2026, 5 pm GMT and
References are due 26 March 2026, 5 pm GMT

Project details

This project investigates the political, legal, and administrative contexts that enabled the opening of The Thistle Safer Drug Consumption Facility (SDCF) in Glasgow in January 2025—the first such service in the UK. This involved extensive public debate, protracted legal deliberation, and complex inter-agency negotiations involving local and national government, police, prosecutors, and health authorities. While the global evidence base on SDCFs is substantial, most studies focus on health outcomes or service user experiences. A comprehensive evaluation of public health and community outcomes of The Thistle has been funded by the National Institute for Health Research (https://fundingawards.nihr.ac.uk/award/NIHR207273). This project will explore the legal and policy background to The Thistle and examine how systemic political, legal, administrative processes, and public health advocacy interact to make contentious policy innovations possible.

The research addresses a central question: in what ways did the intersection of devolved powers, operational discretion, and legal authority enable The Thistle to open despite UK-wide restrictions under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971? Secondary questions explore the limits of devolved powers, the role of discretion, and the applicability of established policy science models. This is a collaborative PhD, with the charity Release. A short placement at their London office will offer the student insights into experiences of public health, legal and human rights campaigning in the area of drug policy.

The study will adopt a multi-method design; including analysis of legal and policy documents combined with semi-structured interviews with key actors. The study will also incorporate comparative international insight through a research visit to Copenhagen’s H17 SDCF, offering contextual depth on how similar challenges are navigated elsewhere.

By documenting processes underpinning The Thistle, this project will contribute to both UK and international debates on drug policy, harm reduction, and models of policy innovation.

Collaborative Partner: Release

Supervisory Team:

About the University

Law School
University of Strathclyde
Lord Hope Building
141 St James Rd, Glasgow G4 0LT
Phone: 0141 548 3738
web: https://www.strath.ac.uk/humanities/lawschool/

Eligibility

Applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria:

  • Applicants must hold or be predicted a First or a good 2:1 undergraduate degree in the social sciences, or have relevant comparable experience.
  • Applicants can have a Masters degree, however this is not a requirement.
  • The applicant must also show demonstrable interest in the topic area under investigation.
  • Applicants can study part-time or full-time

This position is well suited to applicants with a background in law, social policy, politics, sociology, or public health. An understanding of the legal and policy context surrounding this subject area would be advantageous, as would familiarity with relevant social science and social policy methodologies.

Funding

As per guidance published by UKRI in October 2020, a maximum of 30% of all studentships awarded can be made to international students, with the remaining 70% going to home students. 

Residential Criteria

To be classed as a home student, applicants must meet the following criteria:

  • Be a UK national (meeting residency requirements), or
  • Have settled status, or
  • Have pre-settled status (meeting residency requirements), or
  • Have indefinite leave to remain or enter.

For more on the UKRI eligibility guidance, click here

As per guidance published by UKRI in October 2020, a maximum of 30% of all studentships awarded can be made to international students, of which SGSSS has now awarded for the 2021/22 round of studentship awards. As such, this opportunity is only open to home students.

Residential Criteria

To be classed as a home student, applicants must meet the following criteria:

  • Be a UK national (meeting residency requirements), or
  • Have settled status, or
  • Have pre-settled status (meeting residency requirements), or
  • Have indefinite leave to remain or enter.

If you do not meet the criteria above, you will be classed as an international student and will not be eligible to apply. To establish if you would be classed as a home student, please see pages 4 and 5 of the UKRI eligibility guidance here.

Award details

The scholarship is available as a +3.5 (3 year PhD and placement) or a 1+3.5 (Masters year, 3 year PhD, and a placement) studentship depending on prior research training. This will be assessed as part of the recruitment process, however you can access guidance here to help you decide on which to apply for. The programme will commence in October 2026. The full ESRC studentship package includes, as advised by ESRC:

  • An annual maintenance grant (stipend)
  • Fees at the standard institutional home rate
  • Students can also draw on a pooled Research Training Support Grant (RTSG)

Other information

All applicants should submit, in font size no less than 11 point, alongside their completed application:

A. A brief statement (150 words) of why you think this research is important and what impact you hope it might have

B. A brief statement (150 words) of why you feel you are a strong candidate for this role

C. An outline research plan (no more than 800 words) explaining how you would approach the study. As part of this, you may wish to identify different theoretical approaches but should outline one research method you would expect to use as part of this project and explain:

• Why you think this method would be appropriate
• how you would plan to carry out this element of your work
• what the limitations of this method would be – and how you would fill those gaps in your research;
• what challenges you would expect to encounter in completing this part of your work – and how you might overcome these.

Those short-listed for interview will be asked to prepare a short presentation (10 minutes).

How to apply

  1. Applicants must register on SGSSS Apply, completing their Equal Opportunities data.
  2. Applicants must apply via SGSSS Apply, uploading the following documentation:

    • Application Questions (answered within SGSSS Apply, no upload needed)
    • Academic transcripts
    • Academic prizes
    • Referee information
    • CV
    • Other information (if required by the advert)
We strongly encourage applicants review the applicant guidance document for more on the process. 

Please Note:

  • This is not an application to the relevant University, this is an application for SGSSS (ESRC) funding.
  • Students do not need a Masters/PhD offer from the relevant University before they can apply for funding, i.e. this studentship.
  • If successful in obtaining the SGSSS (ESRC) studentship, students can only start the funded studentship once they have an unconditional Masters/PhD degree offer from the relevant University. It is your responsibility to find out the University’s application process, including when you need to secure your offer, as SGSSS plays no role in this process.

This studentship opportunity will open for applications on 9th June.

Apply now via SGSSS Apply

Selection process

Applications will be ranked by an internal institutional selection panel, and you will be notified if you have been shortlisted for interview on 3 April. Interviews will take place on 17 April.

This studentship award is subject to the successful candidate securing admission to a PhD programme within the University of Strathclyde. The successful candidate will be invited to apply for admission to the relevant PhD programme.

Contact details

Name
Team SGSSS
Email
SGSSS Team (for questions on the application portal, only), for any questions on the project, email the supervisory team (see details in abstract above)

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