Understanding the complex place-based factors associated with the spread of COVID-19 infection amongst populations in the UK

Studentship opportunity

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

Institution

University of Edinburgh

Pathway

Health, Wellbeing and Communities

Studentship

Steers – AQM

Mode of study

Full-time / Part-time

Application deadline

4pm, 14 April 2022

Applications are due 10 April, 5 pm BST and

References are due 16 April, 5 pm BST

Project details

The University of Edinburgh is inviting applications from suitably qualified graduates for an exciting fully-funded PhD studentship in Health Geography.

The project addresses the important challenge of understanding the complex place-based factors associated with the spread of COVID-19 infection amongst populations in the UK, using high quality, contemporaneous statistics. A better understanding of these factors can inform planning of prevention and treatment programmes aiming to design local conditions that are more prepared for, and resilient to, future crises associated with pandemics.

Methods and Data

The project will use UK’s world leading surveys and administrative data which enables linkages (under secure and carefully controlled ethical conditions) between surveys and publicly available geographical factors on local conditions. The research will bring together existing data from the UK wide COVID-19 Infection Survey (CIS) with data about local area conditions, derived from different administrative sources relating to each of the constituent countries in the UK. The project will use advanced quantitative approaches including multi-level models to examine how place-based factors may be linked to COVID-19 infection and its dynamics. More details about the ONS CIS can be found here.

Expected research outcomes

The findings will be of considerable international interest to both academic and non-academic stakeholders and the project will produce outputs that target both groups. In addition to a PhD thesis, we anticipate around 3 published academic articles will emerge from the research, targeting journals in the disciplines of epidemiology, health geography and public health. In addition, the research team will facilitate opportunities for the PhD student to present findings to a varied non-academic audience through existing stakeholder workshops and events with organisations including for example Public Health Scotland, the Scottish Government, and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

Supervision

Dr Feng, and other members of the advisory team for this project will provide supervision to support the student undertaking this research to prepare a PhD. The supervisory team has experience across all aspects of the project including application of advanced quantitative methods, use of complex survey and administrative datasets for research, expertise in the place-based determinants of health and working closely with related impact stakeholder groups including Public Health Scotland and the Scottish Government.

Supervisory Team:

First Supervisor: Dr Zhiqiang Feng, zhiqiang.feng@ed.ac.uk
Second Supervisor: Professor Jamie Pearce, jamie.pearce@ed.ac.uk

About the University

The successful applicant will join the Population, Health and Place research group which is based in the Research Institute for Geography and the Lived Environment (RIGLE). They will also be affiliated with the Centre for Research on Environment, Society and Health (CRESH) and the Scottish Centre for Administrative Data Research (SCADR). The Population, Health and Place research group are renowned for their world-leading research and the Institute offers high-quality education in the areas of physical and human geography, environment, and society. We employ a variety of methodologies, including longitudinal analysis, spatial analysis and statistical modelling, to explore how environmental factors operating at different scales influence health and well-being. Our work covers a diverse range of topics such as environmental justice, accessibility to green spaces, urban planning, and how geographical variations in these ‘wider health determinants’ affect health inequalities. Our research not only highlights the importance of place-based factors in health but also supports the development of healthier environments and more equitable social policies.

The Centre for Research on Environment, Society and Health (CRESH)

The CRESH team conducts research into the ways in which the physical and social environments can impact health and health inequalities. Their work involves mapping and analysing the distribution of environmental characteristics (including green spaces, air quality, employment conditions and the commercial environment) to understand their impacts on health outcomes across different populations. CRESH applies this research to help develop healthier socio-economic and physical environments across various contexts.

For more information: https://cresh.org.uk/

The Scottish Centre for Administrative Data Research (SCADR)

The SCADR, a world renowned research centre of excellence in data linkage and research, is part of a UK-wide initiative involving several Administrative Data Research Centres (ADR) which focus on the use of administrative data for conducting research. Their research is crucial as it facilitates the understanding and improvement of economies, societies, and health and wellbeing through the analysis of routinely collected data by government agencies. SCADR focuses specifically on the administrative data available within Scotland but also has collaborations with colleagues in other parts of the UK and in other countries of the world, enhancing the potential for researchers to study and evaluate social, economic, and health issues.

