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

Evaluating the effects of Scotland’s Violence Reduction Unit as a public health intervention using natural experimental methods

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
Steers – Datasets
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

Established in 2005, Scotland’s Violence Reduction Unit (SVRU) pioneered a public health approach to violence prevention by addressing the social determinants of violence, rather than relying solely on enforcement. Following a 58% reduction in violent crime volume from 2008-09 to 2021-22 and a halving of Scotland’s homicide rate since 2008-09, this model has gained international recognition. Twenty violence reduction units (VRUs) have been established across England and Wales since 2019.

While specific violence reduction interventions have showed promising results (Williams et al., 2014), comprehensive evaluation of the SVRU’s overall impact using robust causal inference methods has not been undertaken. Analysis of homicide data has noted that societal shifts may have contributed, independently of the SVRU (Geoghegan, 2015).

New analytical techniques using Scottish Ambulance Service data have been shown to give sensitive, area-based estimates of specific callouts – potentially able to measure rates of injury due to violence. The availability of novel data to detect incidence of violence and the scope of cutting-edge epidemiological methods presents an opportunity to assess what contribution the SVRU approach has made to falls in violent crime.

The successful candidate will utilise natural language processing methods to categorise and detect records of ambulance callouts for violent injuries and use these to estimate changes in rates of violent assault as an outcome targeted by the SRVU strategy. They will work with stakeholders to co-develop an evaluation design approach that uses natural experimental methods to estimate the contribution the SVRU made to reducing violence in Glasgow.

As well as learning about and applying emerging approaches to using non-conventional data sources to answer important policy questions, the student will gain experience of working with stakeholders and insight into the use of evidence in decision-making.

Supervisory Team:

About the University

The studentship will be based in the Health Economics and Health Technology Assessment (HEHTA) section within the School of Health and Wellbeing at Glasgow University. HEHTA is a multi-disciplinary academic research group at the University of Glasgow, dedicated to delivering research that has a direct impact on clinical practice, population health, and health policies – nationally and internationally. With a vast array of expertise and experience, our diverse and rapidly growing team’s vision is to be a world-leading centre for research and education in working to improve health and wellbeing through better decision-making.

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

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

If you are shortlisted for an interview:

Please choose a public health intervention and prepare a short (5 min; 2 slides maximum) presentation on the challenges of assessing its effects, and how you would address those challenges.

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 1 April. Interviews will take place on 20 April.

This 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.

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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