FULLY FUNDED PhD - Coping mechanisms/strategies and health related quality of life in cardiac patients in Bangladesh

About the Project

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Applications are now open for a unique studentship opportunity based in Bangladesh. ACROSS (Affordable Cardiac Rehabilitation: An Outreach Inter-disciplinary Strategic Study) aims to develop a culturally adapted and affordable home-based rehabilitation programme for people with multiple long -term health conditions including heart disease and anxiety/depression. We aim to evaluate the acceptability, clinical effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness of the programme’s implementation in Bangladesh and Pakistan to determine its scalability and sustainability.

We are looking to recruit an outstanding student to undertake a fully funded, full-time 3-year PhD project focussed on how digital health technologies can support cardiac rehabilitation. Applicants should be fluent English speakers who have either completed or are close to completing a Masters degree and must either already be resident in Bangladesh or prepared to live there for the duration of the project.

In Bangladesh cardiac patients face challenges in coping with cardiac diseases due to various cultural, social and economic aspects which are sensitive in nature. For numerous patients, the situation is made more complicated due to a lack of access to healthcare resources (many rural residents have minimal options for care available).This project will use qualitative methods to explore and understand the coping mechanisms used by people living with coronary heart disease in Bangladesh and the relationship with health-related quality of life.

The successful student will become a member of the Global ACROSS programme and also NIHR faculty, offering a broad spectrum of training activities and networking opportunities. In addition to academic supervision and host University support, you will be supported by training materials available through the ACROSS training hub and the research consortium. This virtual hub will include an online space for PhD students to regularly interact and to engage in training webinars provided by ACROSS team members and other topic experts.

You will be encouraged to join relevant ACROSS working groups, where you will have the opportunity to work with early career and senior academic staff from relevant and complementary research and clinical fields. We will also provide a series of grant writing workshops to further prepare students for their future academic careers. Furthermore, you will have the opportunity to collaborate with relevant research initiatives including the MRC-NIHR Trials Methodology Research Partnership.

Matriculation will be with the University of Glasgow, however the successful applicant will be based at our host institution, Bangladesh University of Health Sciences (BUHS). The studentships are fully funded, university registration fees are covered, and stipend payments will be provided at the applicable local rate.

For more information, please contact global-across@glasgow.ac.uk.

Additional documents to upload:

• Personal statement outlining why you feel you would be a suitable candidate for the ACROSS PhD programme (maximum 4000 characters including spaces)
• Evidence of the highest-level English language qualification you have achieved (only required if you are not a native English speaker)
• List of any academic publications
• Details of 2 personal references we can contact

Funding Notes

Open to all students, but students need to be based in Bangladesh for duration of the project. International tuition fees covered. Stipends will be paid by our partner university in Bangladesh. £3,800 per year (approximately 227,258 Bangladeshi Taka). Project start: January 2027.