By facilitating collaborations and providing the infrastructure necessary for robust research, SCADR contributes to evidence-based decision-making and policy, making meaningful impacts on various aspects of public life, from education and employment to health and social care.

For more information: https://www.scadr.ac.uk/

Eligibility

Applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria:

Applicants will have a first degree (undergraduate) at 2:1 and have a demonstrable interest in the topic area under investigation
Applicants can have a Masters degree, however this is not a requirement.
Applicants can study part-time or full-time

Other criteria include:

Candidates should demonstrate an interest and ability in using advanced quantitative methods in a social science and/or public health context.
Candidates should demonstrate an interest in the improvement of population and public health and reducing transmission of communicable diseases.
The ideal candidate would already have training in statistics for the social sciences and experience in using quantitative data and/or statistical methods, but training will be available during the doctoral programme.

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.

If you do not meet the criteria above, you will be classed as an international student. To establish if you would be classed as a home student, please see pages 4 and 5 of the UKRI eligibility guidance 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 2025. 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

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for an enthusiastic and able student to work on a policy-relevant social science and public health quantitative research project. This studentship is an SGSSS ESRC ‘Advanced Quantitative Methods’ studentship, and so the application of advanced quantitative social science and public health methods is a core component of the project.

What is the project about?

This PhD project aims to fill the significant research gap by exploring how place-based factors interact with individual risks of COVID-19 infection, impacting on the spread of this disease. It will provide the student with access to a novel data base for original research, made up of anonymized, UK-wide survey data on a large, longitudinal sample of individuals, linked to data on local conditions in geographical areas where the individuals were living. These data will be analysed in secure conditions at the Scottish Centre for Administrative Data Research in Edinburgh.

How will I be supported?

Prior training in quantitative methods would be advantageous, but the project will include extensive opportunities for training and development and an annual development needs analysis. The successful applicant will attend safe researcher training and training in the use of linked administrative data via the Administrative Data Research Centre Scotland and the Scottish Longitudinal Study and more general training in quantitative methods will be available through the National Centre for Research Methods and/or Essex summer school courses. Also, many training opportunities in wider transferable skills are available through the University of Edinburgh Institute of Academic Development and the SGSSS training calendar, including courses available at the summer school on research leadership, publishing and knowledge exchange/impact. The successful applicant will also benefit from the supervisory team’s wider networks, including both academic and non-academic stakeholders such as Public Health Scotland and the Scottish Government.

The student will benefit from the opportunity to complete a 3 month research placement as a partner in the public policy, voluntary or academic research sectors.

Who will supervise me?

The project will be co-supervised by Dr Zhiqiang Feng, Professor Jamie Pearce and Professor Sarah Curtis. The supervisory team provides a blend of supervisory experience, methodological and thematic expertise, and familiarity with project-specific knowledge exchange and impact. Dr Feng has extensive experience of analysing survey, administrative data and geographical data over many years. He has expertise in both data governance and privacy issues and in implementing advanced quantitative methods with complex, linked survey and administrative data resources. Professors Pearce and Curtis have a long track record working on geographical drivers of health behaviours, and health inequalities and are also highly experienced in knowledge exchange and research impact, including collaborations with the Public Health Scotland and the Royal Society of Edinburgh. This PhD project will benefit from the team’s academic expertise as well as their connections and expertise in engaging with a wide audience to make sure that the project has an impact in making the knowledge it produces useful in society generally as well as in academia.

What about the research environment?

The student will benefit from entering a highly supportive and productive research environment. They will be members of the Centre for Research on Environment, Society & Health (CRESH) (co-led by the applicants) which meets weekly to share research findings and discuss new research initiatives alongside inviting external speakers. There is a large and growing community of around 20 PhD students and early career researchers within CRESH within which the student will be closely integrated. The student will also develop close working relationships with the wider SCADR team and the extensive network of administrative data researchers, impact officers and stakeholders within the Scottish Centre for Administrative Research (SCADR) with which the supervisors are affiliated.

Please assure that you complete the additional task as part of your application. Click on this link for more on the instructions and task.

How to apply

Applicants must register on SGSSS Apply, completing their Equal Opportunities data.
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.

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 or around 20 April. Interviews will take place 29 April.

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

Contact details

Name

SGSSS Team (for questions on the application portal, only), for any questions on the project, email the first & second supervisors (see details in abstract above)

Email

team@sgsss.ac.uk

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