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

Diet Transition: Understanding the Effectiveness of Community Organisations in Supporting Change

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

Institution
University of Glasgow
Pathway
Health, Wellbeing and Communities
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

What we eat has significant impacts on human and planetary health. Poor diet is the biggest contributor to preventable ill-health and the food system produces approximately one third of carbon emissions globally. While household dietary change is pertinent, this is hampered by entrenched behaviours that are challenging to change. Community organisations play an important role in supporting such behaviour transitions. Constrained by short term funding and increasing demand as a result of polycrisis, it is important to understand their (in)effectiveness in facilitating diet transition.

This research will examine the role community organisations play in supporting household transitions towards healthy sustainable diets. The research will take place in Glasgow, in partnership with Glasgow Food Policy Partnership, given high levels of household diversity, deprivation and ill-health in the city and new policy interventions at the national (Good Food Nation (Scotland) Act 2022) and regional (Glasgow City Food Plan; Food and Climate Action project) levels. This research takes an ethnographic approach with 10 households and 2 community organisations supporting household transition to healthy sustainable diets.

Data collection will comprise of in-depth interviews, participant observation, accompanied shopping and reflective diaries. The research explores the capacity and limits of community organisational support as a lever for change, by examining how exposure to community supported food work can shape household behaviour.

This has implications for transformative food policy work, and for the community food sector as a whole, as it seeks to understand and explain barriers and opportunities for change at the level of everyday action within households. As such, the research will contribute to sustainable food system debates and deepen our evolving understanding of how to implement effective change within food systems.

Collaborative Partner: Glasgow Food Policy Partnership

Supervisory Team:

About the University

Founded in 1451, the University of Glasgow is the fourth oldest university in the English-speaking world, and has been named Scottish University of the Year 2018. Glasgow is a place that inspires ambitious people to succeed. A place where inquiring minds can develop their ideas. A place where people make discoveries that change the world.

The University of Glasgow includes among its alumni the father of economics Adam Smith, and the Adam Smith Business School is named in his honour. We aim to follow his legacy and create world changing graduates who make a positive impact on culture and society. We help to transform organisations and careers. Our business is creating inspiring leaders, researchers and professionals whose research and relations with industry have real impact, influencing organisations as they develop and grow globally.

The Adam Smith Business School has the triple crown of accreditation and is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International), the European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS), and the Glasgow MBA is accredited by the Association of MBAs (AMBA) The studentship will be embedded within the Management subject group of the Adam Smith Business School. Our postgraduate research training programme combines robust taught research training and applied research practice. Beginning with foundation training in research methods, you will follow advanced training pathways in qualitative and quantitative methodologies and benefit from extensive training in research skills.

As a postgraduate, you will form the bedrock of our research community, and we will actively encourage you to publish your research and participate in research seminars, training, workshops, conferences and presentations

Eligibility

This application programme is for applicants looking to apply for ESRC studentship funding to undertake a supervisor-led pre-designed PhD research project, starting in the academic year 2025/26 (October 2026). To ensure you have the best chance of success please review the relevant studentship advert(s) in advance of submitting an application.

Applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria:

  • For 1+3.5- Applicants must hold or be predicted a First or a good 2:1 undergraduate degree in the social sciences, or have relevant comparable experience.
    • Demonstrate an interest in, and academic knowledge of the topic under investigation, including literature and debates.
  • For +3.5 – A master’s degree at 60%/merit or equivalent with a significant business and management component or the ability to demonstrate specialist academic knowledge of the topic or in exceptional cases prior experience.
    • Demonstrate an interest in, and academic knowledge of the topic under investigation, including literature and debates.
  • Applicants can study part-time or full-time.

For more details on our eligibility criteria, we encourage applicants to review this page.

IMPORTANT: For this studentship opportunity, this project is only open for applicants who are 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.

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

Applicants must also submit:

  • A research proposal (maximum 1500 words) that develops the Project Abstract

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 you have been shortlisted for an interview on 2 April 2026. Interviews will take place on 27 April 2026.

The studentship award is subject to the successful candidate securing admission to a PhD programme within the University of Glasgow. The successful candidate will be invited to apply for admission to the relevant PhD programme after they are selected for funding.

Contact details

Name
SGSSS Team
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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