Funded PhD Studentship with The Football Association (The FA) and Leeds Beckett University looking at Strategies to Support Injured Adolescents

About the Project

The Carnegie School of Sport in collaboration with the Football Association are looking to recruit a talented and highly motivated individual to undertake a full-time funded PhD studentship.

A three-year studentship is being offered to undertake research investigating the academic, psychological and psychosocial impacts of injuries in adolescent sports, focussed within English secondary school sport settings. This PhD program allows the successful candidate to conduct research in a crucial yet underrepresented area and contribute to reducing sports injuries among adolescents.

The Carnegie School of Sport at Leeds Beckett University is purposefully driven to make a difference to people, communities and organisations through collaborative research and knowledge exchange. Our culture is founded upon a genuine commitment and capacity to work with others on real-world applied problems, to achieve impact beyond academia. From our work examining head impacts and concussion, talent development systems and ethical coaching, to our research tackling gender equality, threats to sporting integrity and obesity, we are generating transdisciplinary knowledge to address some of the key issues facing our communities today.

We are offering one funded PhD from the 01 October 2026.

The primary research location will be at the Carnegie School of Sport (LS6 3QS).

Project: Development of strategies to support injured adolescents, and minimise the negative impact associated with injury

Director of Studies: k.till@leedsbeckett.ac.uk

Supervisors: l.patterson@leedsbeckett.ac.uk

Physical education (PE) and sport participation are two key contexts for adolescents to undertake physical activity. Participation within PE and sport offers many health and performance benefits (Eime et al., 2013). However, one negative consequence of PE and sport participation is the risk of injury, including long-term injuries (e.g., anterior cruciate ligament injury). Such long-term injuries can have significant implications for an individual’s health-related quality of life (e.g., Dipnall et al., 2022), especially during adolescence when there are a range of holistic developmental outcomes (e.g., physical, academic, psychological, psychosocial). Therefore, to maintain health-related quality of life and appropriate holistic development for adolescents, understanding the impacts (defined here as the outcomes, results and consequences, both positive and negative, as well as short-term and long-term; Thompson et al., 2022) associated with injury during adolescence is important. Furthermore, it is recommended that injured adolescents require support during these times to manage and support their injury and holistic development. However, limited research is available examining such strategies. This understanding would enable schools and organisations to develop strategies to support injured adolescents to maximise positive and minimise negative impacts associated with injury.

Therefore, this PhD would look to:

1. Investigate the short and long-term impacts of injury in adolescents, establishing any differences between males and females;
2. Identify the current practices and barriers regarding supporting injured adolescents in English secondary schools;
3. Co-develop strategies (with teachers) to support the injured adolescent in school, and
4. Assess the suitability/feasibility of these strategies in the English secondary school environment.

Applicants are encouraged to discuss their proposals with Prof Kevin Till or Dr Laurie Patterson

• Application Reference Number: 2026-October-The FA/CSS-PHD2
• Start Date: 01 October 2026
• Mode of Study: Full-Time (3yrs)
• Number of Opportunities Available: 1
• Interviews to take place from: 24 June 2026

Further information on how to apply can be found here

*please note that you must include the application reference above in your application*

Funding Notes

Type of Funding Available: Home (UK) Fees and Stipend

Stipend Value: £20,780

International candidates will be required to pay the international fee top up and are advised to contact our Research Admissions team researchadmissions@leedsbeckett.ac.uk